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The Road to Renewal:
Preparing entrepreneurs and SMEs for the next normal


This October, the British Library, supported by DCMS and the Treasury, launched the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) national Reset. Restart service to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to rebound from the Covid-19 crisis, adapt and build flexible business models and be prepared for the next normal. Alongside this, we are continuing to support people to start up and run robust businesses in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. People who start their business with us are four times more likely to succeed in building a viable business; 90% are still trading after three years, compared with an average of 50%.

Reset. Restart and the Business & IP Centre expansion form a key part of Living Knowledge: For Everyone, the British Library’s refreshed strategy to support economic, social and cultural renewal in the face of the pandemic’s extraordinary impact.

On 10 November from 11:00 – 12:00 we will be hosting a special virtual event to mark the launch of Reset. Restart.

We will be joined by the Minister for Digital & Culture, Caroline Dinenage MP, who will make the opening remarks followed by a live panel and Q&A session moderated by Alison Cork, recently announced BIPC Ambassador.


Speakers

Dame Carol Black

Chair of the British Library Board

Roly Keating

Chief Executive of the British Library

Caroline Dinenage MP

Minister for Digital and Culture

Alison Cork

Chair - Founder of Make It Your Business, entrepreneur

Sonali Parekh

Director of Policy for the Federation of Small Businesses

Nick Partridge

Head of Libraries, Archives and Information Services, Sheffield City Council

Philip Salter

Founder of The Entrepreneurs Network

Siobhan Thomas

Founder of What’s Your Skirt

Map

More Events

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Women Wealth Builders


Join us for a ‘roundtable’ style discussion with women change-makers as they share how they're not just shifting the image of women in business, but actively building wealth in an unpredictable world. This International Women's Day, gain invaluable insights from successful women entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of modern business.

On the day, you can expect to:

Hear about the realities of starting and scaling up a business as a woman today.Discuss how life, family, and health changes impact business and how our speakers are navigating these challenges.Learn the different approaches to building wealth.Discover how our speakers have broken barriers, including accessing funding, gaining press visibility, and achieving recognition from key stakeholders.Explore strategies for building thriving communities, driving sales, and accumulating wealth in today's market across various industries.Connect and network with the speakers and other attendees.

BIPC North East: Developing a sustainable/green brand


This session is perfect for start-ups who need to develop and communicate green credentials and sustainability effectively.

Andy will detail how businesses can develop and use green credentials. He'll present ideas around how to embed green thinking into your organisation's core idea, as well as providing general tips on how to communicate green credentials through marketing and communication material. He'll also share examples from other organisations that are leading with sustainability.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to communicate green credentials to create a competitive advantage.

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.

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.

BIPC Liverpool's Start-up Stars: Female founders

Join BIPC Liverpool and entrepreneur and business advisor Jacqueline Daley as she talks to two other female founders about the challenges and rewards of starting your own business or social enterprise. They will talk about:

Carrying out market researchFundingMarketingCoping in difficult timesAnd offer practical tips for people thinking of starting a business now.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

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