Awards process nurtured setting up a second venture
by WIN Admin — published in Press Releases
TAKING time out to think about how her business had progressed and where it is heading was Jayne Graham's primary reason for entering the North East Woman Entrepreneur
(WIN) of the Year Awards last year.
But taking that time and being shortlisted in the Best Home-Based Business category with 20:20 Consulting gave her the added impetus to go for it and start a second enterprise from her home in Gateshead.
In addition to the business planning, mentoring and development consultancy, Ms Graham launched Space on Tap in June to help people find occasional space for their business and leisure needs. She initially set up 20:20 Consulting in 2004 and works all over the North East and nationally when the job requires it.
Ms Graham said: “I entered the awards purely and simply because I knew I’d benefit from the process of applying – nothing more than that
“I needed to take time out to think about the future, and this provided a great opportunity to reflect on the past five or six years since I set up 20:20 Consulting. Through writing the application I surprised myself as I recognised how much I’d achieved... more importantly I realised that I had actually achieved what I’d set out to do: I’d enabled change for my customers, for myself and for my family.”
And making it on to the shortlist in the awards for the region’s brightest and best female-run businesses was the independent endorsement she needed to persuade her to start thinking seriously of her next enterprise.
“It provided a real opportunity for me to draw a line under my first phase of self-employment and gave me the confidence to start thinking seriously about the next phase,” said Ms Graham. “That led to the launch of a new business that built on my experience of running a home-based business. Two months after the awards evening I had written a business plan for a new business concept, and the new business www.spaceontap.com launched in June.
“The short-listing and awards dinner also provided the opportunity for my business partner in Space on Tap to absorb the success of other women in business, reinforcing her desire to set up the new business with me.”
The WIN Awards are in their 11th year and female entrepreneurs have until 5pm on September 18 to enter. Entries will be shortlisted on September 28 and the presentation and dinner are on November 19. To enter visit www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/awards
Categories for the 2010 awards are:
The Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship.
Best New Business.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Best Social Enterprise.
Best Creative Business.
Best Home-Based Business.
Best Use of Technology.
Best Rural Business.
Best Retail Business.
Source: Karen Dent, The Journal