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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 mentor
  • learn 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.

Speakers

Paul Kirtley

Business Advisor

Julie Deane CBE

Founder & CEO Cambridge Satchel Company and Entrepreneur in Residence British Library

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Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Building the Black Economy


Join our panel of experts to learn how Black entrepreneurs are building empires online by using their influence and creativity.

You will hear from six inspiring entrepreneurs at various stages in their careers and across a range of industries, as our panel come together to discuss the considerations they took into account when building their businesses and the insights they have learnt along the way.

Whether you are just thinking about starting a business, a business owner who wants to learn more, or perhaps you wish to establish a stronger network, you’ll leave this event feeling inspired and engaged.

On the day, you can expect to:

Learn how the Black Lives Matter movement prompted the rise in Black enterprises and powered increased support for themUnderstand the financial reality of starting a business in today’s changing marketExplore Black-owned businesses in theatre and the arts and the importance of representation on the stageRecognise the power of the Black pound and how to convert this knowledge into assets for the Black economyLearn about the importance of social media for building Black businesses.
Following this will be an engaging and thought-provoking Fireside Chat – a discussion on community building with Black Pound Day founder and So Solid Crew member, Swiss.

About our panel

Rachael Twumasi-Corson, CEO and founder of Afrocenchix Ltd. At 19 Rachael co-founded Afrocenchix, an award-winning ethical start-up that creates safe, effective, vegan certified products for Afro & curly hair.Emmanuel Asuquo, founder of The Eman Effect UK, is a renowned, financial adviser, media personality, wealth building entrepreneur and international speaker.TJ Atkinson is a Property Investor, who specialises in transforming homes into beautiful, creative masterpieces. Alongside growing his portfolio, TJ supports people in his community with getting started in property.Indie Gordon is Head of Program at Foundervine and founder of Halo safety app. She aims to empower today's and tomorrow's companies, ensuring they’re tech-enabled and can weather the storm of any social, economic or environmental change.The panel will be moderated by Khai Shaw, co-founder of the theatre company Nuu Theatre. Khai has collaborated with the English Touring Theatre Company and the Bush Theatre.

Fireside Chat

Swiss is the founder of Black Pound Day, the UK's biggest economic movement that supports Black-owned businesses. He is a cultural influencer, business leader, author, and highly acclaimed musician and member of So Solid Crew. Alongside his passion for music, Swiss founded the Black Pound Day movement to support awareness and growth of the Black businesses and economy in the UK and global diasporic communities. Recently, Swiss opened the first permanent retail store at Westfield London, Europe's biggest shopping centre, and continues to actively support hundreds of businesses across the country.The chat will be moderated by Jacqueline Brown, BIPC Business Support Programming Manager, serial entrepreneur and founder of businesses Africa Fashion Guide, Wax and Wraps and M.O.R.Empire. Since 2011, Jacqueline has helped start-ups to build and launch sustainable fashion businesses from scratch with coaching, digital tools, community and connections.

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Kitchen Table Talks: adapting to the times with Julie Deane OBE

Join Julie and the BIPC to hear the ways the Cambridge Satchel Company are adapting to the times and how, with creativity, practicality and optimism, we can continue to move forward.

Have you found yourself spending more time than ever around your kitchen table? Maybe you’ve been collaborating with team members over video call, or swapping nights out with home-cooked meals? Luckily the kitchen table can be just the place where great ideas can be born. Take it from Julie Deane. Starting at her very own kitchen table with a budget of just £600, her company - the Cambridge Satchel Company - has become one of the UK’s greatest retail success stories. Julie now invites you back to her kitchen table to share her experiences and thoughts for the future to help your own business thrive.

Julie will cover how going back to basics doesn’t mean downgrading ambition and growth, but instead, helps create focus where it’s needed and opens doors you may have overlooked. She will discuss how gaining clarity on the business you need to be today can help you make your money and resources go further.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

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