Introducing a great opportunity ...

... the Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 - launching soon!

We want to tell you about our Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2012, to see if you – or someone you know – would like to get involved.

Put simply, the competition is free to enter, is open to anyone who is 35 or under and who has run any type of business in the Thames Valley region for at least a year. If this doesn’t apply to you, you might know someone – a friend, son or daughter, niece or nephew – who would benefit from the opportunity.

The competition is running in five Thames Valley areas located around our offices and broadly encompasses Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire. There are several opportunities for applicants, with five local winners and one overall regional winner.

Why you should enter ...

Cash prizes
Valuable business mentoring

The HWYE competition has given me and my business a huge boost – I really recommend you enter...”

Carly Ward, Young Entrepreneur Society - Winner High Wycombe 2010

So let’s start by telling you why you - or they - might want to join in ...

What everyone gets ...

You’ll become a member of Nigel Botterill’s Entrepreneur’s Circle for a minimum of two months – that’s available to ALL ENTRANTS – and the winners will get FREE MEMBERSHIP for a whole year. This is an amazing business and marketing coaching service run by one of the UK’s leading Serial Entrepreneurs.
Personal growth – whether or not you are one of our finalists or a winner, the simple process of putting together a business case to present to others and persuade them that you are a worthy entrant will definitely help you to grow your business skills.

What the winners get ...

A year’s free mentoring from a hugely experienced Partner from a HW Office. Everything from helping you to make a case to your bank for money to grow your business, to how to control your daily costs.
Recognition – doing what you have at such a young age is a really worthy achievement, and the press coverage we received for our winners last year was outstanding. This is a great way to publicise your business and your potential.
Prize money – all our local winners will each receive a cheque for £250 and the overall regional winner will receive a further £500 – that’s £750 in all.

Why should I take part???

Now, it’s possible that you may be wondering if it is worth the effort for you - or someone you know - to enter the competition. So here are the answers to some key questions ...

It’s all a lot of bother and I probably won’t win anyway!

You apply online and we don’t ask you for huge amounts of information, so it is definitely not a lot of bother.
In terms of winning, the competition runs in five local areas in the Thames Valley regions, which means you have a much higher chance of becoming selected as a finalist for one of them.
Just think of the personal growth you’ll achieve simply by going through the process of applying – having to set your case out and persuade others just how good you are. The whole process is engaging and you will reap the benefits whether you are selected or not.
And anyway, did you really go into business with that sort of defeatist attitude?

How much is the prize mney?

It’s £250 for the ‘local’ winners and £750 for the overall winner.. OK, so it isn’t going to change your life but winning means your passion and purpose will be recognised by some hugely experienced business people who only want to help you succeed. The cash is a bonus.

I’m probably too small - or too big! - or just not the sort of person/business you are looking for...?

There are simply no set criteria as to who we are looking for other than you have to be 35 or under and have been running your business for at least a year. Last year’s winner happened to be an established business run by someone with real entrepreneurial flair. But she was up against comparitively new starts and it could easily have gone either way. Why shouldn't it be you this year?

I’ve not heard of Haines Watts - why are they interested in young businesses?

The Haines Watts Group is a top 20 national firm of chartered accountants. In the Thames Valley we have offices in all the key towns. Our Partners are hugely experienced in helping businesses just like yours and simply want to encourage young business people in a difficult market place as they represent our future.

I’ve never heard of Nigel Botterill or his Entrepreneur’s Circle... how can he help me?

Nigel is one of the UK’s leading serial entrepreneurs. His ‘BestOf’ franchise – a local online directory located in 500 towns around the UK - was the fastest growing UK franchise EVER! He now runs five multi-million-pound businesses and one of these is Entrepreneur’s Circle.
Entrepreneur’s Circle is an online and face-to-face network (events held throughout the UK every month, email advice, webinars, newsletters, phone ins and loads more) and is a major hotbed of ideas and motivation for entrepreneurs of all ages and experience. Nigel is wall-to-wall energy and he is utterly committed to helping smaller businesses grow. You ought to enter this competition – if only for the benefit of two months of his FREE advice.
Take a look at www.entrepreneurs-circle.co.uk and decide for yourself

And finally, once the competition is launched, how do I enter?

That’s easy... just go to the online entry page – and fill in the online entry form. You will have until 31st July 2012 to get your application in. And, as we said at the beginning, this may not be for you but is there someone else you know???

Don’t forget, pass on the good news ...

We are really looking forward to receiving your application.