Lingerie entrepreneur wins support from Dragons' Den star (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lingerie entrepreneur wins support from Dragons' Den star

3:22pm Monday 4th June 2012 in Business

AN entrepreneur who runs her own lingerie business has received some top exposure from Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis.

Despite being blind in one eye, Vivienne Robinson started her own online business, Sexy Curves Plus More, in January.

Vivienne, 46, took part in a weekly Twitter competition run by the millionaire Dragon, called Small Business Sunday, and was selected as one of the six winners.

The high profile backing is now making her rethink her business which she runs from home. She said: “I am now going to look at whether it’s worth opening a small boutique. To have his backing has made me revisit my business plan and what my next move should be.

“It’s life-changing. It’s the equivalent of getting on Dragons' Den in terms of exposure.”

Every Sunday business owners are invited to tweet the dragon and six lucky businesses are selected as winners and backed by Theo.

Vivienne said he chose her tweet and she will now get to meet him at an annual awards event in London next year.

“I didn’t think he would notice a little business like mine. It will open a lot of doors for me.

“Theo has got about 2.5 million followers and he has around a million people tweeting him each week. To get recognised by him is a major thing and a huge boost for my business.

“He started to notice me a couple of months ago because I was getting the odd comment from him and now he has selected me as a winner.”

Vivienne worked in recruitment and ecommerce for a number of years but was advised to stop by her GP when she became blind in one eye.

“Due to my failing eye sight I was starting to make mistakes. Instead of giving up work I started my own business.

“I build all my own websites but I use big screens and large fonts and it takes me a long time but I am proud of what I have achieved,” she added.