Stars of Dorset's 'Dragons Den' (From Dorset Echo)
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Stars of Dorset's 'Dragons Den'
12:00pm Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Business By Joanna Davis
Stephanie Pettitt, centre, who runs Equation with franchise winner Anna Ward, left, and Kajal Bakrania who has won a work placement with Stephanie
A STUDENT has claimed a £20,000 prize of a lifetime from the Dragons’ Den after wowing judges with her pitch.
Anna Ward, 19, will take on a branch of Weymouth accountancy firm Equation after securing the franchise in a final held at the Bournemouth University Executive Business Centre.
She beat competition from four other candidates and tamed a team of dragons with her plans for the Equation franchise.
Stephanie Pettitt, director of Equation franchise, set up the recession-busting competition to promote young people in business and as part of her plans to expand the business across the area.
She said: “It has been announced that 2.6million people in Britain are now unemployed, with one million on them being 16-24 year olds.
“I am on an absolute mission to encourage young people to believe in themselves and start their own businesses from their own creative ideas.”
The competition married TV shows The Apprentice with Dragons’ Den.
Dragons, who were selected from the local business community, were so impressed with the talent that they selected another of the finalists, Kajal Bakrana, 18, for a work placement.
Anna said: “I'm shocked. I'm overwhelmed but excited. It’s a life-changing opportunity to get started in business.”
Both Anna and Kajal are students at Bournemouth University.
Runner-up Kajal added: “I’m excited to be getting the experience and ready to work.”
Also impressing the dragons was 15-year-old Joe Prior of Dorchester, who gave a pitch about taking an ice cream van around Europe to promote Equation.
Vicky Pocock, 22, of Weymouth, dazzled judges with her tenacity and her sense of humour.
The judging panel was made up of Stephanie Pettitt, Ian Girling of WSX Enterprise Limited, Karen Rickman of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce, local McDonald’s franchisee Nick Maybour, Bournemouth University Entrepreneurs Business Mania Coordinator Fabrice Polo and Echo business reporter Joanna Davis.
Stephanie said: “This has been one of the greatest days of my life.
“There was such a buzz in that room. The standard of candidates was so high.”
