More testimonials

We wanted to take an opportunity to say a huge thanks to our finalists for being so inspirational and for putting so much energy and enthusiasm towards the If we can, you can ethos. Although voting for your favourite finalist will close at midnight on Sunday 7th June, we hope they’ll all consider themselves winners and we’ll continue to follow everyone’s progress.

Here are some more heartening comments that have come through in support for our wonderful finalists:

Andrea D’Ercole
“I'd like to vote for Andrea D'Ercole of ItalyAbroad.
Successfully bringing the true pride & passion of Italy to the North East via its beautiful food & wine is an excellent achievement. And what a great web site too.
To Andrea & the ItalyAbroad team I say fantastico, meraviglioso e tanti auguri.”

Ben Haslam
“I bought a Keba Artmate some years ago and have since acquired a second one. This wonderful invention has revolutionised the tedious task of stretching watercolour paper to such a degree that even someone as clumsy as I am could easily stretch paper, even while out painting "plein air". Ben deserves the heartfelt thanks of all watercolourists, amateur and professional.”

Christine Pearce
“Christine’s a very savvy lady – entrepreneurial, driven, practical, ambitious and with a great business idea and an impressive vision for the future. Christine is also extremely nice and a very hardworking mum – she deserves to have got this far and she gets my vote!”

Claire Fitzpatrick
“My vote is for Claire. No pain, all gain! A rare practitioner who gives 110% to each and every client!”

Claire Mitchell
“Claire is an outstanding business woman who has managed to achieve the holy grail of running 2 successful businesses while also dedicating time to her family. She is an inspiring role model for those of us who are trying to achieve the same, very difficult, balance and success.”

Emma Reilly
“I would like to vote for Emma. Excellent idea and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.”

Ian Smith
“Ian is a breath of fresh air in his chosen sector and brings a true client centered approach to business that is to be modeled. The culture in his business is leading edge and radical delivering great work consistently.”

Louise Bell
“Louise has always impressed me with her effortless charm and great professionalism when dealing with potential clients.

Her natural ease with people, coupled with her obvious business acumen always impresses and secures a high level of customer interest in her tanning service. We love her tanning concept and so do our brides, particularly as it is mobile and so convenient.”

Mark Easby
“Better Brand Studio has provided me with fantastic insight into viral marketing and use of new communication and social networking websites such as twitter that will prive invaluable to ais building a strong brand image.

It is encouraging to see that despite a number of initial setbacks and the tragedy that mark has faced , his resolve and determination to succeed has seen him become a success in his own right and catapult his new company into the voting stages for such a worthwhile award.

It just goes to show that poor exam results count for very little if you have the imagination and drive to be successful.”

Nigel Begg
“I'd like to vote for Nigel Begg, who's been getting on with building a great business in an untypical and unassuming manner, rather than the flurry of smoke, mirrors and flash that can overcome many of these types of things.”

Ralph Thompson
“I have known Ralph for a number of years now and am always particularly impressed by his resilience and determination to drive his business forwards. He never stands still and is always ready to expand into new areas, set up satellite businesses and continue to market his products successfully.

The agriculture sector is not an easy market into which to break but Ralph has proven that with his genuinely pleasant and likeable personality alongside astute business acumen it is an area that has huge business potential and can still be developed when looked at with fresh eyes and innovative ideas.”

Ray Liddell
“I would like to support the vote for this innovative product. Good luck Ray!”

Rob Earnshaw

“Rob has been an inspiration to me he is always on hand to provide advice and support. Without Rob i would not have had the confidence to take my career forward! Good luck Rob.”

Inspired6 Annual Conference: Showreel of the Challenge finalists' experiences

Last week to vote!!

This week is your last chance to choose your If we can, you can Faces of Entrepreneurship for 2010. We'll be closing the phone lines at midnight on Sunday night, after which we'll add up each individual's final tally.

Watch this space for the announcement of the winners - revealed in your local press and on this page - on the 11th June.

A big thank you to everyone who has voted so far, and to our finalists who have thrown themselves into the ‘Challenge’ with the energy and enthusiasm you’d expect from a group of driven, dedicated and ambitious entrepreneurs.

We’re confident that they’ll represent a growing entrepreneurial community in the North East with the same enthusiasm as we follow them over the coming months.

If you haven't cast your vote yet, please do read through the profiles, stories and blogs of our finalists. You can vote for one finalist in each media region.

If you want to vote by mobile text, text 'challenge' and the name of your nominee to:
07624 803 199

You can also vote by email to voting@entrepreneursforum.net and let us know the name of your chosen finalist, and any comments you wish to make about them.