Start Up Hub Finalist 2012 - My first business award

Hello!  Well I have some very exciting news!  A few months ago I entered a competition being run by the Conservative Party (for my foreign readers that is the political party of the UK Prime Minister David Cameron), called the Start Up Hub:

"The Conservative Party is providing entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity to showcase their ideas at the Conservative Party Conference in the 'Start Up Hub'.

The Conservative Party Annual Conference event is one of the largest political gatherings in the UK, with an attendance of nearly 13,500 delegates. The Start Up Hub gives entrepreneurs a chance to market their idea in front of delegates, national press, company representatives and senior Conservative politicians."

I entered for a host of reasons.  Firstly because I thought I could win.  Secondly because if the UK government is really interested in helping small businesses, then they should pick my business to win and lastly because I hope to highlight how fantastic and superior UK design and in particular manufacturing is.  You should all know by now that ALL Betty Blue's Loungerie garments are made right here in the UK.  I even wrote a blog post about it here.

Well I've only gone and won it!!!  Well I haven't won the whole competition.....yet, I am one of 12 UK finalists.  So my prize is to have a space on an exhibition stand at the Conservative Political Conference this October.  It means that not only will senior UK politicians (hopefully Mr Cameron himself and maybe our dear Mayor of London Boris) become aware of my business, but there will be representatives from all sorts of businesses from big corporate companies to retail giants.  I'm hoping to use this opportunity to meet department store big wigs and basically beg them to stock my beautiful garments in their shops.  How could they resist the Black Nell Robe?!

The other upshot of being selected as a finalist is the publicity side.  Nationally distributed press representatives will be in attendance.  And as cameras tend to follow around the main players in the political party, how cool would it be if I could get on the telly by accosting David Cameron, or even better Boris.  I'm certain Boris will love my brand!

I think Dave should buy the Nell Robe for Sam Cam!

I have a horrible feeling that I will be the smallest "small business" of the 12 finalists.  A small business is determined by a few factors, such as number of employees and annual turnover.  According to the tinterweb a small business is a company who has less than 50 employees and an annual turnover of no more than £2.6 million.  By this I have determined my business status; if a small business was an animal it would be an elephant.........I would be an ant.  But from small acorns grow mighty oaks, so I don't plan on staying an ant for very long.

Lovable rogue Boris

So does this mean I can win the overall competition?  Well I have to persuade Conservative delegates that my business should win.  From what I can ascertain they will vote for their favourite business over the three days of the conference.  Each day there are 4 of the 12 finalists on the Start Up Hub stand.  So my plan is to hand out lots of leaflets of scantily clad women to the men, and let the ladies try on my beautiful clothes.  This way they will have to vote for me because the men will be blinded by titties and the women will be blinded with how amazing and gorgeous they feel in my loungerie.  Win win all round I think!  I'm hoping this will be my advantage over the other finalists and their swish corporate talk and huge turnovers. 

Man in charge of the money, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne....I may or may not harrass him

Maria Miller, my local MP and recently promoted to
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
and shes a woman so may very well love my loungerie

I do of course joke with you about fluttering my eyelashes and lowering my neckline.  I do have an important political message for the PM and his delegates.  As part of a generation of University Graduates with 0 job prospects, instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself and claiming from the state, I went out and made my own future by starting up my own business.  Also by manufacturing in the UK, I am helping other small businesses and their team of employees.  If I could start my own business with zero experience in the business world, then anyone can no excuses!!  If you think about some of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world many have built their empires with little or no money, so excuses are for losers.

Do you want to help me win this thing then?  Well if you think I should win it for all the 'micro', self funded and god darned determined young entrepreneurs out there then this is what you can do for me.  Head on over to the Conservative Party website and look up your local MP (for those who are based in the UK).  They are listed alphabetically by name rather than region so it may take a while.   Then send them an email saying how much you love Betty Blue's Loungerie and that they should come and visit me on the Start Up Hub stand in the exhibition area.  To help you I have put together a little blurb for you to copy and paste and then fill in:

Dear .................

I thought I would email you to introduce you to Betty Blue's Loungerie - one of the finalists in the Conservative Party run initiative, The Start Up Hub.  The reason I want you to know about Betty and her business is that she is a great ambassador for UK manufacturing and small businesses.  Betty's aim is to provide girls of all shapes and sizes with glamorous and most importantly comfortable loungewear, to rid the world of unsightly sweat pants and hoodies.  All of her garments are made right here in the UK.  I love Betty Blue's Loungerie because.................[enter your thoughts about why you love my business]..............................................  Be sure to visit Betty on the Start Up Hub UK stand in the exhibition area.  She will be on hand to talk to you about her fab business and there will be garments there for you to look at, or even try on!

Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoy discovering all about my favourite brand Betty Blue's Loungerie.  Kind Regards.

.....[put your name here].......

Easy peasy!  I'm not sure what the overall prize is for the winner, but I want to win reguardless just because I'm competative, and the publicity will be great!  To reward you for your hard work in getting me to win, I will make even more delicious loungerie for your lounging needs.  I may even take a few snapshots of some delights I've been working on recently.  You can also send the above email to any local or national newspapers and magazines if you so wish, the more publicity the better.

Thanks in advance ;-)
Lots of Love
Betty xxx