Talented business finalists making their mark

LEADING entrepreneurs in the North grew sales by 19 per cent year on year, according to a survey by Ernst & Young, based on responses from its Entrepreneur of the Year finalists.

The findings, released today, also show that entrepreneurs across Yorkshire, the North West, and North East, achieved 24 per cent employment growth at their companies in two years. The number of jobs created by the 55 finalists rose from 8,956 to 11,129 between 2009 and 2011.

Seventeen Yorkshire entrepreneurs will compete with 38 others for the title Ernst & Young’s Overall North Entrepreneur of the Year at an awards dinner tomorrow night at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

According to the survey, in Scotland, entrepreneurs doubled their staff, while in London and the South head count rose by 43 per cent; the North by 24 per cent; and the Midlands by eight per cent.

Despite this, 22 per cent of entrepreneurs said a key challenge is not being able to recruit skilled employees.