News -
€25,000 Business Start Up prize won by Kevin O’Carroll’s choral consultancy Business

Waterford’s Kevin O’Carroll was celebrating on Thursday last having become the 1st winner of
"Deise DEN" - Waterford's €25,000 search for a brand new business idea.

Kevin O Carroll was successful with his pitch for a choral consultancy business that hopes to bring some of the 700 choirs in Ireland and many thousands more internationally – into Waterford‐ to be coached by the much in demand Choir Master. This in turn will create revenue in hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and many more businesses in the county.

In the first radio competition of its type in Ireland, people of Waterford were invited to send in their innovative business ideas. The aim of the competition was to promote entrepreneurial flair and encourage people to consider self employment as a real option. The entries received were varied, from engineering to food, children’s gyms to swapping websites. All of whom< were hoping to clinch the €25,000 prize of:

• A business premises, free for one year, at the Waterford City Enterprise Centre valued at
• €10,000
• Accountancy & Advisory services to the value of €5,000 from Price Waterhouse Coopers,
• Waterford
• €5,000 in seed finance from Waterford City Council
• Website design & hosting from Eagle Dreams Web Design, worth €2000
• Ongoing business mentoring from Waterford City Enterprise Board and
• on‐air advertising on WLRfm

The only stipulation for was that it must be a new business idea or invention. Twelve entrepreneurs were chosen from all the applicants and had to pitch their idea on air to the "Deise DEN" Judges who include leaders in local business community, Martin Freyne – Partner Price WaterHouseCoopers; Waterford City Cllr and incoming Mayor, Mary Roche; Noel Frisby of Noel Frisby Construction and Cian Foley of Up the Deise Enterprises. The Judges were impressed with the potential of all twelve competitors and urged them all to progress their business ideas and avail of the services from the business support agencies.

Winner Kevin O Carroll said he was shocked but delighted to claim the prize from so many other great business ideas and looked forward to getting started in making his choral consultancy a reality.

The final took place on Thursday 27th May with WLRfm’s midmorning show‐ Deise AM being broadcast live in it’s entirety from the Granary Auditorium, Merchants’ Quay. The 3 entrepreneurs that made it through to the final were:

Kevin O'Carroll – well known Choral Director with a background in banking and finance with his KOC Music Company.

Darrach Cawley – with his website Bundlebee.ie a website that allows businesses to bundle special offers together for consumers

Jonathan Shaw – Fantasy Gaelic Sports. Jonathan hopes to tap into the massive gaelic sports fanbase with his Fantasy team management website which is already up and running.

The two runner‐ups, Darrach and Jonathan received €500 vouchers for Business mentoring or training from Waterford City Enterprise Board and support from Price Waterhouse Coopers.

For more information on Business Start Ups in Waterford contact Waterford City Enterprise Board 051 85288

For more information on Deise DEN contact Bríd Kirby, Business Support Unit, Waterford City Council 051 849766.