A CLECKHEATON businesswoman has taken a big step towards success.

Fiona Wood, founder and owner of Children's Cold & Sun Protection Natural Products, has been named as the north-west regional winner of the Take One Small Step competition run by Barclays Business.

The £500,000 competition – which has attracted more than 3,500 entries from around the UK – is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs make their business ambitions a reality.

Ten regional winners were chosen from a final shortlist of 30 – with each of them receiving £50,000.

Ian Aitchison, regional director of Barclays Business, said: “It is a life-changing amount of money designed to help them realise their dreams.

“These businesses will now be able to start or expand their companies, manufacture some incredibly innovative products, and give back to the community that has shown them so much support in the voting stages.

“The standard of entries for the competition has been incredibly high, but the winners were all able to demonstrate the business X factor to gain huge support from the public to vote for them.

“They have displayed a fantastic mix of creativity, ingenuity and business acumen to capture the public's imagination.”

Fiona said she was delighted to be one of the winners, adding: “This really is as good as it gets for me. I am just so excited to have won!

“It's been an amazing journey with a lot of support from friends and family on the way.

“Winning the competition will enable me to lay the foundations to my business, starting with developing and registering a name.”

Children's Cold & Sun Protection Natural Products includes a body balm to ease breathing and warm the chest, sniffle hangers for rooms to ease breathing, lip and cheek protector for chaffing as well as sun protection creams.