Member Article

Prizes to get region's people trading online at home

A competition to encourage people to start their own business online and at home in North East of England launches today. The ‘YouTrade. Online. At Home’ competition is aimed at helping people in the region make changes to their lives, and will reward 25 winners with a £2,000 cash prize to set up a business from home and trade online, initially through eBay.

Entries are encouraged from people who are employed, and wanting to test out the potential of self-employment, and those who are not currently in employment. Regional development agency One NorthEast and the North East Regional Portal are running the competition after the success of the last years’ pilot YouTrade competition.

Tim Pain, One NorthEast Head of Business, Enterprise and Skills, said: “YouTrade is a unique region-wide competition aimed at inspiring people to be enterprising and to turn their ideas into something real. It is a fantastic opportunity for people to develop a business idea and work online from home around existing lifestyle commitments.

“Twenty five lucky winners will receive £2,000 to purchase equipment which will enable them to start up an online business from home. This can include personal computer kit, digital camera equipment, furniture and office equipment to transform an area of their home into a suitable work area, as well as marketing materials including a website.”

The competition is open to residents in the region who are over 18 and prepared to commit at least six hours a week to running their new business whilst balancing it with other life commitments.

Entrants will be required to describe their business idea, explain how they could change their life or the lives of others if they had the opportunity to set up an online business from home, and how a prize of £2,000 could make that happen.

The deadline for entries is Thursday 6 March 2008 and details on how to enter can be found on www.webetopia.com/youtrade.

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