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Wednesday 30 August 2006

Entrepreneur plans new look business directory

Rogue traders could soon become a thing of the past thanks to a 16-year-old entrepreneur who is planning to create the first local business directory to include customer feedback. Irena Kassner is in the final throes of developing her Where’s? directory, after becoming the youngest person ever to pass through Nottingham Trent University’s business incubation unit, The Hive.

Irena came up with the idea after hearing horror stories about people’s bad experiences after using traders they knew little or nothing about. Where’s? will include snippets of information from satisfied customers stating the level of service they received from companies and to what extent they would recommend using them.

It will be an A5-size free monthly publication, initially focusing on businesses in the Sutton-in-Ashfield area, where Irena is from. Copies will be delivered to homes in the area and there are plans to create a website to run alongside the publication.

Irena gained vital advice and expertise at Nottingham Trent University’s Hive@Mansfield, where she completed its HeadStart programme, especially created to provide help and support to entrepreneurs. The Hive@Mansfield, opened by designer Wayne Hemingway earlier this year, is a development of the university’s award-winning Hive, located on its City Campus. The Hive has helped more than 150 entrepreneurs over the last four years.

The latest facility is based in the Mansfield i-centre and offers everything needed for start-ups, including hot desks, networking areas, meeting rooms, computing equipment with internet access and administration support.

Irena said: “The Hive@Mansfield has helped me to put my business plan in place and given me the necessary skills to help make the Where’s? directory a reality. The advice I received there was invaluable and my confidence in my own ability has increased substantially. The help, support and encouragement I received simply can’t be measured.”

Her father, Stephan Kassner, said: “I wish this course had been around when I wanted to prepare my business plans. Irena was so enthusiastic each time she came home from the course and she couldn’t wait for the next session. It helped her get to grips with all the business jargon and helped her understand the maths involved, which she was very apprehensive about at first.”

The Hive Outreach Project Manager, Dr Michael Huxley, said: “Irena has shown that you don’t have to be experienced to start a new business. There has been a tremendous change in her confidence through the programme. We expect a lot from participants but we provide the training, advice, resources and support to enable them to achieve much more than they thought possible.”

He added: “We use the KISS principle – keep it simple – by focusing on the basics to understand the business and its customers fully. Irena now knows what she must do to succeed – and we have every expectation that she will.”

The first publication of Where’s? is planned for October.