BUDDING NEW BUSINESS MAKES AWARDS SHORTLIST

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BUDDING NEW BUSINESS MAKES AWARDS SHORTLIST

Jamie Cartwright of Ladyzone is named as a finalist in the ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ award.

Blossoming new business Ladyzone has been unveiled as one of four finalists at the Startups Awards 2007 in the ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ category, handing it the chance to win the £5,000 top prize.

The short listing judges were impressed by Ladyzone’s concept and potential, placing the business among a handful of lucky finalists plucked from hundreds of entries.

Jamie Cartwright and his business partner Anthony Carpenter have revolutionised the whole idea of going to a club to exercise, and have established a pioneering new fitness centre called LadyZone “your 30 minute relaxed workout”. This women only centre is dedicated to keeping its members healthy, happy and engaged in their fitness regime. Jamie Cartwright started Ladyzone because he realised that people, especially women, tend to be very intimidated with conventional gyms and sports clubs. The rich and famous find an alternative to conventional gyms by employing personal trainers however the majority of people cannot afford them. Ladyzone provide the solution to this problem with a clever circuit based system that allows personal interaction between staff and members whilst still keeping membership costs on average 40% cheaper than major operators (only £22 a month).

Having established itself with two successful gyms in Sheffield Ladyzone intends to provide this facility in every town and city in Britain through franchising. Ladyzone have already sold their first few franchise licences that should be open in the next few months. Ladyzone’s ultimate aim is to contribute to creating a healthier nation.

The Startups Awards, organised by Crimson Business’ Startups.co.uk, comprises of 16 categories, each showcasing the best new businesses in the UK. The overall winner will walk away with a £5,000 cheque.

Endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and underlining its commitment to identifying and rewarding the UK’s best new businesses, the fourth annual Startups Awards is organised in conjunction with NatWest.

The winners will be unveiled at a prestigious awards ceremony and three-course luncheon to be held at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington on Wednesday 31 October.

Jamie Cartwright, Managing Director of Ladyzone comments: “We are thrilled to be a finalist in the ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ category and very much looking forward to the event in October. It’s great that all our dedication and hard work has been recognised and we’re delighted to be in with a chance of not only winning the category but also the much-coveted ‘NatWest Startups Business of the Year’ prize.”

Startups.co.uk is the UK’s largest independent online resource for budding entrepreneurs and the Startups Awards is one of the leading events on the small business calendar.

This year’s judging panel consists of some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs, including Martin Webb, entrepreneur & presenter of Channel 4’s Risking It All, Tim Campbell, winner of BBC’s The Apprentice, 2005 and Jonathon Moules, entrepreneurship Correspondent, Financial Times.

The judges look at a wide range of criteria; in particular, business success either by increase in sales and unit volume, market research and identification of customer focus, organisational and team building effectiveness, strategic planning, overcoming obstacles and barriers to success, visionary leadership and social and community responsibility.

Additional sponsors include BarterCard, brighter business, BT, NetRegs, Yellow Pages, amen, brother, BPS, eoffice and Business Link.

For further information about Startups Awards 2007 visit www.startupsawards.co.uk or telephone 020 8334 1680

For information on Ladyzone please contact:

Jamie Cartwright on 07852107662 or email jamie.cartwright @ ladyzone.co.uk