Member Article

Indian packed lunches and fitted balconies claim top business prize

The entrepreneurs behind a novel Indian cuisine service and an innovative balcony concept have claimed their prizes after pitching their idea to some of the region’s top entrepreneurial figures.

The four week ‘Make It Happen’ competition, part of the ‘If we can, you can’, campaign in partnership with Metro FM and TFM, urged anyone in the North East to enter an enterprising concept in a bid to claim a prize package worth £5,000.

Shamim Ahmed, from Newcastle, came up with the unique takeaway Tiffin Service concept, set to provide Indian cuisine to the lunch time market, by delivering practical containers of finger food to offices and workers across the region.

Tony Harrop, who runs Workshop Supplies, an engineering supplies company based in Newton Aycliffe, Country Durham, also claimed the prize package for inventing a new concept that allows a balcony to be fitted onto any flat faced building.

Shamim Ahmed said “The opportunity to discuss my business idea with a panel of experienced entrepreneurs has proved to be a highly unique and rewarding experience. I found that within minutes we were developing and bouncing ideas off each other. Utilising the ‘If we can, you can’ community has also opened my eyes to how valuable this resource of experience and knowledge is for any budding or existing entrepreneurs.”

Tony Harrop said of his success: “We have been sitting on this idea for a while now and when I heard about the competition I felt it was a great opportunity to potentially move it forward. The prize package and my consultation with the panel will enable me to tackle the problem of how to market the product.”

For more information visit www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

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