HERE come the girls!
Three businesses have won expert mentoring and a free advertising campaign in the Examiner as part of the Local Business Accelerators (LBA) campaign.
And all three winning firms – Woklicious, Go-Go Gaggia and Oakwood Doors and Spray Finishes – have a woman at the helm.
The three businesses were among eight firms making their pitch to a judging panel made up of Prof Bob Cryan, vice-chancellor of Huddersfield University; Jeremy Garside, managing partner of law firm Chadwick Lawrence; and the Examiner’s commercial director Paul O’Halloran, field sales manager Diane Briggs and business correspondent Henryk Zientek
The prize for the three winners includes expert mentoring from Prof Cryan, Mr Garside and Mr O’Halloran as well as valuable advertising space in the Examiner.
They will also compete to represent the region in the national LBA campaign and the chance to win a cash prize of £10,000, a year’s mentoring from Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden as well as an advertising campaign devised by a top London creative agency.
The judges were unanimous in their choice of winners – praising the three businesswomen for their innovative ideas, their enthusiasm and the potential for their businesses to go onto greater things.
BARRISTER Jocelyn Robinson has turned barista to run Slaithwaite-based Go-Go Gaggia, operating a mobile coffee service from a strikingly-liveried Smartcar.
Jocelyn started Go-Go Gaggia in October 2011, after being made redundant from her legal role with Greater Manchester Police.
She said: “The concept of Go-Go Gaggia was developed over a bottle of wine one evening with the family. We discussed the lack of ‘quality coffee’ for commuters, especially at local train stations.”
Jocelyn started trading in December 2011, serving Gaggia coffee and homemade cakes from the back of her Smartcar to commuters at Slaithwaite and Marsden railway stations as well as to employees at business premises.
She also attends markets, local shows and festivals and has added TeaPigs tea to the menu.
Jocelyn has also sold two Go-Go Gaggia mobile coffee franchises to would-be entrepreneurs outside the Kirklees area and plans to extend the number of franchises in time.
HUDDERSFIELD University student Micha Quashie has ambitions for her healthy fast food business, Woklicious, which is based close to the university campus at Queensgate.
Micha, who is doing an enterprise and development course, opened the noodle bar last summer, but has already built up a large following, particularly among the town’s Muslim student population.
She has already expanded into a vacant property next door and has plans to make Woklicious just one of a range of fast food “counters” serving Halal dishes of different kinds, including Lebanese cuisine, under the umbrella brand of Fusion Food Hall.
She said: “The concept of Woklicious was sparked by the lack of variety when deciding to grab a fast and tasty bite to eat in Huddersfield. Seeing the popularity and success of fast, fresh food outside Huddersfield inspired me to capitalise on what is a fantastic opportunity.”
Micha, who has ploughed her savings into the venture, said Woklicious was enjoying a good level of repeat custom while marketing via social media, promotions and the presence of a Woklicious “mascot” handing out leaflets in the town had also proved a hit.
Micha said that alongside expanding the range of food available, she was looking at franchising the Woklicious brand.
OAKES-based Oakwood Doors and Spray Finishes, led by sales director Mandie Joyce, has built up a nationwide customer base since it began trading in October 2007.
Despite the slump in the construction sector, the company has seen a steady rise in sales both to the trade and individual customers over the past few years.
Mandie said the firm had reaped the benefit of substantial investment in its website with a strong level of online sales complementing business done through its New Hey Road showroom.
She said a mentor would be invaluable in helping her prioritise her busy work schedule.
