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BIPC's Manchester's How to start a business that makes a difference

    Join BIPC Manchester and Expert Impact to discover how you can make a positive social impact with your business.

    Did you know that there are more than 100,000 social enterprises in the UK? Social enterprises are businesses selling products or services that have a positive social or environmental impact.

    Join this session if you’re interested in making a profit with purpose and starting a business that is good for people and planet. Hear from three social entrepreneurs to learn how they did it.

Speakers

BIPC Greater Manchester

Lee Manion

Head of Communications at Expert Impact

Paula Braynion

Founder of Future Directions

Nile Henry

Founder of The Blair Project

More Events

The Beat Goes On: Black Voices in the British Music Industry


In celebration of the British Library’s “Beyond the Bassline” exhibition, we’ve assembled some ground-breaking Black entrepreneurs who’ve transformed the British music industry to share the secrets of their success, including the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journeys.

At £2.5 billion, the UK is home to Europe's most valuable digital music economy (Statista, 2021, 2023). However, despite the undeniable contribution of Black music artists and entrepreneurs to these figures, 2021’s Black Lives in Music report found that among Black music professionals, 73% experienced direct or indirect racism and noted disparities in respondent’s earnings and ability to gain music funding.

As part of our Inspiring Entrepreneurs series, this event provides a unique chance to hear our panel discuss the challenges and realities of the industry and share their experiences leveraging their creative talent to drive positive change for other artists and innovators. So if you’re thinking about starting a business, or already running one, join us to gain insight into their journey – or simply be inspired!

On the day, you can expect to:

Examine how entrepreneurship has evolved in the music industry, focusing on the journey of Black music in Britain and how this has been impacted by trends and other cultural shiftsLearn how music artists and creatives are transforming wider popular culture and redefining BlacknessAnalyse diverse business models utilized in the industryDiscover new opportunities and potential pitfallsPut your specific questions to our expert panel.

BIPC Hull's Bringing new products to market

Join BIPC Hull, Hull’s Makerspace and Business Innovation Expert, Steve Page, to understand how to bring new products to market.

Bringing new products to market can be a difficult, time consuming, expensive and daunting process that requires every step of the way to be carefully structured and planned, if it is to be a success. Understanding the importance of properly investigating and testing a new product is key to getting the investment and support needed to achieve market launch.

This webinar provides an overview of the main steps and key stages that are involved, covering:
The concept development stageHow and when prototypes can be built and testedHow to provide proof of how well an idea or concept worksHow to attract investment.

What attendees will gain:
An overview of the main steps involved and the risks to the project if these are not followedAn understanding of the importance of properly investigating and testing a new idea or conceptAn appreciation of how the results gathered can be used to move the project to the next stage in your product innovation journey.

Getting started with sustainable photography


Every business needs to evaluate its environmental impact. Although the arrival of digital photography has reduced the impact on the environment that film photography had, there is still more that can be done.

This session will take you through some of the first steps to a greener business, covering everything from reducing and repurposing waste to buying from environmentally friendly suppliers, all the while helping you to become your best photographer.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: She's In CTRL by Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE


This event is taking place at the British Library and will be live streamed.

For those joining us in person, the event will be following by a networking reception with drinks, canapés, where you can meet other attendees, as well as the speakers. There will also be the opportunity to enter a prize draw.

For those joining us online, the panel and talk will run from 18.00 – 20.00.

The tech industry has a leading figure in Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, who is a dynamic advocate for women in STEM and a champion of STEM in education.

This special event shows how her latest book, She’s In CTRL, is a guidebook for women to take back tech and to shine a light on the women in STEM daring to dream. It will empower readers make changes to the way tech can be improved, but how to get into the room where the decisions are made and create our own tech rooms.

Join us for an inspirational evening with innovators within technology speaking on a panel about the important role of women and diversity in STEM sectors. This panel talk is followed by an enlightening fireside chat with Anne-Marie to discuss her new book and share the stories of other pioneers and innovators who have, against the odds, transformed technology.

Also up for discussion will be a range of topics that will help you to:
Understand the reality of starting as a female in the STEM industry and the challenges of getting started
Learn how women in the tech industry are creating their own seat at the table or ‘tech rooms’ and what steps they took to do this
Learn which aspects of STEM are mostly inspiring and recruiting women today
Learn about which innovations our panel have seen arise since the pandemic that were specifically that were created by women and why they think these have arisen
Hear about new trends within the industry that are evolving and the areas that still need more women involved
Understand the growth in interest in tech amongst women globally, including across Africa and Asia
Learn about the future of tech/STEM with the rise of AI, VR and 3D printing

Photo credit Sam and Sam Photography 2022

Getting started with the right mentor

Starting your new business can feel lonely; but help is out there.

Help in finding a mentor is one of the most common queries we get at the Business & IP Centre, but how can you optimise your time with a mentor? How would you make sure you’re asking the right questions? And how do you know who you can trust?

In this session, advisors from the National Business Support Helpline will outline some of the funded schemes and initiatives which could give you the help you need right now and ensure you’re getting the right mentorship for you.

This session will help you:

determine exactly what knowledge and advice you need from a mentorlearn tips and techniques for how to succinctly convey your questions and get the most from your mentor.

We’ll also hear from founder of fashion brand The Cambridge Satchel Company, Julie Deane OBE, about the times she’s sought out help and how as a result, it’s changed the direction of her business.

At the end of this session, following both Julie’s and National Business Support Helpline’s advice, you’ll feel confident in knowing how to use external advisors to move your start-up forward.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

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