MORE young entrepreneurs are joining a campaign to help people to set up in business or to grow their new firm.

Melissa Whipp, 19, has joined the growing number of entrants to The Journal’s 2011 If We Can, You Can Challenge by entering her business Elizabeth-Jade Events, which organises events for people new to an area to meet up.

When she moved to live in Newcastle in August 2009 at the age of 18, Melissa initially found it quite difficult to make friends.

She said: “I came to the region to take part in the Year in Industry scheme and most of the people I met were business colleagues who were a lot older than me.

“To exacerbate my problem, the vast majority of colleagues on the scheme were male so I didn’t have many people I could relate to.

However, rather than let it get her down, Melissa decided to do something proactive about it and at the same time, help others who might be in the same position.

After the scheme finished, Melissa began attending Newcastle University where she met Natalie Diver who shared her concern for people struggling to make friends in unfamiliar environments.

After striking up a close friendship, Natalie is now also Melissa’s business partner as the pair both set up Elizabeth-Jade Events in January this year.

She added: “The concept for the business was born out of my own experiences in a new city.

“Nowadays the majority of young people will move around the UK to study or for work and it can take many months to really settle in to a new area.

“Our business aims to make this transition easier for people by helping them meet other like-minded individuals with similar interest in non-formal and fun environments.”

The pair said they understood the importance of doing extensive market research before setting up their business. They spoke to many different people in various target markets and subsequently identified a niche area.

Having established a number of valuable contacts and potential collaborations, the young women have already organised their first successful event and have many more planned.

As part of entering the challenge, Melissa joins the If We Can, You Can online community where she can share her experiences and tell her entrepreneurial story with other like-minded business owners.