Ashley De Banks
Millie Homewood recently celebrated 10 years of Millie Rose Hair and Beauty – Credit: Stories by Chloe Photography
The Suffolk Business Awards 2022 are in full swing and the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by Cory Brothers, looks to shine a light on some of the incredible young business people in our region. Here we meet this year’s finalists.
Ellis Heighes' company Queue Technology created the Virtual High Street platform during lockdown – Credit: Queue Technology Ltd
Ellis Heighes is the founder of Queue Technology, a software development company based in Bury St Edmunds.
The business’ dedicated and growing team of nine develops a range of innovative software solutions including direct-to-consumer payment solution Queue Pay, and Queue Link, which helps clients quickly create mobile web apps.
In response to the pandemic, Queue Technology also developed The Virtual High Street in collaboration with Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Council. This allows users to shop with local businesses online, and has since been sold to several other councils across the country.
The judges were impressed by Ellis’ creativity and ambition and said that he and his team have “created a useful platform that helped support small high street businesses during the pandemic,” making them accessible during an incredibly difficult period when physical stores were closed.
Ricardo Markin is the founder of media company Greyhound Creative – Credit: Kyle O ‘Donnell
Greyhound Creative was set up in April 2020, while founder Ricardo Markin was still at university.
Based in Woodbridge, it produces video content and photography for many different sectors, and has produced work for clients including Ed Sheeran, the British Film Institute, Penguin Books and various refugee and community projects.
The business now consistently subcontracts creative and administrative work to freelancers and trains local undergraduates, it aims to continue expanding its services with a new website development offering launching soon.
By setting up his own business while still in education, the judges said Ricardo showed “discipline, courage and true ambition.”
They said that the number of high-profile projects he has worked on is “testament to the quality of his work” and the creativity shown in Greyhound’s projects has helped to set the business apart.
At 19 years old, Millie Homewood opened Millie Rose Salon, a luxury salon in Lowestoft. The business recently celebrated its 10th birthday, and earlier this year Millie opened The Daily Glow, an advanced skin treatment clinic.
Millie Rose Salon aims to cater to all of people’s beauty needs under one roof with a range of treatments available. Millie spends most of her time carrying out micro-pigmentation treatments and teaching others the skills and knowledge to start their own career in the beauty industry.
The judges called Millie “a highly impressive individual, who is both driven and passionate about what they do,” her engagement with staff, investment in future growth and opportunities and willingness to adapt where appropriate were highly commended and the judges felt that she was “an inspiration to other women.”
Jake Slinn has been in the waste and recycling industry since he was 16 years old – Credit: Holly Cato
Jake Slinn started Ipswich business JS Global Group at the age of 19, having been in the waste and recycling industry since he was 16 years old.
The business provides cargo and freight salvage, destruction, recycling and disposal services across the UK, and also offers a stock buying service.
Jake appeared in a BBC documentary series earlier this year, where he spoke about his struggles at school and his journey to become a successful entrepreneur, and visited Suffolk New College in 2022 to share his experiences with local students.
The judges said that Jake showed a “clear understanding of the marketplace” and presented them with structured ideas to continue JS Global Group’s “impressive growth”. They added that his desire to inspire others who, like him, are not academically-minded is “commendable.”
Suffolk Live News | Updated
Johnny Amos
Johnny Amos
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