Business Venture Competition 2009 - AWARDS FTW!!!

SO I TOTALLY WON SOME AWARDS AND STUFF!

Amazin', yeah?

The Business Venture Competition enables the development of business ideas from De Montfort University (http://www.dmu.ac.uk/) students, staff and graduates (I'm a graduate, having studied Fine Art there from 2003 - 2006).

The competition was a two-stage process, the first was to submit an idea for a business - mine being (obviously) Rachael Smith Illustration. The second was having to submit a business plan - which was really hard as it involved maths and numbers and clever stuff that I'm not very good at. But I managed with the help of my business advisor and, along with 74 others, submitted my plan.

10 of us were then chosen to attend the award ceremony, where 6 of us were picked to give a three minute 'pitch' about why our business idea was awesome. 

Scary, professional-looking people were everywhere.

The photographer was sniping me even before proceedings began. Ominous. Free food and wine though - score!

These were the judges, it was /just/ like 'Dragon's Den'.  Honest.

(From left to right: Phil Bateman - Lloyds TSB Commercial, Clare Hudson - Creative Leicestershire, Russell Copley - Chief Executive, EMIN, Janette Pallas - Head of Enterprise Services, DMU)

My first award was a Graduate Start-up bursary from Creative Leicestershire, who support small arts, media and design businesses in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Me and Clare Hudson of Creative Leicestershire. I'm the bemused, not-really-knowing-how-to-hold-this-trophy-looking one.

I was then amazed and shocked to win 1st Prize! This one was another bursary, but more importantly - a much more impressive trophy!


My Business Venture Competition trophy. Isn't it beautfiful? And it was about five seconds before I got my grubby fingerprints all over it.

All the winners together - girls rule yeah! Apart from that one boy...

(From left to right: Sasha Annis - UBD, Emma Amies - Cupcake Lingerie, Matthew Conroy - UBD, Me - Rachael Smith Illustration, Megan Davies - Little Giant Art, Alison Bacon - Abdance.)

So, I've pretty much had the best week ever. 

Now is where the hard work starts (or rather, continues ^_^). I'm very proud and humbled that so many people believe in me.

AWESOME!

Love you all,

Rachael xxxxxx