Partner Article

BT seek 'Essence of the Entrepreneur'

BT Business this week launched a campaign to find and showcase the UK’s most inspirational entrepreneurs. BT Business’s ‘Essence of the Entrepreneur’ celebrates the achievements of small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional dedication and have found new directions to succeed in business with the help of technology.

A panel of judges, including successful entrepreneurs and industry experts, will select the UK’s 20 most impressive entrepreneurs. In addition, the judges will be looking for the best female entrepreneur, best male entrepreneur, the young entrepreneur of the year and the most original business concept. Last year businesses from across the length and breadth of the UK entered the competition and the winners represented a diverse range of industries from garden design, to a diet delivery service, to a sausage manufacturing company.

Paul Jackson of First Recovery, said: “I was proud to have won BT’s ‘Essence of the Entrepreneur’ award last year. “As a direct result of contacts made at the resulting exhibition, my company landed a major deal to provide our disaster recovery and online data backup services to British Chambers of Commerce members.”

Bill Murphy, managing director, BT Business, said: “SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy. We want to applaud their determination to succeed, celebrate the power of the idea, and capture the essence of their entrepreneurial spirit.”

To qualify for the competition, businesses must submit their entries by Friday July 20. They must be privately owned, employ fewer than 75 people and demonstrate that technology has played an essential part in the success of their business. Full details of how to enter, along with terms and conditions and the gallery of 2006 winners visit www.bt.com/entrepreneur.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .