News
June 2009
Success is in the bag for winner of The Pitch Scotland
An entrepreneur who went from being unemployed to running a business turning over £250,000 has scooped the top prize at the latest leg of BusinessZone.co.uk's £50,000 competition.
Craig Smith, founder of The Printed Bag Shop, was named winner of the Scottish heat of The Pitch 2009 during an exciting event in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Judged by a panel of experts including Jennifer Cheyne, Edinburgh entrepreneur and star of Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire, Smith fought off tough competition from five other small business owners to take the title.
After being made redundant and hit by spiralling debts, Smith set up the The Printed Bag Shop in 2007 with help from the Prince's Trust.
In just two years, the company, which supplies environmentally friendly printed carrier bags, has achieved impressive growth and attracted high profile clients including Coca Cola, Boots, The London Stock Exchange and Virgin Money.
Smith's victory follows that of Kenneth Cheung, founder of BEEcycle, who won the North heat of the competition and David Wright and David Webb of Vibe Gum, winners at the South West leg.
All will join the winners of the remaining regional events in Birmingham and London at a final in November to compete for a business support package worth £50,000 including one-on-one mentoring from former Dragons' Den judge Doug Richard.
The other judges at the event held at Barclays Wealth were Michael Canon, head of innovation grants at the Scottish government's SMART:SCOTLAND; Nick Price, managing director of Edinburgh-based recruitment company Bright Purple; Craig Patterson, former board member at Young Enterprise Scotland and the founder of Football Aid; Graeme Scott, the founder of information management specialists Stortext and Bill Morrow, co-founder of Angels Den, a network which connect entrepreneurs and investors.
The other contestants taking part were Alan Powell, founder, Energy Mechanics; Amanda Jones, co-founder, Red Button Design; Richard Burton, founder, Hood Easy; Andy Smith; founder, Agenor Technology and Russell Young, founder, Proguard Plus.
June 2009
The Printed Bag Shop wins Chronicle challenge
CRAIG Smith has been named the winner of our If We Can, You Can Challenge.
The 29-year-old narrowly beat fellow finalist Emma Reilly in the Chronicle-backed competition.
Craig, from Benton, Newcastle, launched The Printed Bag Shop two years ago after he and his partner found themselves out of work.
He has turned a £2,000 start-up loan into a business turning over £250,000 a year.
And now he is hoping to take the business to a new level with the £5,000 mentoring package he has won through the competition.
He said: “It’s great to have won and it has given us a lot of confidence about what we’re doing here.
“The mentoring package is the next thing we need to grow the business. We’re at the top of what we can manage at the moment, so to have an expert outsider come in and point us in the right direction will be great. It is just what we need to make the next push.”
But our winner revealed he left it until the last minute to enter the competition, to find the best entrepreneurs in the region.
He added: “We only entered a few days before the deadline, after my partner’s grandfather spotted a story in the Chronicle.
“I thought we probably wouldn’t even hear back, so to get to the final stages and then actually win is fantastic.” More than 100 budding entrepreneurs entered the competition, but Craig’s Killingworth-based firm wowed judges.
The firm, which makes environmentally-friendly bags, made it through to the final against Emma, 27, from Chapel House, Newcastle, whose business iYosh allows users to record their online purchasing history to share with friends.
Over 3,000 votes flooded in from Chronicle readers who named Craig as the overall winner.
Runner-up Emma will become an ‘ambassador’ for the campaign and join Craig in helping to inspire budding and fellow entrepreneurs of all ages who are considering, starting or growing their own business.
Chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Carole Beverly said: “I am delighted for Craig and offer my congratulations. I would also like to say a big well done to Emma and look forward to supporting her as she continues to play an instrumental role in spearheading the campaign.
“The sheer number of votes that have flooded in over the last month really shows how the public has taken this campaign to their hearts as well as the level of inspiration of the two finalists and their entrepreneurial journey.”
May 2009
Finalists set to battle it out in business award
THESE are our two finalists in the hunt to find the business leaders of tomorrow.
Emma Reilly, 27, and Craig Smith, 29, have been selected by a team of judges to battle it out for the If We Can, You Can competition.
More than 100 people entered the Chronicle-backed competition and were whittled down to a final six last week.
Now Emma and Craig will go head-to-head for the title – and it is up to our readers to decide who wins.
Emma, from Chapel House, Newcastle, has launched her fledgling firm iYosh, which allows users to record their online purchasing history to share with friends.
While Craig Smith, from Killingworth, Newcastle, runs The Printed Bag Shop, selling and printing environmentally friendly bags.
The pair were selected by a panel of business experts.
Chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum which is driving the competition, Carole Beverley, said: “The panel sessions were an overwhelming success and the feedback from all the entrants on their experience was extremely positive.
“Being able to tap into the experience of others who have been there and done it is what the campaign is all about.
“It will be an exciting month ahead when the readers’ votes start coming in and we look forward to welcoming all the finalists to the Entrepreneurs Forum’s annual conference.
“The chosen finalists will no doubt be a source of inspiration to anyone in the region considering taking the leap and going it alone.”
More than 100 entrepreneurs entered the challenge, sharing their enterprising story and joining the ever-growing online community of like-minded entrepreneurs at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk
Carole added: “The overall standard of entrants for the challenge has surpassed all expectations, making the panelists’ job of picking the finalists a challenge in itself.
“It’s not just the number of entrants that has been pleasing but also their passion and drive to succeed.”
Readers can cast their vote by texting ‘chron’ followed by a space and the full name of the selected finalists to 07624 803 199 or by e-mailing Evening Chronicle to voting@ entrepreneursforum.net with the full name of their chosen winner.
The public vote will then be combined with the judges’ scores to determine the overall winner.
March 2009
The Printed Bag Shop Bags Another Award.
Despite all the talk of recession, Craig Smith and his partner Lisa are celebrating – having won the North Tyneside Small Business Awards 2009 - Young Entrepreneur award for the second year running – as well as seeing their business grow spectacularly.
What is astonishing is that Craig and Lisa started the business with literally nothing more than an idea, and plenty of time on their hands – having both been made redundant. They convinced the Prince’s Trust of their determination to success and were rewarded with a £2000 loan, which they have now turned into a £250,000 a year business as one of the country’s leading suppliers of environmentally friendly bags, with clients including Coca-Cola and Virgin, as well as smaller retailers, conference organisers and other businesses across the country.
Craig and Lisa can add this award to their growing collection – Young Entrepreneur 2008 and 2009 and The Princes Trust Celebrate Success Awards 2008 - FSB Enterprise Award - Regional Winner. They were also ranked 6th in the NatWest Enriched List 2008, a list of 15 successful young entrepreneurs – Craig is 29 and Lisa is 22 – who manage businesses which are successful financially, plus suit the lifestyles of the owners; Craig and Lisa astonishingly manage to fit their business around looking after their daughter Ellie who is only 19 months old.
The story isn’t going to end here either. With the enormous growth of online auction sites such as Ebay, Craig and Lisa have spotted an opportunity and are just about to open a ‘packaging supermarket’, the first of it’s kind, where Ebay sellers, along with retailers, can buy all sorts of packaging in smaller quantities than they can elsewhere. Watch this space, The Printed Bag Shop looks like a business that will just grow and grow.
Other business people nominated for the entrepreneur award were Laura Spanswick - Bigfoot Arts Education Tyne & Wear and Carl Haagensen - Redbrick Inventories.
November 2008 - http://tinyurl.com/tpbs-november-news
Businessman honoured by Prince's Trust
Nov 28 2008 by Katy Simpson, Evening Chronicle
Ed Lawson, Craig Smith, Joshua Davies
HE has been crowned a king among Princes.
Businessman Ed Lawson, of Rowlands Gill, has been named Volunteer of the Year by the Princes Trust for his dedication to helping disadvantaged young people follow their dreams.
The prize, sponsored by the Chronicle, was presented to Ed by Newcastle United legend Bob Moncur at a glitzy awards ceremony last night at the Hilton in Gateshead.
Among VIP guests were actor Tim Healy, Olympic swimmer Chris Cook, and Big Brother winner Anthony Hutton. They were celebrating the success of 30 young people and volunteers from the North East who were shortlisted for awards at the Prince’s Trust’s annual Celebrate Success ceremony.
Ed, 65, was one of nine winners. He has been a mentor for the Trust since 2002 and is currently supporting three young people to set up businesses.
Auf Wiedersehen Pet’s Tim Healy said:"I’m a big believer in highlighting the achievements and community spirit of our younger generations. Their success stories will hopefully inspire other youngsters."
Craig and Lisa Kennedy of Killingworth, took the Enterprise Award. Craig, 28, set up The Printed Bag Shop 18 months ago after he and Lisa were made redundant" with a baby on the way.
Thanks to a loan from the Prince’s Trust, they started printing environmentally friendly bags and soon attracted major clients. Next year the firm expects to turn over £250,000.
Joshua Davies, 17, of Norham Community Technology College in North Shields, was awarded the Educational Achiever of the Year award.
Former Toon skipper Bob Moncur paid tribute to all volunteers who help young people achieve their goals.
He said:"It’s very humbling to come to an award ceremony and meet ‘salt of the earth’ people like Ed, the kind of people who get up in the morning and look forward to changing young lives.
"I believe that every professional footballer has been helped somewhere along the line by a volunteer who has given up their time for nothing.
"Certainly in my case, several volunteers helped me along the road to success. It’s important that people like Ed are recognised for their efforts."
Ed said:"For me, this is something I’ve done my whole life. Mentoring for me didn’t start in 2002, it started 40 years ago and I have since worked with engineers, managers, supervisors" the lot.
"Yet when I see a reaction in a young person’s eyes that you are getting through, it reminds me that this is what I enjoy most. This is what it’s all about for me."
September 2008 - http://tinyurl.com/tpbs-september-news
Craig bags a top award for entrepreneurs
Sep 18 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal
THE founder of a fast-growing small business has been named as the region’s top "enriched" entrepreneur and the success of his fledgling environmentally friendly bag company has taken him to sixth place in a new national league table. Craig Smith only set up The Printed Bag Shop a year-and-a-half ago but has been recognised as one of a new breed of young successful business people who are combining financial success with a desire for personal and career fulfilment. Mr Smith, 28, has already provided printed paper, jute, cotton and biodegradable polythene bags for customers including Coca-Cola, The Co-op and Johnson & Johnson from the company’s base in Killingworth.
He started the company in May last year with partner Lisa after spotting a gap in the market while working for his parents’ packaging company.
The trend for enriched entrepreneurs was recognised by NatWest Private Banking, which put together the list of 15 young business people from research carried out with Cass Business School in London.
What is an enriched entrepreneur?
AFTER the trend for Yuppies and Dinkys in the 1980s, researchers have come up with a new name for young businesspeople making a good living by running their own companies.
Crucially, enriched entrepreneurs are judged to be those who are successful but also chose their careers based on lifestyle factors.
To them, personal fulfillment is as important as making pots of cash.
Prof Scott Moeller from Cass Business School said:"We are witnessing a real decline in the traditional ‘get rich quick’ generation - our new breed of ‘enriched’ evidently value quality of life as much as quantity of wealth.
"The new ‘enriched’ not only want the same financial rewards and wealth as their parents and grandparents, but also the personal sense of achievement and fulfillment that comes from sometimes shunning traditional professions to pursue dreams, enabling them to be masters of their own personal and financial destinies."
A spokesman for NatWest Private Banking said:" The findings reveal the emergence of a previously undiagnosed private banking demographic.
"The new ‘Enriched’ are modern successful individuals who are prioritising personal and career fulfillment as highly as they do financial success."
March 2008 - http://tinyurl.com/tpbs-march-news
Young entrepreneur Craig has top award in the bag
Mar 17 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal
AN entrepreneur who sells a green alternative to free supermarket carriers has bagged an award less than a year after starting his business.
Craig Smith, 28, scooped the Young Entrepreneur title at the North Tyneside Small Business Awards for The Printed Bag Shop, which produces printed paper, jute, cotton and biodegradable polythene bags.
He said: "We have already printed bags for Coca Cola, The Royal Bank of Scotland and many other firms. The business is going better than I ever expected and I am truly delighted to have won this recognition.
After only 10 months’ trading, we have a turnover of over £100,000 and know that will double within the next 18-24 months.
Craig initially started the business with his partner Lisa Kennedy, but the couple have since had a daughter, Ellie. Lisa is concentrating on the baby while Craig concentrates on the bags.
Craig, who started the business with a £2,000 Prince’s Trust loan, quickly found that the power of the internet is key to marketing The Printed Bag Shop on a wider scale.
At first, I was all suited up going around the North East, but we got a website made and we promoted it so much, it became number one on Google through our keywords ‘printed bags’.
Craig and Lisa spent most evenings posting their details to online business directories and are now receiving more orders via the internet than any other source. To allow Craig to further develop the enterprise, he has taken on someone to help with online marketing.
This is my first go at running a business and I’ve made sure I’ve taken advice and guidance from more experienced people along the way," said Craig. It’s important not to be too proud to ask for advice or ask someone to help if you get stuck."
His was one of a number of awards handed out to North Tyneside’s business success stories.
Cottage Contract Furnishers, which is approaching its 25th anniversary making and installing furnishings, was named as the borough’s overall small business of the year. Bill Lynch, who runs the business with his wife Isabel, said:"I’m absolutely stunned, but overjoyed with the result.
"We are now the largest family-run contract furnisher in the UK.
The Tynemouth Surf Company was recognised in a public vote with the inaugural People’s Choice Award, presented to celebrate a decade of the North Tyneside Small Business Awards. Stephen Hudson, who set up the shop in 1995, said: "I’m really proud and delighted to hear that the public have voted for us to win this award."
Coun Jim Allan, North Tyneside’s cabinet member for economy and employment, said:"Small businesses are the backbone of this borough’s economy and these businesses deserve recognition for their hard work, determination and success.
The Winners
Service: Newlandmedia.
Retail: Slimming Solutions.
Business start-up: The Blue Door Project.
Manufacturing: Cottage Contract Furnishers.
Young Entrepreneur: The Printed Bag Shop.
News Guardian People's Choice Award: Tynemouth Surf Company.
Overall North Tyneside Small Business of the Year: Cottage Contract Furnishers.
