Competition to find “the UK’s next great entrepreneur” launched in partnership with TikTok

London, UK - 10 March 2021

A new competition to discover the UK's next great entrepreneur launched today. Taking place on the hugely popular short-form mobile video and social media platform, TikTok, the competition is designed to give entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their ideas and get the support they need to make their entrepreneurial ambitions come true.

To enter the competition, applicants must record and share a 30 to 60-second video elevator pitch about their new business idea or existing small business, posting it on TikTok with the hashtag #BeYourOwnBoss between Friday 28th May and Sunday 30th of June 2021. 10 finalists will then be chosen by the judges to present their idea in more detail to the panel during a live-streamed TikTok finale. Applicants must be living in the UK and be aged 18 or over.

The winner will receive mentoring sessions from the high-profile judges, marketing support for their business from TikTok and The Purposeful Project, financial management tools and a year of expert business support from accounting software provider, Intuit QuickBooks, as well as a cash prize of £5000 to accelerate their business.

The full list of judges is:

• Adam Kamani - CEO and co-founder of MoveStreets property portal app. Adam is an award-winning property entrepreneur, start-up investor, mentor and is also CEO of Kamani Property Group and KM Capital.

• Alex Depledge - CEO and co-founder of Resi.co.uk, the online architectural platform.

• Andrew Bloch - Founder of Andrew Bloch & Associates, a boutique consultancy specialising in the communications and marketing industry. Andrew co-founded PR agency Frank.

• Bejay Mulenga - Award-winning entrepreneur. At 20 years old he was the youngest person to receive Her Majesty the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2016.

• Ben Francis – Founder of Gymshark.

• Jess Butcher MBE - Technology entrepreneur, angel investor and business advisor. Co-founder and CMO of Blippar.  

• Justine Roberts CBE - The Founder and CEO of Mumsnet.

• Lisa Friedrich - Head of SMB, EU at TikTok.

• Mark Tilbury - A businessman and finance and investment influencer.

• Max Klymenko - Creative director of the Gen Z social impact agency klym&co, and a social media edutainer with over 2 million followers and 1 billion views on TikTok.

• Simon Squibb - Chief Purpose Officer at The Purposeful Project, entrepreneur, angel investor, mentor, podcast host.

• Suli Breaks - An opinionated, expressive wordsmith, and spoken word poet.  

TikTok is home to thousands of small businesses, entrepreneurs and side-hustlers who share their success stories, and tips and tricks to building a business with TikTok's growing SME community through engaging 15 second videos. To date, there has been over 26.1 billion views of #SmallBusiness, and over 11 billion views of #Entrepreneur in-app, with many using the #LearnOnTikTok hashtag to share relevant educational content about how to build a brand.

The competition is the brainchild of Simon Squibb, whose platform The Purposeful Project is designed to help 10 million people start and grow their own businesses, as well as teach entrepreneurship for free. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant for many either the loss of their job or, in many cases, the lack of job options. Recent UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) data highlighted that over 800,000 people have lost their job since March 2020 because of COVID, while furlough is yet to end. Meanwhile, as the economy rebuilds, new technologies such as AI and driverless cars are expected to impact jobs and the future of work. This new competition is one of the latest initiatives launched by The Purposeful Project to inspire people to consider entrepreneurship as a viable path in the wake of a challenging economic environment and future jobs market.

Simon Squibb, who is the driving force behind the competition, went from being homeless in the UK at age 15, to multi-millionaire by the age of 30 having started 18 companies, investing in more than 60 startups and mentoring hundreds of business founders, most recently selling an award-winning branding and digital agency, Fluid, to PwC. He is one of the most popular UK educators and advocates of entrepreneurialism on TikTok in the UK, with more than a quarter of a million followers.

Simon had this to say about the competition: "COVID-19 has left a 'lost generation' of unemployed young people in its wake, yet there is a solution: Don't wait for a job, create one for yourself! I believe anyone can learn how to start and run a business – but you need to break free from the system that teaches you a job is safe and being an entrepreneur is risky, it's the opposite. With the right mindset, training, tools and confidence anyone can be an entrepreneur. TikTok is an incredible place to reach a new generation of entrepreneurs who don’t consume traditional media and who otherwise would not see this opportunity.

With the #BeYourOwnBoss competition we're encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs to seize the moment and share their brilliant business idea so it can grow wings. What better place to do that than on TikTok, where there's already a thriving community of creative young people sharing new ideas."

Recent UK ONS figures reveal that almost two-thirds of people who lost their jobs because of the pandemic are under 25 and that, of all the 16- to 24-year-olds who are currently unemployed, 74% have been unemployed for at least six months. On top of this, a recent UK National Youth Agency report claims that without a fundamental change in how young people are being supported, far too many will continue to be left behind.

Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “How many of us have been struck out of the blue with a brilliant business idea? We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a company. That’s why I’m backing the #BeYourOwnBoss competition, which seeks to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to make their dreams a reality.

To ensure we can build back better from the pandemic, the Government is aiding budding entrepreneurs with an unprecedented package of support for businesses of all sizes, Start Up Loans and a Help to Grow programme to support small businesses to learn new skills, reach new customers and boost profits.”

Ben Francis, Founder of Gymshark: “I am super excited to be a part of The Purposeful Project and TikTok competition. It is so important that young people are encouraged to start new businesses and, as it's been such an uncertain 18 months that we wanted to give a little something back. I cannot wait to see your business pitches and good luck!"

George Nikolaou, Community and Events Manager TikTok:

"TikTok is a platform full of creativity, talent and diverse thinking, from eco-warrior entrepreneurs reaching new audiences to artists who have been able to kick start their career through TikTok. TikTok it is a community where originality can truly flourish so we are really excited to be partnering with Simon Squibb and The Purposeful Project to uncover the next great entrepreneur on the platform. This will not only offer a unique opportunity to one of our creators but will also help to inspire a whole new wave of entrepreneurial thinkers on TikTok and beyond."

Chris Evans, Vice President and UK Country Manager at Intuit QuickBooks, says:

“We’re a nation of entrepreneurs and they are the absolute backbone of our economy. Even through a pandemic, the entrepreneurial spirit stood strong and we’ve seen resilience and innovation everywhere we’ve looked. That includes innovative digital platforms such as TikTok, which give entrepreneurs a great platform for their ideas as well as enabling them to run and grow their business like never before. At QuickBooks, we are committed to helping small businesses succeed and prosper, so we are delighted to be a part of the #BeYourOwnBoss campaign and excited to play a role in supporting the 2021 winner in helping their business take flight! Initiatives like this are vital in sustaining the UK’s brilliant start-up culture, and after a difficult year we must continue to focus on supporting the small businesses that play such an important role in our economy. We wish all those that enter the best of luck, both with the competition and with their business ideas.”

For more information on the competition visit www.purposefulproject.com.

Sources

About Simon Squibb

Simon Squibb is an entrepreneur, angel investor, mentor, podcast host, founder and Chief Purpose Officer at The Purposeful Project. He has started 19 companies, invested in over 60+ startups and has mentored hundreds of founders. Having sold his last company, an award-winning branding and digital agency, Fluid, to PwC. Simon now focuses on inspiring, motivating and guiding both budding and experienced entrepreneurs by sharing his personal experiences, insights, ideas, and tips. www.simonsquibb.com

About The Purposeful Project

The world's only media platform aimed at helping entrepreneurs for free. The purpose of the platform is to help people start & scale a business, and never feel alone. www.purposefulproject.com

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

About the Judges

Adam Kamani - CEO and co-founder of MoveStreets property portal app. MoveStreets is fast, easy, and informative, and provides a fun and seamless approach to buying for property online – all with the swipe of a finger. Adam is an award-winning property entrepreneur, start-up investor, mentor and is also CEO of Kamani Property Group and KM Capital.

Alex Depledge - CEO and co-founder of Resi.co.uk, the online architectural platform which makes it faster, easier and cheaper to renovate, extend, or convert – helping UK homeowners discover the science of a happy home.

Andrew Bloch - Founder of Andrew Bloch & Associates, a boutique consultancy specialising mainly in the communications and marketing industry. Andrew co-founded Frank, one of the UK’s most respected PR agencies. Frank has represented some of the nation’s best-known brands and is one of the industry’s most decorated agencies, responsible for some of its most famous campaigns. Andrew has acted as official spokesperson and PR advisor to Lord Sugar for over 20 years and has handled the PR for all The Apprentice winners and their companies since the show started in 2005.

Bejay Mulenga - An award-winning entrepreneur. At 20 years old he was the youngest person to receive Her Majesty the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2016. Bejay founded Supa Tuck at 14 years old, a franchise of student-run tuck shops in schools and has gone on to consult and work for brands such as Sony Music, Uber, Coca-Cola, Facebook, River Island, and Nike.

Ben Francis - The founder and majority shareholder of Gymshark, a fitness apparel and accessories brand headquartered in Solihull, England. Francis has been Gymshark's chief marketing officer since 2018.

Jess Butcher MBE - Technology entrepreneur, angel investor and business advisor. Co-founder and CMO of Blippar.

Justine Roberts CBE - The Founder and CEO of Mumsnet, one of the UK’s largest and most influential online communities sharing advice, support and product recommendations with over 7 million unique users per month.

Lisa Friedrich - Head of SMB, EU at TikTok. Senior leader with marketing, sales and management experience fuelled by a passion for analytics. Proven results in building teams, refining operations, and driving revenue as well as architecting, managing, and tracking growth initiatives for Fortune 500 companies and startups of all sizes.

Mark Tilbury - A businessman and influencer who runs multiple 7 figure companies and has amassed over 6.4 million followers by sharing his views on wealth creation. He believes anyone can improve their life by thinking like an investor and entrepreneur.

Max Klymenko - Creative director of the Gen Z social impact agency klym&co, and a social media edutainer with over 2 million followers and 1 billion views on TikTok. His videos are about careers, motivation, business, and psychology, occasionally featuring his cat. Max moved to the UK from Ukraine and he has four university degrees in law, economics, business and sociology. Prior to starting his business, Max worked at the corporate consultancy firm Accenture, shaping the firm’s thought leadership at the intersection of technology, economics, and geopolitics. 

Simon Squibb - Chief Purpose Officer at The Purposeful Project. An entrepreneur, angel investor, mentor, podcast host, founder and Chief Purpose Officer at The Purposeful Project. He has started 17 companies, invested in over 60+ startups and has mentored hundreds of founders.

Suli Breaks - An opinionated, expressive wordsmith, the artform embraced him while pursuing his Law degree in University. Suli Breaks has been praised for making spoken word and poetry more accessible to the new generation due to his blunt, street-level aesthetic and approach. Suli Breaks gained broader appeal via the Why I Hate School but Love Education that went viral in 2012, garnering 10 million views. This propelled his career, cultivating a solid online presence for Suli's work.

Help to Grow programme

The Government’s new Help to Grow: Management programme offers the chance for small business owners to take their business to the next level through a practical management training programme. For more information and to register your interest, please visit: www.gov.uk/helptogrow

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