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Retail Factor is back!

HAVE YOU GOT THE RETAIL FACTOR?

The Mall Blackburn’s popular Retail Factor competition is back for the eighth year in a row and budding retail businesses in are being given a fantastic opportunity to take their plans to the next level. 

This year’s fabulous prize includes three weeks rent-free space in the shopping centre as well as the chance to enter the national finals to win a cash contribution towards stock and business mentoring from an industry entrepreneur.

Hopefuls need to fill in an application and shortlisted entrants will be invited to a Dragon’s Den style pitch in front of a panel of expert judges on Monday 24th February. 

The Retail Factor is focussed around supporting and nurturing retail start-ups and established small retail businesses in the local community.

Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall Blackburn, said: “The Retail Factor is always very popular here in Lancashire and the quality of entrants impresses us year after year.

“The Mall has always been very supportive of independent businesses and continuously supports entrepreneurship in Lancashire. We are looking forward to meeting this year’s entrants and welcoming the winner.” 

Marlon Wolff, CEO of small business advice hub Ingenious Britain, which is the national partner for the The Retail Factor, says: "The largest numbers of businesses in the retail sector – 83per cent of them - employ less than 10 people; that's nearly a third of the retail workforce and around a fifth of total annual turnover of retail businesses. 

“We know from our own Ingenious Britain online community that there are thousands of innovative and dynamic small retail businesses in the UK and initiatives like The Mall Fund provide a great opportunity for some of those businesses to reach a wider market. That's why we're on board supporting it."

Business interested in applying should fill out a simple application form on themall.co.uk/retailfactor or by completing a printed form available at The Mall Blackburn’s Ask Me Point by 23 February 2014.

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