PRIME Initiative

Alistair Owens, 58, from Doncaster, is the overall winer of Intel’s Profit@50 competition for people who have set up in business after the age of 50. He wins £8,000 from Intel for his business Keen2Learn, along with an up-to-the-minute laptop and mentoring from Yo! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe.

The website (www.keen2learn.co.uk) makes it easier for parents to help their children achieve success by giving them access to the same kinds of educational teaching resources used in today’s schools.

The two runners up are Hugo Rose from Colchester in Essex and and Sally Walton from St. Leonard’s-on-Sea in Sussex.

The judges were impressed with 53-year-old Mr Rose’s web-based parcel-minding business. Established last year, MyParcel (www.myparcel.co.uk) has been designed to facilitate the rapidly-growing online shopping sector by building up a network of drop-off points to eliminate the problem of undeliverable parcels - in other words parcels delivered when the customer is out and unable to receive them. With this venture, Mr Rose is putting his 20 years of experience in the wine and mail-order businesses to excellent use.

The judges also liked 55-year-old Sally Walton’s ecological design business. Established in May this year, carry-A-bag (www.carry-a-bag.com) offers a stylish alternative to the re-usable shopping bag – made from a combination of organic Fairtrade calico, mattress ticking and recycled curtains. With this venture, Mrs Walton is putting her past training in graphic design to excellent use.

“Now that my four grown-up children have all left the nest, I have time to devote to my own business”, said Sally. “I would advise anyone with the inclination to just go for it.”

When overall winner Alistaire Owens came up with the idea for an online business selling educational products he decided to quit his job in marketing to make his dream a reality. Although he was confident enough in his idea to quit his job, he says it did take “a lot of resolve”.

He persuaded his son Stuart, 27, to also come on board and the two set up www.Keen2Learn.co.uk in 2005. Mr Owens, who has 20 years of experience in marketing, said the business has given him a whole new lease of life. “I love the total immersion it allows, not to mention the feeling that you’re your own boss”, he said.

Intel director Tristan Wilkinson said “At a time when age discrimination in the workplace is at the forefront of the employment agenda, Mr Owens is a shining example to other potential over 50s entrepreneurs that setting up your own business can be a very viable option.”

Simon Woodroffe, head of the Profit@50 judging panel, agrees. “Alistair Owens is a fantastic example to other potential 50-plus entrepreneurs out there. People like him should be encouraged to achieve all they can.” Simon went on to say that he had never met anyone - even those whose businesses had failed, regret taking the risk.