Hexham entrepreneur gets Theo Paphitis recognition

Hexham-based entrepreneur Anne Livesey has attracted the attention of Dragons’ Den star and retail magnate Theo Paphitis.

The businesswoman behind Gift in a Tin, a family business which specialises in personalised packaged gift sets, was selected from over 1600 entries in a recent round of Paphitis’ popular #SBS Small Business Sunday competition on Twitter.

Anne says the attention has driven considerable interest in her online business and Theo is now helping her in growing her customer based.

She said: “Since winning the award, Gift in a Tin has received a lot of attention. Our Twitter feed has gone wild, and with it being so close to Christmas, it’s helped to boost seasonal orders too.

Anne, who is an experienced business coach and mentor, added: “Theo was extremely complimentary about our gift range. He is a solid supporter of buying British and most of our gifts come from the UK, and many are handmade.

“Theo loved our new website and is helping us contact retail buyers for our wholesale range.”