MP urges firms to seize chance to win free business unit

March 4, 2011 - PRLog -- The business premises at Brookgate, South Liberty Lane in Bristol (UK) is being offered free by landlords SEGRO is in Ms Primarolo’s constituency and the MP hopes the competition will be a catalyst for others to invest in jobs in South Bristol.

Dawn Primarolo said: “Over the years a lot of talk has gone on about doing something to help encourage businesses to set up in South Bristol but this is one of the few concrete examples of action to encourage regeneration.

“I think The Entrepreneur competition is a great idea. There are lots of things that we need in South Bristol but the most important thing that we need is jobs and more of them.

“The ratio of how many people live in South Bristol to the number of jobs in the area is very low and that means people have to travel to other parts of Bristol to get work and nobody is pretending that traffic or public transport is easy around Bristol.

“We need small businesses to set up and grow within the South of the city and units like this one in South Liberty Lane give people the opportunity to grow their business. I would love the winner to be a growing business from within South Bristol and urge those in the area who would benefit from free premises for a year to enter.”

Dawn Primarolo said that she believes the competition prompted by SEGRO and managed by their agents Colliers International and King Sturge could have a “snowball effect” in the area.

She said: “The more confidence that all businesses show in South Bristol the more it will encourage others to base their businesses in the area and that snowball effect will see businesses – and jobs – grow and grow.

“It is tough for businesses to grow at the moment as they are getting little support from banks so this initiative could be the boost that everyone needs.”

To win the prize, worth over £25,000, businesses have to send in an overview of their operation and outline why they think they should win the unit which includes the lease for 12 months incorporating rent, rates and service charge.

Entrants will then be shortlisted, with those successful being invited to present their case in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentation to a panel of judges.

The judging panel includes Mike Norton, editor of the Bristol Evening Post, Rod Mackinnon, headmaster at Bristol Grammar School, David Bridges of SEGRO and Rob Law MBE who is a local entrepreneur and brains behind the hugely successful ‘Trunki’ brand and who appeared on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den TV show and gained an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

The competition is open to businesses which are already trading or just starting up which would benefit from new premises. Schools, colleges or universities in the area with an entrepreneurial idea are also eligible if they have an idea which would use the unit creatively for a year.

The winner will be announced at the newspaper’s black tie Business Awards in June.

Anyone interested in entering can visit www.thisisbristol.co.uk/theentrepreneur or www.segro.com/bristolworks