24 November 2016
A Global Entrepreneurship Week thank-you. You made our week!
Thank you to all who attended an amazing week of events making Global Entrepreneurship Week 2016 such a great success.
We look back on the British Library’s Global Entrepreneurship Week 2016 campaign, kindly supported by Microsoft.
For the Business & IP Centre team, 2016 has been a year of celebration. This is the 10th year that we’ve been helping people from all walks of life to start, protect and grow successful businesses. Since launching in 2006, we’ve been able to connect with bigger and broader audiences each year, and now with an expanding network of Business & IP Centres across the country it’s never been easier to get the help you need to take your business idea to the next stage.
We started the week bright and early on Monday morning, by hosting the official launch of the UK Global Entrepreneurship Week campaign and went on to deliver a jam-packed week of inspiration, insider tips, networking and knowledge-sharing. Here are just some of the highlights:
Question Time for Entrepreneurs
If you’ve got questions, then we’ve got the answers! Our popular Question Time for Entrepreneurs event brought together some of the UK’s brightest business brains including Edwina Dunn, co-founder of DunnHumby, Simon Devonshire OBE, founder of Wayra and Government’s Entrepreneur in Residence, as well as Helen Pattison, co-founder of Montezuma's chocolates and Lesley Batchelor from the Institute of Export. Our panel discussed their own business journeys and debated a range of topical issues from Brexit to branding, with plenty of opportunities for our audience to ask questions.
Our top tip from Question Time comes from Simon Devonshire who advised business owners to focus on identifying the ‘most powerful action’ (or MPA) in their business - in other words, to pinpoint the one thing they can do to achieve the biggest impact and then do it.
You can also view previous Inspiring Entrepreneurs on our YouTube channel BIPC TV
Inspiring Entrepreneurs: The White Company and Charles Tyrwhitt
Our entrepreneurial ‘Mr & Mrs’ Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company and Nick Wheeler, founder of Charles Tyrwhitt shirts, have both built up formidable retail empires, with each successfully making the transition from mail order to multichannel (online and bricks and mortar). At this ‘fireside chat,’ both Chrissie and Nick spoke candidly about knowing how they made some mistakes along the way but managed to bounce back. They also gave very practical advice on how to remain focused and stick to your vision and to always put yourself in the shoes of the customer. One of the main insights that Chrissie gave about building your business was:
“Having a business is a gift. Surround yourself with a brilliant people who share your passion and are right for the different stages of your business.”
Your Life, Your Business
Business and Life Coach, Rasheed Ogunlaru presented his workshop ‘Your Life, Your Business.’ Running a small business will increase the demands on your own time and lifestyle. Rasheed’s workshop helps you to get the balance right, while at the same time helping to set realistic goals for you and the business.
Rasheed likens being an entrepreneur to being an athlete, and he advises business owners to“study your field, master your craft, gather your team, know your competitors, win and keep supporters, learn from trials and errors and keep your eye on your goal.”
If you missed last week’s workshop, Rasheed will be delivering this on the 12 December
The Idler Academy: Killer business ideas
Everyone at the Business & IP Centre is passionate about supporting new businesses to succeed and grow. Therefore we were delighted to be joined by twin brothers Gary and Alan Keery, founders of the Cereal Killer Cafe, which is surely one of the most talked-about start-ups in recent years. Since launching in 2014, the retro-inspired Cereal Killer Café has truly captured the public imagination and the Keery brothers have experienced both the best and worst of being in the media spotlight. At this frank and entertaining event, moderated by Tom Hodgkinson of The Idler magazine, the boys shared the story of how their passion for cereal inspired a killer business idea. The brothers implored aspiring entrepreneurs to stay true to their convictions, not to listen to the naysayers and to fiercely protect their brand. They also stressed that new businesses need to be willing to learn skills quickly where necessary – something that the Business & IP Centre’s courses and workshops across a variety of business topics can help you with.
Last but not least, if you’re setting up office, we are delighted that Microsoft, our Global Entrepreneurship Partner, is offering our users a special discount on their Office 365 product. Find out more.