National event
Save the date
Join us in March 2025 for the biggest Alumni Network National Event of the year. You can expect to hear from some of the most inspiring leaders in UK business and connect with alumni from across the UK.
Event and registration details will be announced in January 2025.
Help to grow: management Alumni – Live
Highlighted speakers:
Sir Kenneth Olisa Chairman, Restoration Partners, HM Lord-Lieutenant
Irene Graham OBE CEO, The ScaleUp Institute
Richard Harpin Founder and chairman, HomeServe and Growth Partner
Michael Hayman Co-founder, Seven Hills
This event has now ended
There is no single path to guaranteed success, but each day we make decisions that have an impact on the future of our business and our growth as leaders. How can we be confident these choices are taking us in the right direction?
Accessing the expertise, support and guidance you need takes time, something many of us are short of. This November, get ahead by surrounding yourself with the inspiration, support and advice you need at Help to Grow: Management Alumni – Live. Designed specifically for the Help to Grow: Management community, this high-quality, free-of-charge event will leave you energised, inspired and informed.
Join us to learn from the experience of successful entrepreneurs; participate in practical, interactive workshops delivered by experts selected to help you tackle your most pressing business challenges; and take time to share your successes and challenges with Help to Grow: Management peers from across the UK.
If you were unable to attend on the day, please find recordings of each session on the main stage in the link below.
Help to grow: management Alumni – Live – YouTube
Please find attached follow-up links and resources provided by the speakers below. Slides for each breakout session can be found in the breakout drop downs in the agenda.
- Richard Harpin
- Breakout 1
- Leadership
- Suzanne Ross
- Digital Adoption
- Kay Kukoyi
- Leadership
- Breakout 2
- International Sales
- Julek Syposz
- Strategy
- International Sales
- Finance and Investment panel
- Alexis Toft
Agenda
Expand the agenda items below to see what each session has to offer.
08:45 Doors Open
09:30 Welcome address
Flora Hamilton CEO, Chartered Association of Business Schools
09:35 Opening remarks from the conference chair
Paula Whitehouse Deputy Dean Enterprise and Engagement, Aston University and Curriculum Director, Help to Grow: Management Course
09:45 Keynote address: Richard Harpin, Founder of Homeserve
As the founder and chairman of HomeServe Plc and Growth Partner, Richard has been leading and supporting businesses in the home services and growth sector for over 29 years. He has a proven track record of creating, scaling, and transforming businesses, as well as coaching and investing in the UK’s medium-sized enterprises.
HomeServe has gone from a £50,000 start-up 30 years ago to a global business with 8.5m customers, 10,000 staff, and was sold to Brookfield for £4.1bn earlier this year. In this keynote address, Richard will share the 8 things he knows now that he wishes he had known then. These are the 8 secrets to building a £billion business.
Richard Harpin Founder and chairman, HomeServe and Growth Partner
10:20 Keynote address: Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE
Sir Kenneth is the Founder and Chairman of boutique technology merchant bank, Restoration Partners. Sir Kenneth’s technology career spans over 40 years commencing with IBM and then as a senior executive at Wang Laboratories spanning three continents. Today, Sir Kenneth chairs a portfolio of high-potential technology businesses including Inogesis and Interswitch.
During this session, Sir Kenneth will share his key learnings from founding a technology merchant bank and venture capital firm, Interregnum, leading it through its early growth, and ultimately a listing on the Alternative Investment Market.
Sir Kenneth Olisa Chairman, Restoration Partners, HM Lord-Lieutenant
10:50 tea/coffee break
Time to grab some refreshments ahead of our first breakout session of the day.
11:15 Breakout one
Choose from one of these four breakout sessions.
Leadership: avoiding the cult of personality
Key takeaways will include:
- recognising the risks of personality-led businesses.
- understanding how culture impacts organisational resilience.
- identifying and creating a sustainable and long-term company culture.
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Marketing case studies
Key takeaways will include:
- improving search engine optimisation (SEO).
- email marketing fundamentals.
- strategic use of paid internet marketing and social advertising.
Emma Connor, Medha Dixit, Chris London
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Navigating funding and finance with support from Innovate UK
Key takeaways will include:
- application dos and don’ts.
- tips of writing and presenting your pitch.
- how to articulate innovative ideas.
Rocky Moore, Zulfikar Ali, Christopher Buckland, Nicola Wiley
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Digital adoption and transformation
Key takeaways will include:
- helping your team understand their role and place within the process of adoption.
- highlighting growth and development opportunities.
- eliminating the barriers to change management.
Ali Griffiths, Mahdi Shariff, Kay Kukoyi
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Medha Dixit Director SEO, Digital Chakra
Chris London Founder and CEO, Chris London Online
Rocky Moore Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE
Zulfikar Ali Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE
Christopher Buckland Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE
Nicola Wiley Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE
Mahdi Shariff Co-founder, The Humble AI
Kay Kukoyi Founder and CEO, Purposeful Group
Emma Connor Programme leader of MSc Digital Marketing Management, University of Greenwich
Dr Suzanne Ross Principal Lecturer, SME short courses, Nottingham Business School
Ali Griffiths Founder, Gisborne Partners
12:15 Lunch, networking and exhibitions
13:10 Breakout two
Choose from one of these four breakout sessions.
Employee engagement
Key takeaways will include:
- strategies to improve employee productivity.
- measuring, monitoring, and maximising motivation.
- key characteristics of high performance and engagement.
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Sales: understanding your customer
Key takeaways will include:
- identifying your unique value proposition and communicating it to your target audience.
- advanced sales techniques.
- understanding and guiding the buyer’s journey.
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
International sales
Key takeaways will include:
- what you need to know before going ‘international‘.
- effective communication with international consumers
- exporting fundamentals.
Rob Lewtas, Julek Syposz, Jacob Thundil
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Strategy: a practical masterclass
Key takeaways will include:
- how to run a strategy meeting.
- measuring the effectiveness of your strategy.
- real-life examples of how strategy can transform business.
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Steve Jones Managing Director, Skills for Business, author and leadership trainer
Rob Lewtas Strategic Partnerships Manager, Department for Business and Trade
Mel Archbould Founder, Cloud-busting
Dawn Shand Business consultant, Enterprise Educator and Project Manager
Alan Crouch Sales Development Coach, Equifax
Dr Adam Jones Principal Lecturer and Director, Help to Grow, University of Brighton
Anthony Painter Director of Policy and External Affairs, CMI
Jacob Thundil Cocofina, founder
Julek Syposz Deputy Head Export Academy Advisers Programme, Department for Business and Trade
14:10 Movement break
14:20 Breakout three
Choose from one of these four breakout sessions.
How mentoring can empower your business
Key takeaways will include:
- an understanding of how mentoring can increase business productivity and profitability.
- how mentoring can improve your leadership and the well-being of your team.
- an interactive demonstration of being a mentor and a mentee.
Simon Fordham, Benjamin Jacobs
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Social Media Marketing
Key takeaways will include:
- how to start your social media journey and be efficient.
- what NOT to do.
- navigating the social media platforms.
- content repurposing and remaining authentic.
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Tax and accounting fundamentals
Key takeaways will include:
- general tax saving tools and the basics of accountancy and tax.
- advice on technology and automation.
- frameworks and strategy for scaling your business.
Sylvia Kotarba-Harris, James Lindley
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Sustainability: first steps and carbon auditing
Key takeaways will include:
- where and how to start on your sustainability journey.
- undertaking a sustainability audit: how to work out your carbon footprint and your scope one, two, and three emissions.
- how implementing sustainable policies and processes can result in tangible business improvement.
Claire Pattinson, Christoph Geppert, Navin Rauniar
Slides from the breakout can be found here.
Gus Bhandal Founder, The M Guru
Sylvia Kotarba-Harris Managing Director, Foster and Chapman
James Lindley CEO, Castell Wealth Management
Claire Pattinson Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University
Christoph Geppert Founder and Director, Grain Sustainability
Navin Rauniar Sustainability Partner & Co-Chair, PRMIA ESG Working Group
Simon Fordham Help to Grow: Management Project Direction, Association of Business Mentors
Ben Jacobs Help to Grow: Management Project Lead, Association of Business Mentors
15:20 afternoon break
15:45 Finance and investment expert panel
This panel discussion will be chaired by Michael Hayman MBE and be a great opportunity to gain valuable industry insights into the different ways SMEs can access funding.
Key takeaways will include:
- how to overcome the 5 main challenges to scaling your business.
- what type of finance is most suitable at different stages of your business.
- how to attract the right investors.
- how angel investors can help de-risk your SME and connect you with the right people.
The expert panel will include:
Irene Graham OBE CEO, The ScaleUp Institute
Ian Sutherland CFO and Head of Net Zero, Tide
Alexis Toft Head, Minerva Business Angels
Michael Hayman Co-founder, Seven Hills
16:20 Closing address
The closing address will be delivered by Small Business Charter Patron and Cobra Beer founder, Lord Karan Bilimoria.
Lord Karan Bilimoria Founder, Cobra Beer
16:30 Closing remarks from the conference chair
The closing remarks will be delivered by the conference chair and Small Business Charter Chair, Michael Hayman MBE.
Michael Hayman Co-founder, Seven Hills
16:40 Conference ends
17:00 Doors close
Enquiries
If you have any questions, please get in touch by email at HTGM.Events@smallbusinesscharter.org or contact the Small Business Charter by phone on 020 7634 9584.
