MARK WEEKS
FTSE 100
HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
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NICK GARTLAND
-2.79 Fallout from the big vote Column - Page 4 6646.60
Shift work worries Column - Page 4
An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
A YOUNG entrepreneur is proving how hard work and dedication can bring success. Sam Forrest only set up his online trading platform, Uni Media Mash, in January – but it is already an awardwinner. Uni Media Mash makes it easy for students to trade university textbooks and media-related items such as CDs and DVDs simply and safely with each other on campus. Once the trade has been made, they can provide feedback to the site. “It is similar to an auction/social networking site,” Sam said. “There is the option to pay cash or swap your items. You then physically meet at designated meeting points around the university campus. It makes it really easy to meet new people and get cheap textbooks, which can often be quite expensive.” Sam licenses the website out to students’ unions, universities and individual licensees for an annual fee. The Student’s Union at Huddersfield University has bought a license and offers it as a free tool for students under the trade name of HudBooks. Licences at Southampton and Exeter
■■ Sam Forrest is taking his venture to another level at Huddersfield University’s 3M BIC
universities give members unlimited use for a small subscription fee. Now Sam is making full use of Huddersfield University’s facilities, enabling him to take his new enterprise to the next level by setting up his business in The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre at the university’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.
This will provide him with hot-desking and free use of the electronic facilities he needs to keep his online business growing – as well as help from university enterprise team. The team assists enterprising students and recent graduates like Sam to develop their business ideas through one-toone meetings with their business advi-
sors, a series of business skills events and where appropriate, access to proof of concept funding. Said Sam: “They have opened new doors for me, not just on the business side, but competitions as well. I recently did some filming with the BBC for a documentary and it was the enterprise team that found it for me.” Sam, 19, who hails from the Isle of Wight, decided to make Huddersfield his new home after hearing about the university’s pioneering Enterprise Development BA (Hons) degree that is supported and backed by ex-Dragons’ Den panellist and self-made retail millionaire Theo Paphitis. Sam is already recognised as being one of the country’s brightest and most independent self-employed young entrepreneurs by becoming a finalist in a competition called 15 for 15. The competition aims to give the most promising candidates a helping hand by providing them with business support, financial advice and the latest technology. On top of this will be a £5,000 cash prize when the overall winner is announced at a star-studded event to be held in the heart of London during November. If he wins the 15 for 15 competition, Sam says that the award money will go towards helping him expand his business.
Award hopeful A HUDDERSFIELD-based entrepreneur has been shortlisted for a national award. Shaun Fox, who heads Legacy Sport, has been shortlisted for the title of Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2014. Shaun is among five finalists who are in with the chance of winning the UK-wide £10,000 award. All five are about to graduate from the 2013/14 cohort of the Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme. The programme provides financial support and learning support, including a business mentoring scheme.
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Agency helps Freya’s canine connection Speedy decision
■■ Freya McAvoy, who runs Pampered Pooches
A KIRKLEES entrepreneur has set-up her own dog-grooming business and is planning to expand after receiving support from the West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency. Twenty-year-old Freya McAvoy, of Thornhill, Dewsbury, runs Pampered Pooches which covers everything from basic grooming and style to facials, massages and more. She currently operates from her house and intends to open a shop in the Cleckheaton area – but the plans don’t stop there. Said Freya: “Eventually, once I’ve opened my shop, I want expand and open a rescue centre and training centre. Basically a one-place stop for all pets.” Freya had been studying childcare at college en route to becoming a
teacher. While at college, she began volunteering at a friend’s dog grooming salon, which she loved. She had the idea of opening a dog grooming salon a few years ago, but had done nothing about it. So when the opportunity arose to join the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme, she jumped at the chance it would give her to set up her own business. Freya said her key clients were generally pet owners with long-coated or double-coated breeds, such as Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Akita and Westies – but all dogs are catered for. Said Freya: “When a pet’s coat is not cared for, it can cause a lot of skin problems such as sores and irritation, leaving the skin looking red and angry “A clean coat will help prevent skin becoming flaky and will prevent dan-
druff. Moreover, taking a puppy to be groomed at an early age will help it socialise with other animals.” Some of Freya’s clients also opt for “mini-grooms” in between full grooms, consisting of either a bath and a brushout or just a brush. This helps to maintain the coat, making it more manageable. Freya said the NEA scheme and the support from the West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency was a crucial part of her current success: “They sat down with me and talked me through everything I didn’t understand,” she says. “My mentor was crucial in making all this happen. Without him, I wouldn’t have got this far. Opening my dog grooming salon would still just be an idea.” Visit www.wyea.co.uk
Business tycoon Lawrence Tomlinson is gearing up to build a new sports car following a high-octane takeover. The Batley-born businessman and chairman of sports car manufacturer Ginetta acquired rival manufacturer Juno earlier this year. Now Mr Tomlinson, has confirmed his intentions to build a Ginetta-Juno LMP Track Car, designed to bridge the gap between existing sports car and GT racing and top level sports prototypes.