We have MOVED!

To all our fellow followers, thank you for your support!

We are still here busy writing and updating the blog, but our blog site has moved!

If you would like to read about our up and downs with setting up the BEEcycling recycling business click the following link to find us:

www.beecycle.co.uk/blog

Or visit our webpage!

www.BEEcycle.co.uk

Kenneth

Publicity, Telegraph and Pitch 2009!

It has been a while again since I have updated this blog... when there is so much going on I keep procrastinating on having to log on and attach pictures and links etc... I actually have a lot of material in the pipeline to write about.. but the problem is taking the time to write it! Good thing is that I won't need to worry about having a writers mental block for a while!

It has been exciting for BEEcycle recently. For one I had been featured in the Telegraph, a UK national newspaper. I met the journalist Widget Finn in the Make Your Mark competition a while back. We managed to stay in touch and she thought my story was interesting enough to get itself onto the business section of the news paper. So here's a link to the online version of the article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/startingout/5588264/Beecycle-recycling-for-profit-and-pleasure.html

I was also featured in a newspaper called 'Positive News', a global network which finds and publicizes news about people or companies making a positive impact to the world:

http://www.positivenews.org.uk/artman/publish/article_2327.shtml

Last but not least, I won a regional competition called Pitch 2009. I was required to pitch to a panel of judges in a Dragon's Den format, was grilled for 10 minutes, and then came out to represent the North UK in the finals! The final won't be until November 2009 so I have plenty of time to prepare. Hopefully by that time I will have more in my business to talk about to win the £50,000 worth of prizes! ;)


News here:

Sustainabilitylive exhibition

This week I went to the sustainabilitylive exhibition which exhibits companies and new technologies in the forefront of environmental technologies. The exhibition was divided into five different sections: Water and sewage sustainability, Environmental technologies, Brownfield/land remediation, Energy management and sustainable business.

There were talks on innovative ways companies and organization reduce energy costs and how to become more carbon neutral. There were stands exhibiting technologies ranging on Anaerobic digestion, water filtration and biological land remediation to wind energy and robotic jelly fish.






Cool Robotic Jelly fish in a fish tank. I asked what it was used for and was expecting an answer along the lines of a groundbreaking world changing state of the art technology for turning seawater into drinkable water or something. It turns out it only floats up and down and was only there to attract delegates and prove that they are able to handle on the manufacture of innovative machinery. It did serve its purpose in attracting attention though.

There was also a competiton a 'Drilling and Tapping' competition for the water industry where contestants were timed to be the fastest in creating a hole in the water filled water-pipe and connecting it to another machinery. As well as being timed for being the fastest they were penalized for the amount of water they lose during the process. It was definitely interesting and whats more, I was quite surprised to see how many female contestants there were!

Lancashire Business viewpoint Live event

Yesterday Lancashire Business View Magazine held a business network dinner/forum event. Panelists were invited to be asked about business and political issues regarding the Lancashire area. The panelists included Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the North West Development Agency, Edwin Booth who founded UK's largest online wine retailing industry, Sir Bill Taylor chairman of Blackburn College, Paul Fletcher; developer of football arenas, Peter Butterfield the editor of the Lancashire Business View and last but not least Imran Hakin; founder of iteddy as featured on BBC dragons den.

After the event I had a brief chat with Imran about his iteddy and how it came into fruitation since the route of our OvO should be quite similar. I later learnt that he has established a fund called rainmakers which focuses on helping young start ups get off the ground!

Over all it was a very inspiring chat as his road is quite similar to how I would like to walk mine. Business is not just about money, but more about enjoying the process, helping people around you along the way. I am really encouraged that he has this same viewpoint and even more impressed with what he is doing to help start ups.

Hopefully I will be able to meet up again with him soon and have a deeper chat!

More Radio

After the competition, despite not winning, there were quite a few radio stations who were quite interested in BEEcycle's products and in what we do. I was invited on to the panel of Sally Nadens Radio show, BBC lancashire. During the show, I met anothe guest called Linda who is a gardener/ garden designer. We had a good chat about composting and gardening and gave her some leaflets for her to distribute to help publicize my company.

Radio Presenter Sally Naden

Now that things have settled back in, it has been busy. Right now, trying to get this HTML newsletter sorted. Please do subscribe to our newsletter once it is done! It will include details of what is happening in the company as well as interesting facts about recycling and especially food waste recycling around the world! You will be notified when it is ready for subscription!

Meeting my Darling

So the Make Your Mark Competition ended... and the results?!

Unfortunately I didn't win. However the competition was intense and the winners truly deserved their prize of first place. The one who won in my category of social and community was Kerry Kolbe from Signal Films, which helps young people pursue their dream of film making where they wouldn't be able to do so otherwise. Truly inspirational for helping create better lives in young people!


The competition was held in the swanky Institute of Directors, London

The person who won the 'Peoples vote' award was Dean Rhodes-Brandon who had set up 'Your Local Cinema' which provides subtitles and sign languages in cinemas nationwide for people with hearing disabilities. This really deserved its vote for making this world a better place. I have got a lot to learn from these people about serving and meeting the needs of the community and society. Thanks for everyone's vote for me! So sorry to disappoint!

Although I didn't win, I took a lot from the whole event. I did alot of networking with the people there and with other contestants. It was really interesting to see all these new ideas coming from different young entrepreneurs in the UK. Interesting, and VERY encouraging. I got linked up with a very innovative company who can make promotional models out of compost! This could be something for promotion in the future? There were alot of people from the press there as well (not surprised as the competition was sponsored by dailymail), and the good thing was that they were not only interested in the winners but the other great ideas as well. There were at least 2 journalists/radio broadcasters who were interested in writing about me and interviewing me, so fingers crossed for more free publicity?

The highlight of the day really boils down to the following pictures:



Receives my card (with interest?) A good chat about my business (and how to save the economy?)

Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was there to announce the awards. It was a pleasure to meet him and even better when he said 'Ahh I have read about you, your business is very interesting' as he received my card.

I just wonder what he has done to my card at the moment. Handed over to the Prime Minister? Or more likely in the bin.. I just hope he at least throws it in the recycle bin!

Interviewed by the BBC and being in Make Your Mark Competition

Sorry it has been a while since I have update my blog. I have been trying to do an update at least once every 2 weeks (ultimately once a week!) but have been swamped with work. I am getting back it though! I had just came back from a business trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong but will mention that in a later post!
So I have been nominated into the finals of the daily mail Make your mark competition. It is a national competition, and although the winner only gets £1000, it is the publicity and the great feeling of getting recognized which would really matter here. Competitions are always fun. As a matter of fact, because of this competition I have been interviewed by the BBC radio Lancashire. You can listen to the full interview by clicking on the icon below!

One final thing is.... there is a separate part to the competition called the 'People's Vote', and I would greatly appreciate your help! If you like what I am doing and support me and my business I would love you to VOTE for me here. What will happen is on the day they will announce the winner of the 'People's vote' category! Not sure what we get for it, but its the fun that counts, and knowing that you all love me and my worms. ;)