The aim of Enterprise North East is to get the message across that anyone can start up in business and anyone can be a success.
Published on the first Friday of every month in The Journal.
Big hearts and biz winners
Jul 21 2006
By Enterprise North East
A hot soup bar, a new art concept and an importer of healthy white tea were the three businesses ideas pitched at the Biz Idol final 2006, part of Business Week Tyne & Wear's finale this month.
Sharon Olver, of Castle Eden, County Durham, won the overall prize with a plans to offer boxed loose-leaf organic white tea (a type of green tea but more delicate in flavour and lighter in colour) to selected high-street stores, delicatessens and health venues such as gyms.
She can look forward to £1,000 cash prize, driving a new branded Smart car for three months, office space at Argent Business and Conference Centre in Sunderland, £1,000 to spend on office equipment from Sunderland City Council, Richardson Hall Kennedy's accountancy support, marketing expertise from the bgroup, legal support from Ward Hadaway, an O Communications PR campaign, start-up stationery from Statex Colour Print, broadband (also to all finalists) and web pack from BT, a pocket PC from Mobilx, a host of free networking memberships including one year's free membership to the North East Chamber of Commerce and a library of books. The prize is estimated to be worth nearly £50,000.
The two runners-up were awarded with £500 each to help them build their businesses and a range of consultancy support.
Brothers James and Matthew Surgeon, from Newcastle were runners-up with Supe, a business concept looking to develop small outlets selling healthy soup and smoothies made from a wide range of fresh local produce in and around the city centre.
Stacey Russell, of Gateshead, was also a runner-up with her idea for The Art Concept, an art-based business retailing contemporary canvas artwork and bespoke pieces.
The Biz Idol U18 winner was Glyn Connolly, 17, of Washington whose concept was to create revitalising fruit drinks, smoothies and healthy meal alternatives by opening an appealing and contemporary health cafe and juice bar. Runner-up was 13-year-old Jordan Raiye whose business idea was built upon his own experience as a sufferer from cerebral palsy. He wants to see the price of disability aids, such as leg braces, PVC hand gloves and automated hands drop dramatically in price by getting them made directly by his own workforce. The money saved can then be used for research.
The other runner-up was 11-year-old Jack Moore of Newcastle, whose idea was to hold a range of parties across the North-East, each with different themes, and give half of the profits away to charities close to people's hearts.
