CONFIDENCE has been key to a former Northern Rock training manager setting up and growing her business - and now Kate Shahid is hoping her determination will take her to the final of a search for the region's most promising entrepreneur.

Shahid launched her online training company, Inspired People Development, last summer and can already count the North East Ambulance Service (NHS Foundation Trust) among her clients.

The Newcastle business provides bespoke training courses, filling a gap in the market, she says, for high-quality, accredited training, for which the company has gained support from a local awarding body (NCFE).

She is the latest entrepreneur to put herself forward for The Journal’s If We Can, You Can Challenge 2012, run by The Entrepreneurs’ Forum.

The competition is open to anyone thinking of starting a business, running their own company or expanding an existing enterprise. Supported by Eversheds, PwC and Yorkshire Bank, the prize is a package of support provided by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and its partners tailored to the winner’s business aims and ambitions.

As well as gaining increased profile and receiving on-going advice and support, the challenge winner will be invited to the forum’s annual business conference and awards dinner on May 17 and autumn conference on November 8 when they will have access to some of the country’s most successful business leaders.

Shahid has worked in training and development for eight years and first tried to start her own business after taking voluntary redundancy from Northern Rock in 2008.

“I always had aspirations of setting up my own training consultancy. At the time I lacked confidence and had very few contacts so I lost my nerve and decided to take up a job as a trainer for a local NVQ training provider,” she said.