By Matthew Legg

Last updated at 15:53, Wednesday, 04 March 2009

A Carlisle entrepreneur who tamed the TV Dragons has been nominated for a top business award.

Denise Hutton, owner of Razzamataz Theatre Schools

Denise Hutton-Gosney, who pocketed £50,000 from Scots millionaire Duncan Bannatyne on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, will compete in the Franchise Marketing Awards.

Her Razzamatazz Theatre Schools business will go up against multi-national giants like McDonalds in the Best Overall Marketing Campaign category.

The awards are sponsored by the Daily Mail and supported by the British Franchise Association (bfa) and Business Franchise magazine.

Since Razzamatazz was featured on Dragons’ Den in 2006, the company has trebled its number of theatre schools and secured a lucrative three-year contract with holiday firm TUI to provide ‘stage academies’ in 17 of its overseas resorts.

Mrs Hutton-Gosney said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for this prestige event.

“The bfa promotes ethical franchising and we have been members since we launched the franchise.

“Our marketing material is designed to ensure that parents, pupils and franchisees are able to identify the services on offer and be assured that best practices are delivered.

“If franchising can be described as a ‘business in a box’, we ensure that the packaging of our box and what is inside is up to the highest standards.

‘The guesswork is taken out of what is expected of the franchisees.

“The majority of our principals are performers, not marketing executives.

“We give them the opportunity to concentrate on the elements of the school that they can control – training, teachers, curriculum, health and safety and general well-being of our students. We want to be recognised as having an industry standard for children trained by Razzamatazz.”

Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Marriot Hotel, London, hosted by comedian Ed Byrne.

First published at 11:31, Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk