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Posted by Editor on 3rd August 2011 at 06:43 PM
Video: Two Salford startups bag cash for enterprise
A cancer survivor and an ex-civil servant from Salford have won a total of £3,500 after winning Salford Hundred Venture's Aspire to Enterprise competition.

Andrew Dixon won the main prize, bagging £2,000 towards his start-up locksmith business, AD Locks and Keys.

Andrew was a civil servant for 25 years, but found himself out of work and on the dole after cutbacks ended his career.

"It was a massive shock, says Andrew, "I thought I had a job for life, and to effectively find myself on the scrapheap, I had to do something completely different."

"I was always a tinkerer," he says with a smile, "and this seemed like a viable business.

"You do need that hand-holding at the start when you've got no business experience," said Andrew. "Salford Hundred Venture are always at the end of a telephone, they listen to what you’ve got to say and they’re there to steer you in the right direction.

“!This money will make a massive difference to my business, I’m going to use it to buy more specialist equipment, get a marketing plan together and to get some more training under my belt.”

Libertas Jewellery was set up by Melanie Angold from Boothstown. Mel heard at the age of just 30 that she had breast cancer, and faced a lengthy round of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Alongside her health worries, she was also made redundant.

But a chance offer from her cousin led Melanie to into her new career. “She asked my whether I could make jewellery for her upcoming wedding.

“I just went to the haberdashery store at the Trafford Centre and bought everything I could find. I ended up making bespoke jewellery for the entire wedding party!”

The business only started in May, and it’s already been quite a journey for the former policewoman.

As well as bagging a free spot on Bolton market, Melanie won second prize in the new business competition, picking up £1,500 for her business plan to hand-craft braclets, necklaces and more, using Swarovski crystals and sterling silver.

She’ll use the money to get her stock professionally photographed – a must in this industry – as well as exhibiting at the October Wedding Fair at Worsley’s Marriott Hotel.

The 36-year old was full of praise for Salford Hundred Venture, who helped her out with training and put her forward for the Aspire to Enterprise competition.

If you want to find out more about starting your own business, or Aspire to Enterprise, follow the link below or call 0161 742 4424.


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