LONDON-BORN British-Bangladeshi business owner Haroon Danis has been named the first North West Fashion and Beauty Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 – and been congratulated by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
Danis studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and founded his skincare company – “Skin HQ” – five years ago. Company clinics, situated throughout the UK, offer non-surgical treatments for a diverse range of skins conditions. Danis didn’t put his head in his hands when lockdown came: he used the downtime to expand in other countries, and he is granting franchises across the world. It is this risk taking that Sunak commended, saying, “Coronavirus hasn’t stifled enterprise. Entrepreneurs are creasing new businesses and adapting to the crisis, as seen in this year’s entries. And that’s what we need to happen if we want our economy to bounce back.”
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by Starling Bank, were handed out at a virtual ceremony attended by over 1,500 guests. Awards founder Francesca James said, “Against the backdrop of 2020 and all the challenges it has posed, entrepreneurs have proved that they flourish in adversity. We all know what a difficult year it has been, and that makes it all the more important to recognise the incredible things that entrepreneurs have been able to achieve this year.”
Haroon said: “Business can be more than take-aways and taxis. When my grandfather first came to the UK he set up business in the textiles industry, he then became one of the first people to open an Indian restaurant in the UK, he knew that you needed to take risks. I am the only person of British Bangladeshi descent that I know of in the UK currently managing a skincare company, and yet emerging markets are opening up all over the world and if young people possess the drive and foresight to try – they will crack them.”
●For more information about the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, go to:Entrepreneur Awards
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