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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

Circular Economy Panel: prosperity in a world of finite resources


Circular economy models regenerate resources across their lifecycle in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, which threaten our planet and its people. In addition to operational and strategic benefits to your business, it also maximises value creation in our economy, environment and societies.

In this panel discussion with Innovating for Growth alumni businesses: FRUU, Urban Cordial and Two Lives, moderated by Anna Triponel (Triponel Consulting), we will explore the practices and processes of circular economy businesses, so that you may be inspired to incorporate the same in yours.

Lunch and learn – swap skills for starting-up


Do you ever find it hard to ask for help? What if you could swap something you were good at in exchange for support in the subject you need it in most.

Just like swapping pre-loved clothes and goods, come along to swap and share your experiences and expertise. Set up in the early weeks of the initial lockdown last year, local entrepreneurs and friends, Rachel Hayward and Lee Marples, formed a not-for-profit to revive the fun and informality from the seventies show, The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. The idea is simple – register online and get to meet other people looking to progress and learn in a peer-to-peer community.

From its beginnings in Derby, then to Nottingham and Leicester, the digital marketplace is now UK-wide and sees hundreds of new swaps posted monthly.

You might be looking for someone to help set up a new Instagram account for you and can offer up a monthly cake selection box from your baking business in return? Or even swap copy-writing for accounting?

Join us for this special, interactive session over lunchtime where we invite you to listen in and consider how to work with, and help, one another.

We’re looking to seal some deals and build up your support network.

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 and seen by your new customers

This session will help you think creatively to generate the visibility and traction to establish your new business in the market.

With thousands of new businesses launching every month and more information consumed around the clock than ever before, to get your start-up noticed, you will need to cut through the noise. We’re here to tell you that although it doesn’t necessarily require a large budget, it will require planning and the ability to seize the moment.

Karen Campbell from The Small Awards will be on hand to outline some tips to help you identify what are the special and differentiating factors about your business, how you can get these messages out, and, most important of all, how to ensure those messages get noticed.

The Small Awards showcase the variety and quality among small start-ups and Karen will be joined by Fran Gubbay, co-founder of Stamptastic, winners of Best Digital Business in 2019.

When you have a clear voice about what your business does and what it stands for, it increases your chance of being heard. 18 months ago Fran decided that they as co-founders, and their personalities, needed to feature more in their business, which led to news interviews, new leads and a couple of awards as well.

Listen in to learn some practical advice on how to make your own luck for exciting marketing opportunities.

If this session is of interest then do also look at the earlier free-to-watch presentation at 09:45 – 10:30 on the latest consumer trends from market research analyst Mintel. This can help underpin any marketing strategy you develop for your business.

Purpose Driven Business – how to start and build a business with purpose


In support of the 15th anniversary of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and their annual Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) the Business & IP Centre will be hosting Purpose Driven Business, to celebrate the GEW 2022 theme of Grow With Purpose.

Our panel of speakers, representing a range of purpose-led businesses, will come together to share their expertise and business stories. They’ll question approaches from the past, challenge the status quo of today and discuss how all of these learnings can help build more resilient and focused businesses. We will discuss why having a ‘purpose’ is central to every start-up and how honing in on yours will help to drive growth and ensure your business thrives in the current climate.

About our panel:

Dr Liz Jackson MBE of BCMS is a motivational speaker and partially sighted business owner supporting the business communityJayni Gudka is the CEO of Unseen Tours, a provider of walking tours by formerly homeless guides who know the streets intimately and will show you the real LondonTasha Thompson is the founder Black Girls Do Run UK. Her business is changing the perception of running, and creating a safe space for black women in the health and fitness communityValerie Brandes of Jacaranda Books. Jacaranda books is a publishing company giving visibility for black and brown authorsModerated by Eni Timi Biu of Create Your Table

Michael Cashman

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