Cameron highlights press support for local businesses

David Cameron

DAVID Cameron has highlighted the role of the local newspaper industry in supporting British business as the regional and local press announce the winners of their Local Business Accelerators competition.

The Prime Minister congratulated the winning businesses which will receive a substantial allocation of free advertising in their local paper and mentoring from local business leaders.

Mr Cameron said: “It’s brilliant that so many promising young companies, from such a wide range of sectors, are benefitting from this excellent initiative.

“Entrepreneurship, creativity and ambition are essential for our economic recovery, and through Local Business Accelerators, newspapers such as the Observer are supporting some great new British businesses to grow and helping to boost their local economy.

“I wish the newspapers, businesses and their mentors every success over the coming months.”

One business will go on to be crowned the overall LBA champion and receive mentoring from the campaign’s national ambassador, Deborah Meaden, of Dragons’ Den.

Backed by high-profile figures including the Prime Minister and the CBI’s John Cridland, the campaign has seen the local newspaper industry come together to deliver a shot in the arm for British business.

Local Business Accelerators has also received the support of Stephen Welton, chief executive of the Business Growth Fund, who said that the initiative was providing a “powerful boost” to fledgling businesses.

He said: “I am delighted to lend my support to the Local Business Accelerators initiative.

“Clearly, economic conditions continue to be challenging, but we need businesses to be considering the opportunities and focusing on what they can influence. When growth is harder to achieve, history tells us that the most successful companies are not those with defensive strategies.”

The Business Growth Fund has contributed to LBA by offering a series of free half-day workshops at its regional centres to winning businesses.

Mr Welton said: “Our workshops will help business owners to think about how they can expand, how they can reach new audiences and new markets, how they can begin exporting and how they can raise the capital that they might need to fund their ambitions.

“The question that BGF will be addressing in 2012 is how best can we find, encourage and support ambitious business owners. The Local Business Accelerators scheme is playing a vital role in furthering this ambition.”

Trio of businesses set for success in Local Business Accelerators competition