Inspiring entrepreneurs share their secrets of success at The British Franchise Exhibition

• Sarah McConnell (Venture Marketing Group)
• Thursday 15 May 2014

Two fascinating and impressive entrepreneurs will be sharing their inspiring success stories and experiences at EventCity, Manchester on 20 & 21 June. Darren Ratcliffe and Allison Whitmarsh are set to be the star attractions of the Growing Your Own Business Conference, part of The British Franchise Exhibition when it takes place at this exciting new venue.

The event offers the perfect opportunity for visitors to find out firsthand what it is like to set up a business from nothing and make a success of it when the two key speakers take to the stage and share their experiences.

Darren Ratcliffe, CEO and founder of Redstar will be recounting his success story at 12.15pm on Friday 20 June. Darren will describe how he left the corporate world, having been made redundant several times, and decided to set up his own online solutions company in 2007. With nine staff, and looking to double the size of his operation in the next twelve months, Darren has gone from strength to strength.

Allison Whitmarsh, CEO and founder of ProperMaid homemade cakes, will describe how she left school at 16 and worked as a dinner lady and went on to set up her own company supplying caterers, cafes, delicatessens and retailers with innovative handmade cakes. Allison discovered a gap in the market after studying to become a cookery teacher.

Allison's cakes now regularly win her awards and she has even appeared on the BBC's Dragon's Den, having received offers from two of the Dragons. It was eventually Deborah Meaden who invested in ProperMaid. She will be talking about how she 'made it' at, 12.15pm, on Saturday 21 June.

The Growing Your Own Business Conference is a vital feature of the much larger British Franchise Exhibition, which offers a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in franchising as a career choice. With expert advice clinics, seminar sessions and a multitude of networking opportunities, as well as being fully accredited by the British Franchise Association (bfa), The British Franchise Exhibition offers a comprehensive insight into the exciting prospects in franchising.

The British Franchise Exhibition is open 10am - 5pm Friday, and 10am - 4pm Saturday.

For the latest news and updates about The British Franchise Exhibition, follow @UKFranchising on Twitter; join The Franchise Exhibitions Group on LinkedIn and like the Franchiseinfo page on Facebook.

www.franchiseinfo.co.uk

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