Make Your Mark Blog

On Friday I went to a fab event to celebrate the success of BBC Blast, a BBC Learning initiative which brings together creative teenagers and gives them loads of opportunities to attend workshops, get creative intern placements, find mentors and enter competitions.

The impact it has on some of those who attend is plain to see. AJ, who is now the ‘face’ of Blast attended a workshop and as a consequence got a creative internship at the BBC. There she got the chance to do some presenting for Blast and is now the ‘face’ of its programming. All from attending a workshop…

It’s very rare that I watch a programme which really inspires me but last night I was lucky enough to catch Mary Portas Queen of Charity Shops and it honestly left me buzzing. I’ve been thinking for a while that charity shops should be taking advantage of the recession and making it sexy to buy second hand goods from them. And as I mentioned in my last blog I did ‘grow up’ in a retail environment so I’m probably inclined more than some to get over excited about the programme.

When Howies got bought out by Timberland I wondered if it would retain it’s ability to be entrepreneurial. Happily so far it doesn’t seem to have dented their enthusiasm for innovation and the latest to be launched is Teepay - a site where designers upload their t-shirt designs and, if they receive 30 orders, their order is printed and the designer receives a commission for each one. A great idea which is very new and I can’t really believe that it hasn’t been done before. If only more companies would innovate themselves out of the recession! Customisation is a trend which has been around for a while but seems to still be allowing companies to innovate - like Adam from Looks Could Kill, a young business which is proving to be very successful and an inspiration to many.

The winners of the 2009 Make Your Mark Enterprising Young Brits Awards were announced today (Tuesday 24 March 2009) at a very swanky ceremony at the Institute of Directors (IoD), London.

They were each presented with a trophy and £1,000 prize money by Chancellor Alistair Darling, who made time to chat to finalists and hear their positive stories.

This week I popped along to see Make Your Mark in the Mall finalist Benjamin Allen. Benjamin, who, along with his dad, run Raphael. With two shops already established and running in Norwich and Lowestoft, Benjamin saw the Make Your Mark in the Mall competition as a way of testing the water for some new products.

Raphael currently source their products, which include jewellery and sculptures from Indonesia - visiting the country two or three times a year and sourcing producs from over 70 familes. Benjamin pointed out that by doing this, these families were given guaranteed regular work and paid for their work fairly.

I am a Make Your Mark Ambassador and I was invited to speak to the fashion students yesterday at the Leeds College of Art!

A hat from Girls Make Your Mark Award winner Pachacuti is featured on handbag.com and according to the site’s lifestyle editor Alaina has been doing really well in terms of web hits. Fab stuff! It’s great to see entrepreneurs competing for space with the bigger brands on top fashion sites like handbag. Who would you like to see on the site? Let us know and we’ll pass your top tips back to handbag.

Make Your Mark in the Markets is our competition in conjunction with nmtf (The National Market Traders Federation) in which we give some lucky creative type the chance to trade for free at one of our 70 participating markets for six months! The lucky winner will also received a cool £1500 to help with resources whilst receiving one-to-one mentoring and advice too. For more info have a gander at this. Deadline is 20th March so get cracking!
PS: If you are wondering if your local market is involved in Make Your Mark in the Markets this year, never fear as I’ll be popping up a nifty list very soon.
PPS: Oh and don’t forget, you can always email Denise Ramsey (Queen of Markets) or me too!

Congratulations to Make Your Mark Ambassador Cyndi Rhoades, who has won two weeks’ free trading space as one of Make Your Mark in the Mall’s finalists.

Cyndi is the co-founder of Worn Again - recycled fashion made from materials like seat belts, post-Glastonbury tents, bicycle tires and parachutes. Their shoes and bags have been huge hits with dedicated followers of fashion and the media, and their ethos has really struck a chord with eco-conscious shoppers. Be amazed by just how great scrap fabrics and a fire hose can look by catching Worn Again in the Mall: Cyndi will be trading at Walthamstow Mall for two weeks from 16 March.

Inspired by today’s Real Business newsletter I thought I’d inspire you with ideas of entreprenurs who could help you celebrate Valentine’s Day (or boycott it depending on your romantic status).

Something to buy for the ladies; a Clippykit bag, La Diosa Jewellery, Lingerie from Ultimo or Pussy Glamore.

A Clippykit bag customised by London school girls.

Something to buy for the men; a fitted suit!, a modern chicken house from the Omlet boys or some cool t-shirts or hoodies from Fifty50.

I’m sure there is more inspiration in our Inspiring Stories section! And pls do let us know your own recommendations.

This weekend I made one of our ambassadors a whole £1.45 richer. My first ambassador purchase (that I am aware of) and it was brilliant! This got me thinking, if I’m looking for an original, innovative christmas present, where better than the masters of entrepreneurship supporting Make Your Mark.

So, if anyone has suggestions on where to buy presents for; Dad (mid 50s, hates football, loves gadgets), Mum (late 50s - yes my dad is technically a toy boy but I don’t want to think about that, very arty, likes soaps from what I can gather), Sister (at Uni, likes art and fashion) and Brother (a couple of years older than me, no more mature) - I’d be over the moon (extra brownie points if these purchases mean I don’t have to go near oxford street in the next couple of weeks).

Lots of our fabulous female ambassadors were finalists and winners in the Precious Awards, (organised by Precious Online Magazine and sponsored by Pearson Plc and the FEAT Project) which took place last Thursday during Enterprise Week.

The finalists were:

Best Business (sponsored by the British Library IP and Patent Centre)
Runners up
Natasha Faith and Semhal Zemikael : La Diosa

Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Winner
Samata Angel : Samata’s Muse
Runners Up
Natasha Faith and Semhal Zemikael : La Diosa
Andrea Photiou : Playvybz

The Precious Entrepreneur of the Year Award: The Judges’s Prize
Winner
Natasha Faith and Semhal Zemikael : La Diosa

Laura and I were press ganged into acting as judges for a special fashion challenge this week by Progressive Educational Tools (PET) and we had a great time - as did the participants. Now you may think that Coventry isn’t a particuarly fashion forward place - eg Bex and her I love Coventry t-shirts, thanks Bex. But you’d be wrong.

The two teams had mixed pupils from Sherbourne Fields and Blue Coats schools to take part in the challenge to produce and original fashion brand, including designs, logo and radio ad.

Last night I attended a fab Fab Over 50s event in Preston. Obviously I was only allowed in under my roving reporter remit! The event was light hearted and entertaining aimed at confidence building and presentation skills.

Organised by Spark ambassador, Janet Harrison www.creative-academy.co.uk in partnership with image consultant Cliff Bashforth www.simplyimage.co.uk . Cliff gave image hints and tips to an audience of 70 or more of us hanging on his every word. I found that I’m similar to Kylie (unfortunately not because of my bum) and due to a senior moment (must have been the company) I’m not quite sure why.

Yesterday saw the launch of Speednetwork the Globe with events taking place across the world. The UK’s flagship event took place on the London eye with special guest Lord Bilimoria the founder of Cobra Beer. 60 young entrepreneurs piled into two pods to speed network 443 feet above London.

I shared a pod with Speednetworking legend Oli Barrett. Using the skills he developed as a Butlins redcoat Oli injected the pod with his own special brand of magic before introducing Alexandra Finlay the founder of the shoe company Fin’s. Alexandra told the guests about the trials and tribulations of starting up her own company but finished on a high note saying that setting up her own company had been the most rewarding experience she’d ever had.