WITH no commercial experience, no family history of enterprise and no money, Deirdre Bounds made an unlikely entrepreneur. All she had in her favour was a great idea, a great deal of passion and a sense of humour.

At the Trinity Mirror Cheshire Business Awards gala dinner at the Chester Crowne Plaza on September 19, Deirdre will be revealing her astonishing triumph over adversity and how she made her business dreams come true.

In creating her own ethical travel company i-to-i.com, Deirdre used her own experiences as a drop out, a stand up comedienne and a wayward backpacker. Her aim was to challenge traditional ideas in the travel industry and dare to be different. After selling the company for millions after 11 years, she is living proof that business and personal success is available to all.

Deirdre also has a commitment to give something back. Through sheer hard work and determination, she has made travel industry history by changing people’s perceptions of the “responsible travel” movement. Her company has assisted in changing the lives of thousands of people and protecting our environment. She is patron of Marie Curie Cancer Care in West Yorkshire, is a regular speaker for the international aid charity World Vision and financially supports charities that aid alcoholics.

Deirdre has appeared extensively on TV and radio and was one of eight entrepreneurs chosen by Channel 4 to spend four weeks in Africa bringing enterprise ideas to a poverty stricken Ugandan village. She has even taken part in the reality TV show Wife Swap, and insists that the story is good even if the memory isn’t.

She has been featured in a plethora of national newspapers and women’s magazines and her story can be found in bookstores after a colourful interview for the How I made it column in The Sunday Times was used in Rachel Bridge’s My Big Idea, a book about entrepreneurial success.

The Cheshire Business Awards gala dinner has become a much-anticipated annual event for firms across the county.

The nine winners of our business titles will be announced at the black- tie event which also provides the ideal opportunity for networking with some of the county’s biggest commercial players.

To book tickets, which cost £65 each, for the event call our events team on 0151 472 2570. For further information visit www.cheshirebusinessawards.co.uk