LBA Prize Provides Boost to Winning Businesses

Winners of the Local Business Accelerators campaign are now receiving the initiative’s prize of free advertising in their local paper and mentoring from local business leaders.

Businesses across the country have said how winning a place in the LBA scheme will allow them to grow their business and get their message out to new potential customers in their area. 

One LBA winner at the Evening Gazette, a company that develops fuel-saving technology with international aspirations, explained that he would keep future production on Teesside as the company developed.

CAT-UK owner Derek Foxcroft told the paper: “We know the value of local press - the home market is very important to us, and the advertising will help us solidify our position within the UK as a market leader for what we do.”

A News Guardian winner, a printing firm owned by Iain Inglis, explained the benefits advertising in his local newspapers would bring. “If we advertise in the press, we can get the message across that we want people to talk to us,” he said.

Michael Welsh, owner of one of the Herts and Essex Observer winners, price comparison website CompareLegalCosts.com, said: “The real benefits of winning this competition are that it’s a great opportunity to drive lots of new users to the site and get exposure to the local legal community.”

“We’re also looking forward to working with the mentors and benefiting from their experience and success.

“It’s a great scheme and just what grass-roots businesses need at the moment. All of the team are very grateful for the opportunity.”

Derby Telegraph winner Mackney Photography’s owner Wendy Lee celebrated her win and said: “As we move to a bigger place with bigger overheads, expert advice and advertising will really help us to establish the business.”

And Banbury Guardian winner Debra Peachey, of Akasha Gym, said: “It is not easy launching a business but it is going in the right direction and this will certainly help! Our name is growing, but people seeing our name week after week should really help the business grow.”

A brewery scooped one of the Ilkley Gazette’s LBA prizes. Co-founder Stewart Ross said:“Recognition like this really bolsters our successes and opens up fantastic opportunities."

Conservative MP Louise Mensch backed the scheme when she paid a visit to one of the three winners of the Northants Evening Telegraph’s LBA initiative

Louise said: “It was a pleasure to meet Ross and learn about the success of his business and his involvement in the Local Business Accelerators, congratulations to Ross for winning this award and also to the Evening Telegraph for supporting this initiative which will give a helping hand to a promising Corby Business.”

Local and regional newspapers are continuing to profile the businesses which have triumphed in the competition to receive a free advertising campaign and mentoring from local business leaders. 

The Star’s gave one of its three prizes to a private dental surgery that focuses on reducing the stress of the experience for customers, explained how they would use the opportunity to extend their formula to other sites while also developing their own retail and online dental and facial products business

A fabrics retailer, meat producer and a building company were the Scarborough Evening News’s winners while a locksmith and a driving school took the Hucknall Dispatch’s LBA prize.

A Halifax Courier winner set up a business selling cupcakes after being made redundant and has now expanded into selling sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, a range of freshly baked treats and tea and coffee.

The Daily Echo’s top three were a physiotherapy company, a shipping broker and a photo booth supplier. 

For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 7632 7424 or email sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.