14 May 2009, 09/103
West Lancashire Entrepreneurs Benefit
from the Secret Millionaire
Following on from Enterprising West
Lancashire’s ‘Positive Women’s Day’, to celebrate the strength of
the female entrepreneurs in West Lancashire, the ladies were
invited back to attend an exclusive marketing workshop run by the
‘Secret Millionaire’ Carl Hopkins.
Hopkins, star of Channel 4’s Secret
Millionaire and the keynote speaker at the popular ‘Positive
Women’s Day’, was so impressed with calibre of our female
entrepreneurs he very kindly agreed to come back and hold his own
personal ‘Coffee with Kloog’ sessions.
Kloog Business Development, the company founded by Hopkins after
he sold the hugely successful marketing agency JDA after taking its
turnover from from £9.5m to £19.6m in 5 years, specialises in
supporting businesses through any problems and helps reduce the
learning curves faced by businesses, especially in marketing.
These sessions, held at the West Lancashire
Investment Centre in Skelmersdale, gave the West Lancashire
businesses a 'no froth' appraisal of their business and marketing
activity. The around the coffee table chat, gave a fresh
insight into their propositions and sales message.
Penny Warham from Pen'Fold Studio, a design
agency based in Skelmersdale, said: “The session was extremely
useful and to have the opportunity of Carl’s expertise to comment
on my marketing and business model was invaluable. I got so many
ideas to take away and build on".
Hopkins first became famous on our televisions
through the Channel 4’s ‘Secret Millionaire’ series. In his episode
Carl travelled to the former mining town of Easington in County
Durham, the setting for Billy Elliot and one of the most deprived
areas in Britain, and went undercover as a community warden help
the declining community. Hopkins grew up on a tough council estate
on the outskirts of Leeds and dreamed of escaping the confines of
the area. He said his own determination and drive have made him
successful and was now ready to help others.
Hopkins commented: “At my last visit to West
Lancashire I was inspired by the entreprenerial flair of the
business women. Their commitment to developing their businesses was
clear to see and I was looking forward to returning to offer them
further help”.
He continued: “The support evironment
that West Lancashire District Council has developed to assist
businesses in the area is a credit to them.”
Jayne Traverse, Executive Manager Regeneration
& Estates, West Lancashire District Council said: “It was
fabulous having Carl back to give our local businesses further
guidance on how to develop their business and increase their sales.
We have some excellent female run companies in the District and the
sessions offered them real hands on advice which they found
extremely beneficial, especially during these difficult economic
times.”
For further information about business support
offered by West Lancashire District Council, contact the
Enterprising West Lancashire team on 01695 577177 or email
info.edu@westlancsdc.gov.uk.
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