A tweet for would be entrepreneurs

Oct 1 2009 By Jack Abell, Buckinghamshire Advertiser

A SUCCESSFUL Gerrards Cross businessman is giving young entrepreneurs the chance to pitch ideas to him via a social networking site.

Simon Dolan, who is one of the UK's leading businessmen thanks to the accountancy firm which he established, has come up with the Tweet a Pitch idea, which will give budding entrepreneurs the ability to pitch ideas to him in 140 characters or less on internet phenomenon Twitter.

He will then take the best ideas forward, before making a decision on the company he would most like to invest in, and eventually using his finances and expertise to assist in building the business.

The idea has already been met with enthusiasm in the business world, and has been compared with the idea to BBC television programme Dragons' Den, in which business ideas are put to a panel of experts who decide whether or not to invest in them.

Mr Dolan said: "It is often said that the best ideas can be pitched in 30 seconds or less, which is why I came up with this idea.

"Loans are very hard to come by, and people are looking for new and innovative ways to gain funds for their business ideas.

"We are only just beginning to see the full potential of Twitter as a communication medium, and I think that the Tweet a Pitch concept is the next step forward."

Mr Dolan says he left school at the age of 14 after being told he was too inquisitive, and went to do work experience at an accountancy firm.

After eventually running out of money and credit, he decided to spend his last £10 on placing an advert into a newspaper offering to do small business' end of year accounts.

This company eventually became SJD Accountancy, which is now one of the fastest growing accountancy firms in the UK, with an annual turnover of more than £11m.

If you have a business idea for Mr Dolan, go to www.twitter.com/simondolan.