Business Accelerators winners announced
Weltons in Great Bowden: Nicky Ransome, with her staff, Keely King, Chris Fox, and Lucy Turnbull. Pictured below are Tom Sexton of Sexton Recruitment and Natalie Godefroy of Beauty Defined
A trio of businesses in Harborough are due to get a boost after being named as the Mail’s Business Accelerators winners for 2013.
The three finalists all win a free advertising campaign in the Mail and mentoring advice from business experts in the town.
The winners, announced today (Thursday), are Welton’s shop of The Green in Great Bowden, beauty salon Beauty Defined of Union Wharf, Harborough, and logistics recruitment company Sexton Recruitment of Millers Yard in Harborough.
They will all receive mentoring support and advice from marketing expert Alastair Campbell of The Ideal Marketing Company in Harborough, from Jason Hathaway of Edwards Hands & Lewis solicitors based at Harborough’s Union Wharf and Clare Elsby of Elsby & Co specialist business advisors based at the Harborough Innovation Centre.
Nicky Ransome took over Welton’s in November 2009 and says she is really looking forward to working with the mentors to get some top tips and advice. The shop has diversified over the years and now offers a range of services above-and-beyond that of a normal village shop.
Natalie Godefroy, who set up Beauty Defined in May 2011, said: “I’m really pleased.
“It’s wonderful news, absolutely fantastic because with small businesses you just come up against brick walls all the time.”
She started her business from her dining room and has now flourished to owning her own clinic and stock – as well as being a mother-of-four.
Tom Sexton, who set up his firm in April 2011, said: “I’m very shocked. I saw an opportunity there and thought I’d give it a go. It’s a perfect opportunity to get my name out there.”
His firm is a niche logistics recruitment agency that places supervisory and management level roles.
The Business Accelerators scheme, which has received backing from Prime Minister David Cameron, is now in its second year and is run in conjunction with The Newspaper Society.
In June, the Mail will select an overall winner from its three winners who will be put forward to the regional finals where they will go up against other newspapers’ winners from across the East Midlands.
The overall national winner of the scheme will be announced in the autumn and will get support from business guru Deborah Meadon of Dragons’ Den fame.
The Mail’s deputy editor Alex Blackwell said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce our three Business Accelerators winners for 2013 and we are very much looking forward to working with the firms to help create a successful local advertising campaign for them.
“Their three sectors of business are very diverse so it should make for some interesting campaigns.
“I would like to thank our mentors for offering to give their time and to give something back to the community by helping out some up-and-coming small businesses in the area.”
The scheme was launched back in October and a panel of judges headed up by the Mail ploughed through a shortlist of candidates in February before reaching its decision.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 16 C
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Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light showers
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