2007 finalists - where are they now?

The Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards really 'made a difference' to the finalists and winners back in 2007. Nearly one year on we look at a selection of the finalists and see how the Awards helped them realise their dreams and gave them the confidence to continue to develop flourishing businesses.

So Baby - Winner of Best New Business 2007

So Baby manufactures handmade frozen organic baby meals for babies from 6 months to 2 years of age. The range of savoury meals are sold in specialist outlets and online. Ingredients are locally sourced and the recipes are specifically developed with taste, texture and nutrition in mind.

Chris Larkin

So Baby Ltd was established by myself and my wife just over three years ago. We manufacture, distribute and sell premium quality frozen organic baby meals from our purpose built unit in Chester. We spotted the gap in the market after the birth of our daughter in 2004. When we came to introduce solids into her diet at 6 months we were amazed to discover that there was a real lack of choice and, in our opinion quality, in the market place.

For years mums and dads have either had to choose between cooking all the baby food themselves - something which is increasingly difficult these days with already busy work and home lives - or buying the traditional jars of baby food found on the shelves of supermarkets. Our research and testing found that there was a clear need for a high quality premium alternative – a product that was handmade, using the finest quality organic ingredients, ready frozen for convenience and to ensure maximum flavour and nutrition is retained.

How the Award transformed So Baby

The Morgan Foundation Award made a major difference to So Baby during 2008. So Baby was able to invest in new and bigger cooking equipment, to help meet growing and future demand. It also allowed So Baby to invest the time and technology in developing a new range of lines, including for the first time two puddings as well as two additional savoury dishes. These lines went live last week and we have had an excellent response to these already.

The Morgan Foundation also allowed So Baby to recruit its first full-time employee and we hope to bring in additional staff later in the year. Winning the award helped finance a full re-launch of the website which now includes a regular newsletter to customers as well as interesting articles, information and advice. Further investment in what we hope will be revolutionary eco-friendly packaging is also planned later this year.

As a direct result of the investment by The Morgan Foundation in So Baby, sales have more than doubled in the past 12 months and the prospects for further rapid growth are strong. Many thousands of little babies across the UK are also, I’m sure, very happy to see So Baby thriving as a result of the support from The Morgan Foundation.

Championship MiniatureGolf - Winner of Best Potential Business 2007

Championship Miniature Golf is a revolutionary take on the stereotypical crazy golf course. Each of the holes in the miniature course is inspired by a famous championship golf course. Holes vary in length between 10 and 15 metres and are constructed to the highest specification using all weather putting surfaces.

Nick Ashfield

The 2007 Awards came at an important time for my business. My market research had established that there was a market for my designs, but that I needed to get a course built to progress.

Winning the Award did two things: firstly, it gave me tremendous confidence and the business added credibility which helped win the first order – the first 9 hole course opened in March 2008.

Secondly, the substantial cash prize for winning helped me raise the necessary funds to build and operate our second course - construction begins in July 08 near the Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Entering the Awards in 2007 has really made a difference in helping launch my business and realising my dream.

Underwater Street - Runner Up of Best New Business 2007

Underwater Street is an educational family attraction aimed at families and schools with Children aged 2-10. A new concept in child’s play, it aims to bridge the gap between modern play centres and traditional museums by providing an environment of interactive discovery.

Jeff and Gaynor Wallace

We were delighted – and surprised - to be nominated as a finalist in 2007 and thrilled to be announced as 1st runner up in the Best New Business Category. We are very proud of what we have achieved at Underwater Street and to be publicly recognised for our achievements was a great accolade. As we stated in our application form, we have used the prize money awarded to update our website, raise awareness and create online marketing campaigns. We have established a dedicated database which now helps us understand our customer base better and enables us to engage directly with them.

The process is really simple and we would encourage anyone who fits the criteria to have a go at entering!

Sentric Music - Runner Up Best Young Entrepreneur 2007

Sentric Music opens up income streams for artists who otherwise would be unable to do so - specialising mainly in unsigned or independent artists. It acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’ to collect royalties, receive digital distribution, discover the latest industry news and network socially with other artists.

Simon Pursehouse

Since becoming runner up at The Morgan Entrepreneur Awards 2007 Sentric Music has expanded significantly, both in users of the service and in staff working here.

The PR we received from the Award helped us gain further press attention within the Merseyside area and created local interest within the company. The £2,500 award we received aided us in further software development to make our service both easier to use for the artists and more efficient in handling data.

Also, having the opportunity to perform a presentation in front of Steve Morgan and the other distinguished panellists was a fantastic experience and the feedback they gave has been thoroughly taken on board.

I strongly recommend entering this competition!

Laptop Matcher - Winner Best Young Entrepreneur 2007

As its name suggests, Laptop Matcher is a website that offers superior and simple information on how, why and which laptop to buy using customer input criteria of their specific requirements. Other domains have been secured for expansion into specific products.

Nathan O'Connor

The website has had varied success. The money that I was awarded was used to finish developing the website, and ensured that the standard was more than adequate for public consumption. From that we used the remainder of the money to launch a marketing campaign, based around Google over the Christmas and New Year period. The results were excellent, generating over 6k in revenue of 3.5k of expenditure.

However, there was a delay before we actually received any commission, causing a cash flow problem. The results have demonstrated to me that the business model is a success, however a larger capital base is needed. By not having enough capital to ensure an ongoing search engine campaign, results can be stifled.

I am currently working full time as a recruitment consultant in Liverpool, whilst my 2 colleagues are working full time in a sales role and web development role. This will allow the 3 of us to build up a substantial capital base, so that we can embark on a marketing campaign that most importantly is sustainable.

I feel that without The Morgan Foundation awards I would have never got to this position and feel that the awards and prize gave me the motivation and momentum to make sure the business works.