The National Franchise Exhibition – Birmingham

Events Tagged with: Franchises, West Midlands

Sep 032010

The National Franchise Exhibition is going to be at the NEC in Birmingham on the 01st & 02nd of October 2010. It is the main franchise exhibition in the UK and the only one to be officially supported by the British Franchise Association.

The exhibitor list includes McDonald’s, Thorntons, Subway and a host of smaller franchisors.

Tickets cost £8 for one and £7 if you buy more than one.

Click on the link below to find out more and book your tickets.

http://www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/exhibition-sub/national-franchise-exhibition-2010

City Business Library events – London City

Events Tagged with: London, Training

Sep 032010

The City Business Library in London is a public reference library specialising in current business information which is intended to be of practical use. The Library has a large programme of free and low cost events covering a wide range of topics. All events are free and take place at City Business Library unless otherwise stated.

Click here to find out more information about the events programme at the Library.

Business Startup Show – London

Events Tagged with: London

Sep 032010

Date: Thursday 30 November 2010 – Friday 01 December 2010

Time: 10am to 5pm both days

Venue: Earls Court, Warwick Road, London, SW5 9TA

Business Startup 2010 is a large event with 200 exhibitors and a programme of over 140 free seminars. Both the show and the seminars are free. You can order tickets online at www.bstartup.com, or phone 0800 328 0467.

Venue details

Starting a business in Birmingham

Events, Featured, Front page Tagged with: Training, West Midlands

Aug 182010

Date: Thursday 28 October 2010, two sessions 12:30pm to 3:30pm and 4:30pm to 7:30pm

Venue: Birmingham Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3HQ

Location map

Status: PRIME event

Are you over 50 and thinking of starting a business or becoming self-employed? Then come along to PRIME’s FREE taster workshop at the Birmingham Central Library.

BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE

* Decide if self-employment is right for you
* Hear from older entrepreneurs who have gone ahead and started.
* Meet local organisations that can help you
* Meet and network with your peers

More details about the programme will be updated in this post soon.

The emphasis of this event throughout is on helping you establish whether self-employment is the right thing for you. This event is suitable for those still at the ideas stage, and those with a firm plan in mind who are almost ready to go ahead. Find out the practical steps involved and hear from people who have already done it before making the leap.

All PRIME events are free. As a charity we are interested in helping people make the right decision – to start in business or do something else. Our role is to provide you with good information so you can make a well-informed decision.

Book your FREE place now

Starting a business in London

Events, Featured, Front page Tagged with: London, Training

Jul 302010

Date: Thursday 30 September 2010, two sessions 2:15pm to 5:15pm and 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Venue: The British Library Business & IP Centre, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

View map and directions (PDF)

Status: PRIME event

Are you over 50 and thinking of starting a business or becoming self-employed? Then come along to PRIME’s FREE taster workshop at the British Library (centrally located between London’s Euston and Kings Cross stations).

BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE

* Decide if self-employment is right for you
* Hear from older entrepreneurs who have gone ahead and started.
* Meet local organisations that can help you
* Meet and network with your peers

More details about the programme are below.

Here’s the latest programme

Session 1- 2:15 pm to 5:15 pm

2.15 pm       Arrival, registration and refreshments.

2.30 pm      Welcome and how PRIME can help.

2.45 pm       Elements of Style of Business

Business ideas generation, what type of business?

Developing an idea

What do you want from your business?

Business planning

Timescales

3.05 pm        Olderpreneurs talk about their experiences of starting a business.

3.45 pm       Elements of Marketing a Business

4.10 pm       Break

4.15 pm      Available resources locally – British Library

4.25 pm     PRIME Mentoring scheme

4.30 pm      Question & Answer session, an opportunity ask the   Panel your questions.

4.45 pm     How to network effectively leading to

5.00 pm       Thanks, evaluation, next steps and future PRIME workshops

5.15 pm      Session close.

Session 2 – 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

6.00 pm    Arrival, registration and refreshments

6.15 pm    Welcome and how PRIME can help

6.30 pm    Elements of Style of Business

Business ideas generation, what type of business?

Developing an idea

What do you want from your business?

Business planning

Timescales

6.50 pm    Olderpreneurs talk about their experiences of starting a business.

7.30 pm    Elements of Marketing a Business

7.55 pm    Break

8.00 pm    Available resources locally – British Library

8.10 pm    PRIME Mentoring Scheme

8.15 pm    Question & Answer session, an opportunity to ask the Panel your questions.

8.30 pm    How to network effectively leading on to speed networking

8.45 pm    Thanks, evaluation, next steps and future PRIME workshops.

9.00 pm    Session close

Book your FREE place now

Free computer skills training day in Bournemouth for over 50s

Events Tagged with: South West, Training

Jul 282010

Date: Friday 24 September 2010, 9.30am start

Venue: Bournemouth Learning Centre, Ensbury Avenue, Bournemouth, BH10 4SG

Status: PRIME event

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

Over 50 and looking to start your own business?

PRIME is holding a FREE computer skills day on Tuesday 20th April 2010 for over 50s in Bournemouth, starting at 9.30am. We are running it in conjunction with a major local employer, with additional support from the EU-funded Interreg Senior Enterprise project. This backing means you will have the opportunity to learn and try out up-do-date ideas in an purpose-built computer training facility with separate workstations for each attendee.

The big advantage of this properly resourced day is that we can adapt the training to the needs and pace of each individual attendee, and to the IT and web topics most relevant to self-employment. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. Places are limited to a maximum of 12 – so you are urged to reserve your place now.

Programme:
9.30am to 3pm: Demonstrations, workshop and individual tuition
3pm to 5pm: Q and A, then close.

Topics covered will depend on you, but are likely to include:

A recap of anything you are unsure about in basic computer terms and Internet technology
How to use Word and Excel to support your business, using them for invoicing and doing basic self-employed accounts
Setting up a good web site and then making your potential customers aware of it
Selling via the Internet and setting up an on-line shop
Using Twitter and Facebook for business

and whatever else the audience request.

At the end of the course you will be given a handout detailing other local facilities available to support self-employment and your further IT skills learning, and good online resources.

No. of places available: 12
Programme
Tea, Coffee and Lunch will be provided
9.30am to 3pm: Demonstrations, workshop and individual tuition
3pm to 5pm: Q and A, then close.

To book your FREE place just complete the online booking form here

Business Advice Open Day - Croydon

Events Tagged with: South East, Tax, Training

Jul 072010

Date: Wednesday 29 September 2010

Venue: Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, CR9 1DG

Status: PRIME attended

The Open Day programme is a government business support road show, designed to provide free information and support to businesses, through a series of exhibitions across the country.

It is organised by HM Revenue and Customs, who invite local organisations and representatives of national bodies such as PRIME that can provide support and advice to local businesses. The organisations chosen all operate on an “other than for profit” i.e. non-commercial basis.

At this free event you will have access to a full team of experts who provide advice and technical support on a range of subjects, covering every stage of your business from start-up, through growth and expansion to pension arrangements when you retire. Free seminars cover topics such as meeting government regulations, funding, marketing and enhancing your business through new technology.

Click on the link below to find out more and to book your place.

Website Link: http://www.businessadviceday.gov.uk/events/

Business Advice Open Day - Cambridge

Events Tagged with: East of England, Tax, Training

Jul 072010

Date: Thursday 23 September 2010

Venue: Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambridge, CB22 4QR

Status: PRIME attended

The Open Day programme is a government business support road show, designed to provide free information and support to businesses, through a series of exhibitions across the country.

Click on the link below to find out more and to book your place.

Website Link: http://www.businessadviceday.gov.uk/events/

Awards and competition roundup

Events Tagged with: Awards

Jul 022010

The competition season is now in full swing. There’s still time to enter some of the bigger awards. And on a smaller scale there are also a couple of quick-to-enter competitions with useful small prizes from Paypal and from printing firm Moo.

1. Barclays Trading Places Awards 2010

Closing date for entries: 16 July 2010. This award concentrates on individuals who have overcome major obstacles to start their businesses, as you can see from last year’s winners here. To enter you have to be UK-based and already trading. You can nominate yourself or someone else – go here for form and contact details. PRIME is on the judging panel, so we’re not nominating anyone!

2. NatWest everywoman Awards

Closing date for entries: 30th July 2010
Open to any female business owner whether they operate as a sole trader, limited company, or in partnership with others. You must have been in business for longer than 12 months as at 30 July. The Hera category is specially for women over 50, and there are new categories this year for rural and ethical businesses.
Go here for details and to enter

3. The Pitch 2010

Closing date for entries: depends on region, with most now passed. But you’ve got till 23 July if you’re in the Midlands. request form here. This contest has an unusually elaborate application process, but on the plus side this increases the scope for publicity along the way.

If your application is shortlisted you get to pitch in person (along with four other candidates) at the nearest of five regional events held in Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, London and Edinburgh. Those who make it through the heats get to pitch at a final session in London, where prizes expected to top £50,000 are handed out.

To enter your business must have been going for less than three years. Of the contests mentioned here The Pitch is probably the most willing to consider very new businesses – but you will have to provide strong evidence of why your business is likely to be a success.

4. Moo Business Card Project

More a competition than a fancy award, cult printer Moo is offering to redesign the business cards of 500 small businesses. To enter you send them a photo or scan together with a hundred-word plea, and if they don’t like your card they’ll redesign it for free and print you 50 free cards. Yes it’s a marketing ploy and really a clever offer, but Moo does boast some wonderful designs. Though the offer site looks American Moo is a British-based company, and the competition is open to businesses in the UK.

5. Win £100 with Paypal and Enterprise Nation

Closing date for entries: November 2010
This one is really quick to enter – you just tell home-business site Enterprise Nation what you’d spend the £100 on, using this uber-simple form. You don’t have to wait long either, as 20 winners are announced each month. The competition promotes Paypal as you must have a Paypal account to collect your winnings, but these are easy to set up and already genuinely popular with small businessess (Paypal is the standard payment mechanism used on eBay.

6. Other awards

There are many other awards aimed at larger companies, and some significant awards that apply to just one region or industrial sector. There’s a good list maintained by Boost Marketing at www.boost-marketing.co.uk/awards/.

Note that some awards charge an entry fee. The ones we feature above don’t. Fees can be large – the “Green Business Awards” and the “Internet Business Awards” each cost £250 to enter, while entering the “National Business Award” will set you back £175. Unless you expect to get shortlisted there are probably better ways of spending your promotions budget.

See also elswhere on the Internet:
Business awards – are they worth the cost and effort?

How to win awards (advice on the benefits and costs from Smarta)

Though it takes time to enter an award it can be a useful exercise in presenting your business to others. And if you get shortlisted or win one of the categories you are likely to get publicity for your business – and usually also a prize.

The British Library Business & IP Centre events – London

Events Tagged with: London, Training

Jul 022010

The British Library Business & IP Centre in London has a large programme of free and low cost events covering a wide range of topics, including business start-up advice.

The Business & IP Centre is part-funded by the London Development Agency (LDA). It launched in March 2006 and supports entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.

The Centre offers free access to the UK’s most comprehensive collection of business and intellectual property databases and publications, including general startup advice, information on funding sources, market research, company data, business news and information on patents, trade marks, registered designs and copyright. Anyone can use the British Library, all you need is a Reader Pass.

Workshops run by British Library staff are free of charge; however, some workshops run by partners are charged at a nominal fee and may have different booking procedures. Advance booking for all our workshops is essential.

Go to the British Library & IP Centre website and find out what’s on this month.

Business Rescue programme in London for sole traders and small businesses

Events Tagged with: London, Research

Jun 302010

Date: Thursdays 15 July - 19 August 2010

Venue: London Metropolitan University, 84 Moorgate, EC2M 6SQ

Are you self employed, a sole trader or small business?

Have you been affected by the recession?

Do you need to develop and grow your business?

The Centre for Micro Enterprise at London Metropolitan University are running a Business Rescue Programme. It is a six day course delivered over six weeks starting 15th July.

Business Rescue Programme supports 20 people in the ongoing success of their business. The course helps you identify problems and create workable solutions.

Course content includes

· Business Image & Strategic Networking for success

· Review and Revamp your Business Plan for tactical growth

· Market Research & Market Planning to increase sales

· Financial advice for a sound business base

· E-Commerce & ICT for greater understanding

· Pitch & Present to enhance your competitive edge

As part of the course you will also receive 1:2:1 Business Mentoring.

The course is heavily subsidised. A contribution of £60 is required from you for the whole course, which you pay when you are accepted onto the programme.

For more information please call 020 7320 1383

or email info@upturnonline.co.uk

Participants will be selected if they fit the requirements of the funding regulations and places on the course will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Test the waters of self-employment in Newcastle

Events Tagged with: North East, Training

Jun 142010

Opportunity to take part in an Olderpreneurs’ ‘Testing the Water’^TM programme

10am – 3pm, 28th June, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle

Do you have an interest in self employment or an idea for a business but don’t know how to develop it or whether you’re ready?

Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing and Health are running a one day workshop of the ‘Testing the Water’^TM Programme with Sue Jackson of Whitespace Coaching who is a licensed coach for the programme. The workshop will help you to:

develop a clearer understanding of whether self employment is the appropriate next step for you
know those areas to rectify or work on to improve your chances of making a successful transition to self employment
plan the further steps you need to take to address these areas of development

The workshop is funded by a European Social Fund Research Project hosted by the Institute for Ageing and Health and supported by NIACE. The research project is looking at working in to later life and is seeking to provide evidence and clarity on the perspectives, experience and expectations of working in to later life from both older workers and employers. A key area of research will be on the opportunities for older people in enterprise and self employment.

Who is the workshop for?
We are looking for anyone over the age of 40 considering their suitability for self employment. There will be no cost to you to attend except your time and travel. We will also be asking you to share your views and experiences of working and enterprise to support our research.

A bit more about the day…
In the day workshop you will complete a specially designed ‘Testing the Water’^TM questionnaire (which will be yours to keep) and participate in joint sessions to explore themes common to people contemplating setting up in business.

After the workshop day there is also an opportunity to have two free individual follow up coaching sessions with Sue. These coaching sessions will support you to develop strengths and work through more limiting areas to speed the transition to self employment.

How to sign up
To register please email Kasia Kurowska at k.kurowska@ncl.ac.uk with your name and contact details. Alternatively, please call Kasia on 0191 248 1287 to register or discuss the opportunity in more detail.

PLEASE NOTE: Places are limited for this opportunity so please register as soon as possible

Prince Charles launches 12-day garden festival

Events, Front page Tagged with: London

Jun 012010

Tickets are on-sale today from www.startuk.org or by calling 0844 248 5052.

The Prince of Wales is joining forces this Summer with musicians, comedians, environmental experts and some of Britain’s best known companies to create a unique festival in the heart of London. The Prince is opening up his own gardens at Clarence House, together with his neighbours’ gardens at Lancaster House and Marlborough House this September.

‘A Garden Party To Make A Difference’ is a rare opportunity to visit these historic gardens. It will last 12 days, from the 8th to the 19th September 2010, from 10am to 6pm daily. There will be a timed entry at hourly intervals with final admission at 4pm.

The Garden Party is an imaginative part of the Prince of Wales’s ‘Start’ eco initiative launched in February. The event aims to give people of all ages a fun day out while at the same time, via the exhibits, demonstrating the small but useful steps that all of us can take to build a more sustainable future.

The 12-day Garden Party will be a blend of exhibitions, fun activities and live performances throughout each day from comedians, musicians and speakers.

Each area of the Garden Party will be curated by a celebrity champion:

Musical Programme created by Jools Holland
Comedy by Marcus Brigstocke and Hugh Dennis
Growing and Gardens by Alan Titchmarsh
Food and The Great Outdoors by Kate Humble
Ecocars by Roger Saul and Kevin McCloud
Debate by Jonathan Dimbleby, Sanjeev Bhaskar & Clive Anderson
Fashion by Dame Vivienne Westwood

Launching the festival, Prince Charles said “I am delighted to be able to welcome visitors into my gardens, and those of my immediate neighbours, for this exciting festival. We have a fantastic team of talented curators who are helping us create an event which will, I hope, be both fun and informative. This festival is just one way in which Start can help to demonstrate how we can all make a difference, however big or small the steps we take.”

Tickets, priced £15 for adults and £7.50 for children are on sale from 9am today. Tickets are timed for purposes of entrance only. Full details are available on the Garden Party website www.startuk.org

Doug Richard’s School for Startups – Free interactive webcast – Perfect Your Pitch

Events Tagged with: London, Training

Jun 012010

Date: Monday 21 June 2010

Hosted by University College London & In Partnership with The Pitch 2010

Time: 18.30 – 20:00 GMT

Doug Richard’s School for Startups are filming a FREE 90 minute pitching master class at University College London and broadcasting it LIVE as an interactive S4STV webcast. Watch this Webcast LIVE wherever you are in the world and join in by posing your business questions and comments to Doug through an interactive communications feed.

Perfect Your Pitch! S4Stv

Standard LIVE S4Stv webcast Ticket: FREE

Ticket booking link: http://s4s.ly/e

Details from School for Startups

Doug Richard, serial entrepreneur and original BBC2 Dragon, moves ahead with his ambitious plan to fast-track entrepreneurs and business owners onto the road of success.

Summary

Being able to pitch your business quickly, efficiently, happily and successfully is key to its success. As a business owner you pitch customers, strategic partners, suppliers, potential team members and members of your community each and every day. You have to get it right . . .

So . . . Join us for a remarkable opportunity. Doug Richard at University College London, in partnership with The Pitch 2010, will deliver ninety minutes of LIVE instruction on how to pitch your business perfectly.

You’ll find it is easier, more fun and more effective than you ever thought possible to get a perfect pitch for your enterprise. You’ll discover just how much you can love telling people what you do and why it is important. You’ll look forward to seeing the way their eyes light up . . . And you’ll discover how and why a pitch can work such magic.

This is an exceptional event, delivered both face to face to participants in London, and online via S4Stv. Sign up now to attend. Not only will you have a great time, you’ll master one of the most important business skills you can learn. See you there!

Event Details

Perfect Your Pitch will be personally hosted by successful serial entrepreneur and angel investor Doug Richard.

Doug has pitched hundreds of businesses, products and services to thousands of people. He’s helped the businesses he’s funded learn how to pitch more effectively, heard thousands of pitches from businesses who’ve come to him for money. The BBC’s Dragon’s Den allowed viewers at home to see just how easy it is for a pitch to fall apart under pressure, but it also demonstrated how the perfect pitch can have investors standing in line to jump on board.

Learn just how much fun you can have pitching your business when you know how to do it exactly right . . .

This FREE 90 minute pitching master class will be filmed at University College London and broadcast LIVE as an interactive S4STV webcast. Watch this Webcast LIVE wherever you are in the world and join in by posing your burning business questions and comments to Doug through our completely interactive communications feed.

At “Perfect Your Pitch!” you will learn:

What defines the heart of a perfect pitch.
The financial figures you must have on the tip of your tongue.
How and where to practice your pitch, and how to tell if someone finds it interesting.
The words and phrasings to use and those to avoid
How to tell people, from a customer’s perspective, the why your business offers an exceptional value
How to look and feel confident when pitching

Who should get involved?

Owners & managers of growing businesses
People thinking about starting a business
Business, Marketing and MA students
Pros interested in understanding financing better

What is included?

90 minutes of free pitching tuition with one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs
Access to online resources and materials, including membership of VentureNavigator
Interactive chat room allowing you to pose questions and comments to Doug and his entrepreneurial featured guests LIVE

For further information on all School for Startups events visit: www.schoolforstartups.co.uk

Doug Richard's School for Startups low cost fast growth marketing event for people in Suffolk or Essex

Events Tagged with: East of England

Jun 012010

Date: Thursday 10 June 2010

Venue: Adastral Park, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 3RE

Registration: 12:00hrs / Starts 13:00hrs

Doug Richard’s School for Startups is running an event on Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing for Growing Businesses.

Here’s the offer

Discounted Standard Entrepreneurs Tickets: £10.00 + VAT

Ticket Booking Link: http://bit.ly/bY3DeM

*Made possible by ECIF funding

Details from School for Startups

Doug Richard, serial entrepreneur and original BBC2 Dragon, moves ahead with his ambitious plan to fast-track entrepreneurs and business owners onto the road of success.

Summary

Due to popular demand, Doug and the School for Startups team are holding their much esteemed “Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing for Growing Businesses” master-class in Ipswich this June, located at Adastral Park.

School for Startups is the UK’s premier provider of business training and tuition. The seminars are designed to be fully interactive, incorporating ‘live’ on the day delegate case studies, video examples, lectures, interactive discussions and Q&A sessions. Doug’s goal is to teach participants the questions they need to ask themselves and equip them to find the right answers. Doug is a humorously entertaining host and will leave you feeling inspired and refuelled. The course is funded by the University of Essex’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF).

In this seminar, serial entrepreneur and investor Doug Richard digs deep into advanced online marketing tactics: the essential lessons that every entrepreneur needs to understand. Finding fast growth, effective and affordable channels to reach customers is critical to any business; but especially so for growing businesses during a recession.

Doug demonstrates how the internet has levelled the playing-field between your business and your largest competitors and why there has never before been an opportunity like that which exists for today’s businesses.

At ‘Low Cost Fast Growth Marketing’ you will learn:

Using Thought Leadership to drive Social Media
PR in the 21st Century
Blogs, Conversations and Gossip: Key Tools for 2010
No Cost Video
How SEO is changing and what to do about it

Who should attend:

Owners & managers of growing businesses based in Suffolk or Essex
Marketing and media professionals based in Suffolk or Essex
Business, Marketing and MA students based in Suffolk or Essex

What’s included:

5 hours of business tuition with one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs
Access to online resources and materials, including membership of VentureNavigator (see below for details)
Free transportation between Ipswich station and Adastral Park
12 month’s free subscription to Doug’s monthly newsletter
Accreditation as a Graduate of School for Startups (web-badge)
Teas & coffees

For further information on all School for Startups events visit: www.schoolforstartups.co.uk

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Join PRIME Business Club for free!

Over 50 and looking to start your own business?

1. Barclays Trading Places Awards 2010

2. NatWest everywoman Awards

3. The Pitch 2010

4. Moo Business Card Project

5. Win £100 with Paypal and Enterprise Nation

6. Other awards

Details from School for Startups

Details from School for Startups

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