Young entrepreneurs from the South East are preparing to go head to head in the final of the Young Traders Market 2019.
The competitive programme- perhaps likened to BBC’s The Apprentice- brings together aspiring tradespersons aged 16 to 30 with the aim of nurturing their talents and supporting market trading as a business model.
And leading the project is the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF), the only national UK organisation representing market and street traders, events retailers and mobile caterers.
NMTF’s CEO, Joe Harrison said: “We have a great retail markets industry in the UK and many of the biggest names in the retail sector, from Marks & Spencer to, more recently, Matalan and The Range which started up from a market stall.
“To make sure markets thrive in the years to come we have to encourage new blood with fresh ideas on to our markets.”
The regional final for the South East will take place at the Cathedral Piazza in Westminster on Thursday, August 8 where the start-ups will showcase their trade skills to the public.
Westminster’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Regeneration, Cllr Rachel Robathan, said: “As a local authority that encourages start-ups and promotes our entrepreneurs I would like to say how proud our city is to host this event.
“It is only by fostering talent in competitions such as this that we can hope to improve their skills and, with luck, inspire others to follow their lead.”
The Westminster event will be one of the six finals taking place throughout July and August, with the national final set to occur at the end of August in Stratford-upon-Avon.
And this year’s finalists will be following in the footsteps of previous winners including Rose Dyson from Yorkshire who won the title in 2017.
Miss Dyson- who is due to turn over £150,000 for her Pura cosmetics business next year- began her business with £25 making ethical, cruelty-free lip balm in her mother’s kitchen. She then went on to continue running her business alongside her A level studies after becoming Young Trader of the Year in 2017.
Now 19, she works full-time for her brand whilst also running her own online business which supplies 30 independent retailers.
Rose said: “In the next few years I want Pura to be the number one ethical lip scrub and care brand in the UK, and in 10 years I want Pura to be on the shelves of retailers all over the world.”
2015 winner Gloria Royer from Canterbury- who won the competition with her vintage clothing business- is now honing her design skills at Chelsea College of Art.
She said: “Winning made me believe that I could make a go of a creative design business. But I realised I needed to gain more skills, which is why I went to university and I am confident I will be able to build a brand after I graduate.”
For more information about the Young Traders Market programme log on to www.nmtf.co.uk.
