TWO childhood friends who set up their own business have picked up a national award.

Sean Rollo, 24, and Lee Fitzpatrick, 23, formed Market Prepare just three years ago and have since seen the Eskmills Park-based business go from strength to strength.

Employing a further eight people, Market Prepare is a project management and interior fit-out company, covering the whole of Scotland.

Last Wednesday evening, their success was recognised by The Prince’s Trust Scotland at their annual Growth Fund Awards, where they won the ‘Business Growth’ category at the Glasgow event.

Lee said: “We have been through some real challenging financial strain over the past three years and have had to pivot the direction of the business on several occasions just to survive, while a lot of people told us to give up.

“The Prince’s Trust were the only ones who didn’t do that.

“We have been fighting against the grain to survive and have managed to stay afloat in a challenging market.

“We have now built a strong enough base to grow the business to the national standing that we want it to have.” Having grown the business client by client, Sean and Lee have built up an excellent reputation and achieved a position of growing strength.

Having decided to give their business a go, Lee approached The Prince’s Trust in 2011 for growth funding to buy equipment and introduce an operations management system to the business. Two years later they were back.

The business was growing rapidly and Lee needed support and cash as the larger contracts were eating up cashflow.

There was a huge amount of strain on the business financially and Lee was worried about being able to keep his team employed.

The Prince’s Trust helped the friends source additional funding but it was the support provided by their Prince’s Trust business mentor that proved crucial. The networking events the charity run allowed the young entrepreneurs to meet with other young businesses and share advice and experience with them.

Over the next nine months they grew the team to 10 full time members of staff and have improved efficiency, built and implemented new software in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and streamlined the business model to make the business ready for rapid expansion.

The business is now working towards a turnover of £800,000 in this financial year through tendering for and winning jobs of up to £300,000 alongside regular clientele work improving Market Prepare’s reputation in Scotland as an up-and-coming project management company.

Allan Watt, director of the Prince’s Trust Scotland, congratulated the winners.

He said: “The Prince’s Trust helps over 800 young entrepreneurs start up in business each year. It’s important to recognise their success and I’m delighted to be here to meet with young people like Sean and Lee who have worked tirelessly to grow their business into the successful company it is today.”