Nectar Small Business Awards 2010
13 May 2010
Wetherby businessman Richie Womersley is in the running to be crowned Entrepreneur of the Year in a nationwide Small Business Awards contest, which will be judged by star of hit BBC TV show Dragon’s Den, James Caan.
Richie has entered his business The Dog Walker into the Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2010. He is now in with a chance of making it to the awards shortlist and scooping the final prize of £2,000 cash, £2,000 to spend at Viking Direct and 50,000 Nectar points.
Since The Dog Walker was founded in 2006, Richie has been able to expand his business from one single client to a much bigger operation with two specialist vans and now with two franchises in the Yorkshire area and more across the country in the pipeline. This success is particularly impressive after Richie had a difficult childhood in care and left school without any GCSE’s.
Richie comments: “Leaving school without any qualifications and with no idea about what I wanted to do with my life was hard. I spent years going from job to job, dreaming of one day running my own business. It wasn’t until I started work in kennels that I discovered something I had a real passion for – animals. A few years later I was out walking my two dogs when a lady approached me and asked if I was a dog walker. At first I was a little taken aback, but then we started talking about it and before long I had my first client. The Dog Walker was born.”
“Four years later, I now have a team of three and we’re walking hundreds of different dogs a year. To do something that you’re really passionate about is so important and I really love what I do. We all have busy lives and the popularity of using a dog walker to care for canines when their owners are unable to is growing and growing – so I can only expect my business to do the same.”
Charlie Humphreys, Client Development Director at Nectar, says: “Times are tough for small business owners and everyone who has managed to sustain growth and excel in the midst of a recession deserves recognition for their exceptional achievements. The awards will offer the chance for small businesses, entrepreneurs and social enterprises to demonstrate they’ve beaten the odds to succeed in these difficult times and we hope that they will inspire more people to consider setting up their own business.”
The Nectar Business Small Business Awards are open now until 31st May 2010 and small businesses can enter into any one of four categories:
- Small Business of the Year
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Online Business of the Year
- Contribution to the Community Award
In addition to James Caan, the judging panel also includes Guy Clapperton, small business journalist, Charlie Humphreys, Client Development Director at Nectar, and John-O'Keeffe, Merchandising and Marketing Director UK and Ireland at Office Depot.
So, if you run a small business, an online empire or can demonstrate your entrepreneurial streak, then Nectar Business wants to hear from you. This is your chance to be recognised and rewarded.
For full information on the Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2010 and detailed entry criteria, visit www.nectar-business.com/sba2010 where you can also download an entry form.