Victoria Roskams, director and business development manager at Flintshire-based Enbarr Enterprises, explains why the business should win the innovation in funding category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
Having always aspired to have my own business, when a former bank came up for sale I persuaded my sister and other family members to invest in return for shares.
As a disabled entrepreneur, I gained professional support from both the local council and Welsh Development Agency with advice, grants, eco and empty property grants.
I have received great support from my bank NatWest, resulting in being able to open and redevelop the HQ, trading successfully from day one.
This support has enabled family members to become entrepreneurs too. My sister has become a landlord and my partner has opened a part-time photographic business which operates out of the building where my fast expanding training and recruitment company is based.
By using family ‘crowdfunding’ the knock on effect has been that three new businesses have been created, with my business being the catalyst for this.
The recent opportunity to access pension funds has led to an emerging untapped avenue for startups and business investment.
We are now supporting and mentoring other entrepreneurs on how to turn their ambitions into reality and potentially tap into funding, pension funds or crowdfunding options to start their own businesses.
We are now looking at taking our next step at supporting the local community by starting our own social enterprise to help support the over 50s, through with IT skills and gaining confidence to return to the workplace.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
