TWO teens who won a Nottingham Post Student of the Year award are hoping to get financial backing to help their business.
The Derbyshire and Notts Chamber of Commerce is backing the call from Usman Ghaffar and Shamraiz Zaib, who have shown business brains beyond their years to set up Techwin.
The teenagers have produced a series of innovative storybooks and DVDs for young readers, which have proved a big hit in some city schools. But there is one obstacle from them being able to produce the books on a wider scale – money.
They have even written to Prime Minister David Cameron to see if he could help.
They received a reply from his office, saying their case had been passed on to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
But they are yet to hear anything, and now the chamber has joined them to help with their search for backing.
Usman, 15, of Russell Road, Forest Fields, said: "We have produced about 50 of the books and sent them to schools.
"But we want to be able to grow our business and produce many more. To be able to do that, we need some investment from somewhere.
"So far we haven't heard back from the Government on whether they can assist us. Maybe there's someone out there who can put some money in. We really believe it's worth it."
The pair were winners in the skills category at the Post's Student Awards in November.
One of their projects involved a character called Timmy the Tennis Ball and using a computer app and DVD to allow children to watch him in action while reading. The book sees Timmy take a fantasy adventure. It doesn't have an ending, instead challenging readers to come up with their own.
The Djanogly City Academy students came up with the idea after hearing that reading rates among city children were low.
Ian Bates, employability and skills manager at the chamber, said: "Usman and Shamraiz are young entrepreneurs with a lot of potential and they have a fantastic business idea which has unfortunately hit a barrier due to problems in accessing finance.
"The chamber has got behind their project because of the hard work, level of entrepreneurship and the perseverance they have shown to get their business up and running. It should be commended and the skills they have gained through this process will be a great attribute to their future business endeavours or for any prospective future employer.
"However, we would urge and potential investors or mentors to get in touch if they feel they can support Usman and Shamraiz to help them turn their business idea into a reality."
If you think you can help call Marcus Boocock on 0115 905 1952 or e-mail marcus.boocock@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
Do you know of any young entrepreneurs that deserve praise? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
