| |
Lord Mandelson thanks South West recession busting small businessman |
Secretary of State for Business Lord Mandelson is thanking a recession busting South West small businessman for helping to move the UK economy back into the black.
Lord Mandelson met Simon Phelps, entrepreneur and founder of flood protection company Fluvial Innovations, at a small business reception at Number 10 last night. Simon established Fluvial Innovations in 2006 to commercialise a flood protection system he had developed in his final year at Bournemouth University. Simon has been assisted by several schemes to develop his FLOODSTOP system, which was named the ?Most Innovative Product of 2009? by the Emergency Planning Society.
Lord Mandelson said, “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the British economy and we recognise what an important role they have played in getting the country through the recession. Simon Phelps is an inspiration to his community and a good example of why support from Government was so crucial over the downturn.”
The South West Regional Development Agency provided a grant which enabled Mr Phelps to spend his first year in business focused on research and development. He was also supported by the FlyingStart Global Fellowship, funded by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, to spend six months in the United States in 2006 working with a mentor to further develop his business model. In 2007 he secured £26,000 from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship Follow on Fund to raise awareness of FLOODSTOP.
Simon Phelps said, “I can?t explain how inspirational this experience was. Although I had already received fantastic support from the University and from the Regional Development Agency, I was still very naïve when it came to running my own business.”
“The access I received to key contacts was priceless and my mentor, who was a business entrepreneur in his own right, was so generous and altruistic with his time and insight. Importantly I saw first hand that you don?t have to be a genius to run a successful business ? you just need to be focused and apply common sense.”
Trade, Investment and Small Business Minister Lord Davies said the small business reception at Number 10 was an important opportunity to acknowledge the considerable effort Britain?s 4.8 million small and medium-sized firms have put in to keep their businesses afloat through the recession.
Lord Davies said, “The Government remains committed to standing alongside the business community. We have extended the Real Help for Business Now package to support small firms with their growth plans in the recovery.”
Further information on Fluvial Innovations visit their website www.fluvial-innovations.co.uk.
Return to Current News page
Return to Previous News page