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Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Disruptors and Influencers


    The world is ever-changing and is evolving especially in the UK, culturally, economically and politically. This inspiring event brings a ‘red table’ style discussion with change-makers, to discuss how they are not only shifting the image of women in business, but are also responding to change and breaking barriers against the odds in a post-pandemic world.

    Topics of discussion will include:

    • The reality of starting a business and getting into entrepreneurship as a woman today
    • The ways in which women are rising in recovery within a post-pandemic world
    • The opportunities our speakers have found to break barriers, especially receiving funding as a woman, visibility in the press and being recognised by key stakeholders.
    • The International Women’s Day 2023 of Embrace Equity, and how we can best embrace and encourage diversity and inclusion in business for colleagues and peers from marginalised communities.

    Guests will hear insights into how to emerge from the unique difficulties of the past few years and still have your business remain in good shape even with increased costs and challenges.

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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.

Wellness Warriors: the women reshaping the health and fitness industry


Celebrate International Women’s Month with us at the British Library as we bring together an inspiring panel discussion with five boundary-breaking women entrepreneurs who are transforming the health and fitness industry. As part of our Inspiring Entrepreneurs series, this event provides a unique chance to hear from influential women business founders and put your questions to them.

Our ’wellness warriors’ will share their extensive experience of setting up and scaling personal training businesses, fitness apps, pioneering athletic wear brands and more. With the fitness industry valued at just under $100 billion globally last year* and with the Olympics fast approaching, these women have harnessed the booming interest in health and wellbeing to establish innovative brands, programmes and communities focused on empowerment and inclusivity.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur curious about the landscape or an established founder looking to stay ahead of the curve, this session will leave you feeling inspired, informed and ready to take the next step.

*Statista, August 2023

On the day, you can expect to:

Gain valuable insights into the evolution of fitness entrepreneurship and innovations reshaping the health and wellbeing industryExplore emerging business models in health and fitness - from apps to in-person clubs to community-focused chainsDiscuss how businesses and individuals are supporting marginalised communities within the fitness industryAnalyse how fitness brands leverage social media, influencer marketing, and ecommerce to grow their audiencesUnderstand how fitness influencers build successful brands and e-commerce identitiesGet answers to your specific questions to propel you forward in your business journey.

How to build an engaging website

London libraries are transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses. By partnering with ten London boroughs, we are developing a community of new and existing business owners, which is free to join and open to everyone. Whether you are just setting out, need advice on protecting your intellectual property, or simply have a brilliant idea you want to discuss, we're here to guide you. Since April 2020, we have offered all of our Start-ups in London Libraries' services online, including our core workshops and virtual one-to-ones with our borough Business Champions, many of whom will be hosting sessions during Start-up Day. To find out more about Start-ups in London Libraries and how to join our thriving business community, visit bl.uk/SiLL.

A website is a fundamental part of starting your business. And in this increasingly digital world, your website is more and more your store front, it has to reflect your brand.

This event is for individuals who would like to learn how to build a website for their business using a well-known website builder. You will learn where to start when building a website, how to plan your customer journey and how to fulfil the accessibility requirements. As well as creating a sleekly-functioning website, we will also share tips on how to make it look good.

Afterwards, there will be a discussion and Q&A led by Loretta Awuah (Greenwich Start-ups in London Libraries’ SME Champion) and Mark Berbeck (Lewisham Start-ups in London Libraries’ SME Champion) around other ways to build your business’ online presence, such as social media platforms, SEO, e-mail marketing, influencer marketing etc.

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.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Disruptors and Influencers


The world is ever-changing and is evolving especially in the UK, culturally, economically and politically. This inspiring event brings a ‘red table’ style discussion with change-makers, to discuss how they are not only shifting the image of women in business, but are also responding to change and breaking barriers against the odds in a post-pandemic world.

Topics of discussion will include:

The reality of starting a business and getting into entrepreneurship as a woman todayThe ways in which women are rising in recovery within a post-pandemic worldThe opportunities our speakers have found to break barriers, especially receiving funding as a woman, visibility in the press and being recognised by key stakeholders.The International Women’s Day 2023 of Embrace Equity, and how we can best embrace and encourage diversity and inclusion in business for colleagues and peers from marginalised communities.
Guests will hear insights into how to emerge from the unique difficulties of the past few years and still have your business remain in good shape even with increased costs and challenges.

Michael Cashman

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