Business plan for children’s book could scoop £50k
AN ENTREPRENEUR based in Cheshire could win £50,000 after reaching the final of the the Barclays Business ‘Take One Small Step’ competition.
Chris Tomlinson of Country and Town Plumbing and Electrical Services has beaten off competition from 3,600 entries nationwide to become one of three regional finalists.
The competition was launched in March to award ten budding business minds across the UK £50,000 each to transform their innovative vision into a reality.
Chris has reached the final after entering a series of children’s books featuring an apprentice electrician and plumber.
He now needs the public to vote for him if they stand any chance of winning £50,000 in cash to bring his idea to life.
Chris said: “This book is the first in a series of children’s books so it is a long term plan.
“After seeing the competition advertised on the Barclays website I really thought it was a great idea, as it helps people like me to hone their thoughts and push them forward even if they don’t win.
“The whole point of my book is to get children interested in apprenticeships and consider their possible career choices in the future.
“We know there are some misconceptions out there about apprenticeships so we’re also committed to smoothing these out and encouraging people to get the support that is available to them so they can offer apprenticeships to young people.
“I’d like people to vote for my idea because beyond the book, I hope one day we’ll be able to turn the story into a TV series and really raise the profile of apprenticeships and encourage young people to work hard to achieve a good career and take control of their futures.”
Entrepreneur and model Elle Macpherson is backing the ‘Take One Small Step’ competition.
Ian Barsted, area manager of Barclays Business in South Manchester, said: “The budding entrepreneurs in the North West need the public’s votes – we’ll only be able to award the cash to the most popular idea so it’s all up to them.
“We know how important it is to champion local businesses so we can’t wait to see which idea comes out on top.
“We’ll be helping not only with prize money but also by giving the benefit of our business experience through sound advice.”
For more information on the entries go to www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk .
