The Search - 14th December 2007
The winner of The Search was announced yesterday (13/12) by Cherie Blair at a glittering Awards Luncheon held at The Liner Hotel in Liverpool. Lisa Horne, 37, from Formby, with her fledgling business ‘Healthy Paws’ Ltd which supplies holistic dog food in the UK, was selected by the judges after applying a rigorous judging process to hundreds of high calibre entries from Merseyside’s budding entrepreneurs.
David Mairs, CEO of Bromborough based international asset managers, Dominique Faversham Group, and founder of The Search comments:
As winner of The Search, Lisa will receive up to £100,000 of unsecured business funding guaranteed by Dominique Faversham Group and provided through Lloyds TSB. A tailored 12 months programme of coaching, expert professional advice and practical business assistance will be supplied at no cost by prominent businesses who have pledged their support to The Search including GB Finance, Griffiths & Armour, Hill Dickinson LLP, KPMG, Lloyds TSB Bank plc, Peak Marketing & Communication Services and Windsors Motor Group. Healthy Paws' progress will be reported monthly in the Liverpool Daily Post, co-founders of The Search, through to September 2008.
On receiving her award Lisa, a former veterinary nurse said:
"I am absolutely delighted to have won The Search. The business is at crucial stage in its development and this support will make such a difference to me. The guaranteed funding facility and advice and support from the business experts who will be mentoring me over the next year will really give me the confidence to drive my business forward. I have lots of ideas for expanding the product range and my distribution channels and I know this award is a huge opportunity for Healthy Paws."
Cherie Blair commented:
"I am thrilled to have been invited today to present the first ever Merseyside Entrepreneur of the Year award.
As soon as I heard about this initiative, I though it was a long overdue idea and wanted to be involved if I could.
It's fantastic to see the Daily Post, local businesses, academic institutions, charities and regional institutions all working together with David to encourage and support new entrepreneurs. I think it's great that The Search has gone across all age groups, recognising that good ideas and drive don't depend on birth certificates.
What's on offer is not just financial backing, vital as that is for start-up enterprises. There's also regular expert help, support and mentoring.
I know that the standard of entries and the quality of ideas was very high which made the job of the judges very difficult. I am sure it won't just be today's overall winner and runners-up we hear more about in the future.
So let me end with my congratulations to the winners and everyone involved in The Search."
The Awards luncheon was attended by more than 200 guests including representatives from Government agencies, the religious, academic, business, charitable, media and sporting communities from across Merseyside. Guests were entertained with live performances from Liverpool based dance troupe and semi-finalists in Britain’s Got Talent – 'MD Productions'.
Miguel Doforo, Director of MD Productions commented:
"I feel very pleased and honoured to be here today supporting The Search, what a fantastic initiative.
Today's entrepreneurs need the support and encouragement that The Search is providing for the first time to the Merseyside region. It's great to see local business people coming together to help entrepreneurs and giving their support free of charge. I know how much I would have loved the chance to get this sort of help seven years ago.
David through his company Dominique Faversham Group has set up a much needed support system for Merseyside entrepreneurs and I really hope this continues."
David Mairs would personally like to thank all the organisations across Merseyside who have backed and promoted The Search, together with The Liner Hotel and MD Productions for their support in making the Awards luncheon such a memorable occasion.
"Lisa shone through as the outstanding entrant in this year’s inaugural Search initiative, not only due to her sheer determination, energy and commitment, but for her achievement in clearly identifying a gap in the pet food market. And despite working with very limited resources and against stiff competition, she successfully carved out an enviable niche and growing demand for Healthy Paws’ products. Lisa and Healthy Paws paint an exciting picture of entrepreneurship in our region, and I look forward to The Search helping her realise the potential in her business over the coming 12 months."