FINALISTS: Rising Star Award (under 25)
From selling electrical gadgets at 13 to developing ‘Concrete Records’ during his University years Lex Deak has continually shown his entrepreneurial flair. A part-time job at ‘Homes 4 U’, where he secured 100% mortgage on two student properties in Fallowfield, provided the finance for his partnership business in furniture importing. However, at 21 Lex decided to go solo and set up ‘Octopus’ – a business which continued importing and selling furniture but this time with super-low overheads as it was exclusively through eBay. In 2005, and aged 23 Lex was able to evolve ‘Octopus’ into ‘Sell It Shack’ – Manchester’s first eBay drop off shop (www.sellitshack.co.uk).
At the tender age of 15 Russell Hirst, MD of ValueFlora.com started selling at car boot sales – catching the bug for selling, and started his own internet business in 2000 aged only 17. Now at 24, Russell is the sole owner of ValueFlora, launched in 2003 as a supplier of low-cost, high quality flowers, now boasting 30,000 loyal customers. Being online and dispatching direct from the growers allows Russell to be ultra competitive when it comes to price, but at the same time, maintain the quality customers expect when ordering fresh flowers. Russell has achieved an incredible growth rate, 725% this year.
At 17 years old Chris Morris, co-founder of Peppered Sprout had set up his own web design company, he then expanded into publishing producing Facto a stylish regional lifestyle magazine every month. By finding a niche audience with the publication it was soon distributed throughout the UK. Now 23, his company designs and executes brand campaigns, produces two international magazines, develops marketing concepts and is now moving into large scale events. To date Peppered Sprout have developed creative for Virgin Atlantic, Adidas, Puma, JD Sports, Duck and Cover and various other global brands.
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