Disabled entrepreneur’s £30k Stelios Awards joy
A FAREHAM man who was born with spina bifida has been awarded the first prize in the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs which is £30,000.
Joe Waggott, 52, started out 14 years ago with only £35 to his name after fleeing Zimbabwe,duetopoliticalturmoil in 2005.
He now owns a successful global business that offers metal polishing supplies and has a turnover of £350,000 and he even has clients as big as former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich who wanted a metal polishing kit for his yacht.
Heimpressedthejudgesso much that he won against 51 otherdisabledentrepreneurs who were all gunning for the first prize.
Joe said: ‘It is a great accoladeandagreatopportunityto develop the business.’
The competition, which is run by EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s Philanthropic Foundation in conjunction with Leonard Cheshire, recognises people withdisabilitiesthatruntheir own business and the prize money is to be used to invest in the business.
The entrepreneur is going to use the money to increase the marketing, PR and produce 'how to’ videos for his consumers. He also wants to start up his own range of power tools.
Joe’s condition means that he is only partially mobile, so when he needs bed rest, he continues to work from his bed.
The entrepreneur said: ‘As well as developing my businessfurtherIwanttochampiondisabledpeopleinbusiness and I hope to offer mentoring to those who are looking to startuptheirowncompanies.’
This is the first time in three years that the competition has taken place due to the pandemic, but since it launched in 2007, over £1.2m prize money has been handed over to winners. Sir Stelios said: ‘I am delighted that we have found three very worthy winnerswhohaveproventhat thebestwayforadisabledperson to earn a good living is to start their own business.’
Leonard Cheshire chief executive Ruth Owen said: ‘There were really strong entries this year, with a huge amount of talent out there.
‘It’sbrillianttoseesuchfantastic businesses from disabled entrepreneurs, showing what we’ve known for a long time.’