THE entrepreneur who built his children’s luggage company into one of the most successful UK businesses of its type, despite being rejected for Dragons’ Den investment, has urged North-East entrepreneurs not to be dissuaded by setbacks.

Rob Law’s business Trunki was rejected for investment by all five Dragons on the BBC show two years ago but, since then, he has built up the venture into a global success.

Trunki – which makes luggage with wheels, which young children can ride on – is now a thriving internetbased business worth more than £2m and sells one of its creations every 3.5 minutes.

Mr Law, one of the backers of the third If We Can, You Can challenge, to be launched next week, said that despite such a significant and public knockback on Dragons’ Den, the confidence he had in his product helped to ensure eventual success.

And he urged other wouldbe business people not to be floored by setbacks, and said having faith in the strength of your business will pay dividends.

“If I had given up when the Dragons didn’t endorse Trunki, I would never have seen it develop into such a successful brand,” he said.

“It’s important that new business owners know the power of determination, to always believe in what they are doing and carry on, even when discouraged by others.”

Mr Law is backing the If We Can, You Can challenge, run by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and supported by The Northern Echo, which seeks to find some of the most outstanding growing businesses, and the entrepreneurs behind them, which can help the region regain the can-do culture for which it was once famed the world over.

Mr Law said: “I’m delighted to be taking part in the challenge.

Nurturing the future generation of entrepreneurs is vital for the future of Britain’s economy.

“I hope entrepreneurs will show they are fired up with the ambition of starting their own business. We could all benefit from the products or services they may develop and the boost their business injects into the economy.”

Carole Beverley, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “It’s great to have Rob on board helping us promote the campaign this year.

“We hope that prospective entrants will be inspired by his story and enter the challenge themselves.

“The If We Can, You Can challenge is about inspiration and engagement – finding out how others, like Rob, have overcome challenges along the way to achieve success and then benefiting from their advice.”