Young entrepreneurs urged to enter major business awards

Top young entrepreneurs from The Highlands and Islands are being urged to enter a major business awards programme and become the region’s Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2006 - and pick up a valuable financial award too.

The winner of the prestigious title will then go forward to challenge for the Scottish title and, if successful there, go on to compete in London for the title of UK Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006.

The Highlands and Islands region is made up by The Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland and the Highland areas. Past winners from the region include Carolyn Naisby from Chim Chimeny from Culbokie near Inverness and Murdo Maciver from Techmobile on the Western Isles. Previous UK winners include the now market-leading smoothie drinks maker “'nnocent' and innovative internet tyre-fitters 'Black Circles'.

Carolyn Naisby from Chim Chimeny said, “Winning the award was a great boost for my business and I’d urge other young businesses to enter and try and win the honour. There are many great businesses that have come through the Shell Livewire awards and gone on to great things and I hope to be another one of those too.”

Murdo Maciver from Techmobile said, “It’s been a very busy year and it just keeps getting better and better. Winning the award and getting to the Scottish final resulted in a lot of good publicity which in turn helped expand my client base. The whole selection process also gave me a lot of ideas. It helped focus my mind on what I could achieve.”

Shell Livewire is the UK’s longest-running support service for young people considering starting or already running a business, with the initiative forming a key element in Shell UK’s long established social investment programme.

The awards showcase and reward the nation’s most outstanding young entrepreneurs through a series of regional events across the UK culminating in a UK Final in June. The 2005 overall winner James Murray Wells of glassesdirect.co.uk, which provides glasses online with significant savings on high street prices, believes that winning the accolade has brought huge benefits to his business.

He said: “Winning the Shell Livewire award was a great advertisement for the business. The exposure and association with Shell Livewire will be invaluable as we grow over the years to come. I would encourage other young people running businesses to enter the awards, because the publicity, enhanced credibility, and opportunity to meet new people can give your business a great boost.”

James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK said: “The Shell Livewire awards are a great way of creating positive role models for other young entrepreneurs. Helping young people to start their own businesses is important for the continued growth of a diverse, successful economy, and we are proud to have supported this programme for 24 years and helped do just that.”

The Shell Livewire awards are open to all young entrepreneurs aged 16-30, whose businesses will have been trading for between three and 18 months on the 31 March 2006.

Entrants will find an online application form at www.shell-livewire.org/win10k along with full entry details.

Entries need to be submitted by 31 March 2006.

Nominations are welcome from friends, family, business advisers and mentors. Winners of the regional and country finals will compete for the UK title in June, and the top prize of £10,000.

Shell founded Shell Livewire in 1982 to help young people realise their potential when considering starting and running a small business. Through the Shell Livewire service young people can gain expert business advice, find links to local support, and use the online forum and mentoring system for advice from successful young business people who draw on their own experiences.

Gerry Ford, Executive Director of Shell Livewire, said: “Shell Livewire encourages young people to develop the skills needed to start and run a business, and help them make their plans a reality. Every year the national Awards celebrate the best young business talent in the UK and provide an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to shout about their successes.”

Jackie Wright, Highlands and Islands Enterprise's director of growing businesses, said: "Shell Livewire provides a great service to young people setting out in business. Experience shows just what a boost winning an award can give your business and provides great inspiration for other young entrepreneurs from the Highlands and Islands to enter this year's competition."

To enter, or make a nomination for the Shell Livewire Awards 2006, either:

Contact Shell Livewire Tel: 0845 757 3252 (local rate); apply online at www.shell-livewire.org/win10k or email awards2006@shell-livewire.org