Alex’s royal recognition!

Alex Beardsley, 27, won a Duke of York Young Entrepreneur of the Year award after being nominated by the University of Bradford.

Alex set up Talk Direct Marketing in 2010 despite being five months pregnant at the time.

She said: “I am so pleased that I have been recognised by the Duke of York. I am proud for both myself and for Yorkshire – we are flying the flag for entrepreneurship!”

Alex said that the hardest part of setting up the business was reassuring clients about her pregnancy.

She said: “I had had a child before, so I knew I could handle pregnancy, but I was more worried about walking into meetings with prospective clients with a massive bump on my tummy!

“But I prepared for the questions and made sure I reassured clients, and they put their trust in me, which I managed to pay off.”

Alex, whose company, based in Beckshaw House, specialises in face-to-face marketing now has ambitions for the business to grow.

She added:“We always have ambitions to have as wide a client base as we can. But I believe that the quality of service we deliver is most important.”