Amazing

Petty Pretty Happy to Win???
Petty chuffed to bits hes won.

What can i say apart from Thank you to everyone that voted for me.
I have spoke with Callum since winning and what a great guy, his business is moving on just from entering the competition by the sounds of it and I wish him all the best, I know hell do well.

Well I've had two phone calls already from prospective customers after they read the article, this is great.

Thanks again everyone

Last Day for Voting

Last Day for the votes, I only hope everyone has been kind and voted for me.

Its been an amazing journey, felt like a little celebrity for the whole period, appearing in the papers every week. Met some great people and good contacts along the way as well.
I really do hope I win, it would mean a lot, I've worked my myself silly with Cornerstone and have achieved a lot in the short space of time we have been trading which has been really great, within two years we have been named the best new business in the tees valley, we have won the service award at the best new business awards, we have won the service award at the north east business awards and were nominated and runners up for small business award and newcomer award.
It hasn't all been award ceremonies there has been a few hurdles to jump along the way, but it has all been great experience.
That's why i think it would be great if I won, the experience and the situations that i have been through already would benefit others into not making them mistakes.

We now employ 9 people and looking to grow further, we are still expanding, we have just won a nice contract with Vie at Home which is a great customer to have.
We have also been busy with charity events and one of our staff has organised 5 a side, golf and 7 a side competitions with local businesses,only yesterday we played a 7 a side football tournament at Middlesbrough Football Clubs training ground which they kindly gave us the use of. Cornerstone gladly won the tournament and I scored a cracking goal.
We have raised over a thousand pounds for charity.

Id like to thank everyone that has voted and supported me and everyone involved in the If we can you can challenge it has been a fantastic event and well done to the organisers they have made this a great experience.

Anyway lets see what happens, hopefully ill be celebrating next week.

Seven Confrence Pictures

The things you have to do to get a good photo.
These are the pictures that came from the photoshoot at the seven conference, it was good experience but i was nearly sick having an iphone in my mouth.
We had to take gadgets for the photoshoot, something that represented what we did, i couldnt exxactly take a server/pc or a telephone system, so i thought the iphone sums all of these technologies together and includes the mobility side of our business.

Not long now untill the winner is announced June 17th, getting all nervous now, it would mean a lot for me to win this competition. The kids would be over the moon.

A bit of a busy week this week.

We have now got settled into our new office at Preston Farm, we have our new salesman joining us in the office on Tuesday and we have also taken on a new engineer growing our staff to 9.

Im at an awards ceremony tomorrow night, not another business one, but one with the kids football. Im involved with Stockton Town FC and help run the under 9's football team which my son also plays for. I have been involved with this team from the very start when they entered the league at under 6 level. We finished runners up in the league this year which the kids thoroughly deserved and its there night at Tall Trees hotel tomorrow night to collect their medals for the great season they have had, well done lads.

In the Papers again

Quite a big peice about me in the papers this week in the evening gazette. Its kind of wierd reading about yourself and it makes me cringe a little.
My past is my past and i wouldnt change it for the world even if i did have some cheesy jobs like selling Kirby Cleaners.
I had a lot of cheesy jobs, i was testing the market place and seeing where my target audience was, i finally found it in I.T. Thats my excuse anyway.

Day After the Conference

What a day & night it was fantastic.
The conference blew me away what a great opportunity to listen to some great Entrenpreneurial people, some very inspiring stories and a singing Edwin Booth.
The strangest thing was how normal these people are, at first you feel scared to talk to these people because of what they have achieved you expect them to be scary, they are just like you and me, people who have an idea and run with it and want to make a bit of money on the way.
Karen Darby sold Simplyswitch to the Daily mail for 22 million pounds, not bad! and she was normal.
We had a lovely meal during the day and then got whisked off for a photshoot, a bit strange as i had an iphone in my mouth for the shoot, then whisked away again for an interview on camera. Meetng all of the other finalists was good as well to here there stories, met with Callum who i am up against, great guy, hope he does well but not as well as me obviously.
The night was great, champagne reception, the food was out of this world, the waitress managed to spill the fish starters down my tux which was a great start.
Did a bit of networking and met with some great people and got a few leads as well, not bad considering i must have smelt of fish.
At the moment im loving this little journey on the if we can you can campaign, feel very involved in the north east business scene and loving every minute of it.

Seven Conference

Its the big conference tomorrow, really excited about it and also a little nervous.
Looking forward to listening to some really good speakers for example Lord Kirkham, Britain’s leading furniture tycoon and executive Chairman of DFS. Who would have thought me mixing in a room with Lords. Will be good to hear what they have to say about the world of business and see if i can pick up any tips.
I was never any good at school hence the reason i have no qualifactions but one thing i was really good at was listening and learning from others.
Ive also been told that there will be a photo shoot at dinner time with all of the finalists and i have to take a prop that either represents the business or me, i can only think of phones and computers, i cant exactly take a butler with me to show the exceptional customer service that we offer, well I could but that means i will have a butler following me about all day and no doubt ill have to buy his drinks, on the up side at least he will go to the bar.
Its a black tie dinner on the night, must remember to pick my suit up from the dry cleaners this time, last time at the north east business awards i forgot to collect my dinner suit from the dry cleaners and had to drag a poor man from his tea to travel 1/2 hour to open the shop for me.
The main thing of the day for me is networking, who can i speak too, who will be the next big deal for Cornerstone.
One thing ive learned through my years its all about who you know and who they know and networking is the best way for new contacts.
Anyway im sure it will be great and to also meet the other finalists, ill update how things went on Friday

The Challenge

Been a mad few days since the challenge started. Feel a little like a local celebrity, everyones calling or texting or facebooking to say they have voted and that they saw me in the paper.
I phoned my local chinese takeway at the weekend and placed my order, they then told me that they had seen me in the paper and that they had voted. Cant beleive the amount of people that have seen it.
Happy days the more the merrier