Young entrepreneurs received recognition for their business excellence at an awards ceremony in Glasgow last night.
Hamish Robertson (28) founder of RT Franchise Ltd who is behind the fastest growing IT franchise won the award for Outstanding Business Growth. Brothers and fishermen John Willie (31) and Finlay MacDonald of MFV Rival II were jointly recognised for their Outstanding Business Growth after successfully steering their business through rough seas and difficult economic times to establish a profitable fishing business.
Jamie Newell (28) and Nick Rees (27) won the award for Outstanding Business Innovation for their business Deranged Events and are responsible for marketing a giant inflatable bag (‘Theairbag’) which provides a soft landing for extreme sports enthusiasts practicing aerial stunts. The award for Determination to Succeed went to Sarah Raffle (30) of Brazen. Sarah has overcome considerable obstacles to grow her business and was recently voted one of the top 30 most outstanding jewellers in the UK and Ireland. All the winners of the Growth Fund Awards were presented with a specially engraved silver Quaich by Shonaig Macpherson, Chairman of the PSYBT Board of Directors, at the ceremony in Club 29.
Now in their ninth year, the PSYBT award scheme seeks to provide growth funding to PSYBT supported entrepreneurs between 18 and 31 who have been trading for at least one year and want to expand their business.
Congratulating the winners Mark Strudwick, Chief Executive of PSYBT said, “It is a huge challenge whatever your age to decide to set up your own business and we feel privileged to be able to support those who have this determination and ambition to succeed. The Growth Fund loans are in place to help them along the way as they continue to grow and expand their businesses and our winners are amazing examples of what can be achieved given the right support and investment."
Launched in 2002, an investment of £2.46 million has funded 195 Growth Fund businesses and created 290 jobs in the last 12 months. 81 percent of businesses continue to trade to this day.
