Hull Enterprise Den winners announced
21-year-old unemployed graduate Yasmin Choudhury won £1000 in cash for web-marketing her new business idea, a match-making marriage service for Muslims. Yasmin also won half a day’s filming for a promotional video after her appearance in the Enterprise Den, a competition for new businesses organised by the Hull Enterprise Partnership, one of the city’s most active business support services.
Yasmin, from Princes Avenue, came up with the idea for Nikah Services (UK) just over two months ago, after seeing the problems her family and friends experienced in searching for a spouse. Nikah, which means marriage in Arabic – the language of Islam – will specialise in helping parents and guardians find a match for their dependent.
She says: “The judges seemed to understand that arranged marriages were not easy to organise and that research is needed to match people together. I saw this as a gap in the market for what is an important step in the Muslim faith. I’m very pleased to have won the money and the filming opportunity with Eon Media. The company isn’t up and running yet but I’ll now look to starting it up.”
Altogether five women and one man were chosen out of 32 applicants from the HU1-HU9 areas to face a panel of three local businessmen and compete for a prize fund of £3000 cash and in-kind prizes. Cash was donated by Brooke Ceramics, William Jackson Food Group, Welwyn Consultancy, Colt Industrial, and ATL, with in-kind services provided by Word of Mouth Design, Kall Kwik, Eon Media and Eskimo Soup.
The prizes were handed out by judges Geof Brooke of Brooke Ceramics, consultant Barry Cooper and Nick Oughtred of the William Jackson Food Group, after a 20-minute pitch by each of the six at the Community Church Hull in Newland Avenue.
Kath Hope, 48, of Holderness Road, took away £750 to develop the product range for her company Hope2Sleep. It currently imports and distributes comfort accessories for Sleep Apnoea, in which sufferers need help to keep breathing whilst asleep.
Stephanie Riby (47) from Suddaby Park in east Hull was awarded £750 to help market her new Past Times services to provide activities in nursing homes. The judges also gave £150 worth of in-kind support to produce and design leaflets through Word of Mouth Design.
Sarah Morris’s social enterprise, Green Avenues, won £500 for a new bicycle and trailer to expand her eco-friendly domestic cleaning company and create employment. The 34 year old from Park Avenue also won £150 worth of in-kind support from Word of Mouth Design to help with creating corporate identity. One of the judges, Geof Brooke, is also offering some business advice.
West Hull hairdresser Linda Bates (44) was given £150 worth of in-kind support from Eskimo Soup to help with her plans for a new type of nit-removal comb.
Del Thompson, 31, of Brazil Street, east Hull, was given in-kind assistance with £150 worth of stationery start-up costs from Kall Kwik to develop his green domestic appliance firm, Go Green Group Ltd. He said: “It was a relaxing experience and a nice atmosphere. It was particularly enlightening to get some expert opinion to progress my business further. We need to get started and build up a customer base so I’ll be planning a leaflet campaign in Hull and East Yorkshire from April/May.”
Judge Barry Cooper says: “It was very difficult. We could have given away £30,000! Yasmin was a very worthy winner and had great potential. As judges, we compromised on what we thought we should give. They were all worthy causes and their presentation skills were brilliant. Some businesses were already up and running but some just needed extra help and I’m delighted we could provide that.”
Sandra Ackroyd of the Hull Enterprise Partnership (HEP) says the Den was only made possible through sponsorship by local businesses: “We wanted to raise awareness of enterprise and encourage start-up businesses, especially as there isn’t really much funding around to help start up on your own.
“I was nervous for the candidates myself and they were all really supportive of each other. Camaraderie was great among the competitors and there was a lot of networking going on. We’d like to thank the judges and sponsors who put money up to be involved and really supported the venture.”
The HEP provides free one-to-one advice and support to people interested in starting their own business or becoming self-employed. The four organisations which form the Partnership are: Community Church Hull, the Goodwin Development Trust, Latitude and Probe (Hull) Ltd. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and One Hull, the city’s local strategic partnership. Further details are available from 01482 714242 or online at www.enterprisinghull.org.uk.
