South-East regional event: London

Breakfast and refreshments provided.

Flora Hamilton, CEO, Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Michael Hayman MBE DL, Chair, Small Business Charter and co-founder of Seven Hills.

Michael’s podcast with Hardeep Rai that he referenced is available to listen to here.

Kevin is a strong advocate of the small and medium-sized business sector and is currently serving as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade. Over the years, he has campaigned hard for more investment in digital networks, skills training and private sector investment, which he believes is key to growing the UK economy. Kevin will draw on all his business experience to talk with you about the importance of SMEs and the current economic environment you operate in.

During the Minister’s speech he recommended a book called The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber which explores why most small businesses don’t work.

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.

In this interactive workshop session, Adrian Furnham will shed light on how SME leaders can develop a growth mindset, and take their company to the next level.

Adrian Furnham, Organisational behaviour psychologist and consultant.

Adrian’s presentation is available here.

For SMEs, a certain amount of trial and error is inevitable when trying new things but too much can waste time and resources. Getting the right information and advice early on is vital in order to effectively grow your business. In this session, our panel will outline the support available to SME leaders in your region and how to access it.

The panel will include:

Jeremy Smith, Head of Enterprise Delivery, Natwest;

Rifat Jan, Innovation and Grow Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE;

Deborah Millington, Head of Small Business, London and Partners;

Rob Lewtas, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Department for Business and Trade;

Susan Elliott, Senior Manager, British Business Bank.

Every internationally recognised household name was once a small business that rose above the crowd by innovating, taking calculated risks, and having the confidence to grow.

A critical factor in the success of an SME is its ability to think big and set ambitious goals. In this panel session, we will hear from a range of successful entrepreneurs on what an effective ‘growth mindset’ is and how they managed to seize the right opportunities and scale their ideas. They will share actionable insights and inspiring stories about how you can drive growth, even in challenging market conditions.

Key takeaways will include:

• understanding the role of innovation and agility in driving growth and expanding into new markets;
• strategies for identifying and pursuing new business opportunities;
• exploring how to overcome common challenges and obstacles to growth;
• learning what a healthy company culture looks like and how it drives prosperity.

The panel will include:

David Abrahamovitch, Founder and CEO, Grind;

Charlotte Keenan, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs;

Andrea Reynolds, Founder and CEO, Swoop.

The power of purpose in a post-Covid world

In a post-Covid world, running a business with a clearly defined purpose has never been more important. For customers and employees alike, the social and environmental responsibility of an organisation now weighs heavily on the scales of choice. But as a business leader, how do you balance this with the need to prioritise short-term revenues in the face of an unforgiving economic environment?

In this thought-provoking presentation, Hardeep Rai, CEO and co-founder of The Kaleidoscope Group, will share details of three remarkable, life-changing events and how he leveraged those experiences to guide his company’s purpose and make powerful decisions that continue to propel him and his team to succeed.

Key takeaways from the session will include:

• helping you to better define/understand your purpose;
• helping you to effectively communicate that purpose throughout your organisation;
• helping you to engage with more diverse communities (specifically disability) to generate increased revenue.

Hardeep Rai, Group Chief Executive, The Kaleidoscope Group of Companies .

Michael Hayman MBE DL, Chair, Small Business Charter and co-founder of Seven Hills.

After lunch, we will be inviting you to choose between two interactive sessions. Both sessions be running simultaneously.

Session 1 – Meeting top-tier talent for your business

Our post-lunch session will focus on the role that business schools can play in helping SMEs acquire high-calibre candidates through internships, apprenticeships, and work placements. We also explore, how engaging MSc and PhD research students can provide valuable, bespoke business insights.

The panellists will share examples of SMEs that have successfully leveraged the expertise of business schools to engage top talent and provide valuable data that enabled better decision-making.

The session will end with a networking exercise to introduce business owners and business school students interested in internships, work placements, full-time positions or research within SMEs.

Key takeaways will include:

• how to initiate and manage collaborations with business schools effectively;
• proven strategies and actionable insights that help tap into affordable talent and consultation resources;
• how SMEs can help tailor the right employees for themselves;
• an opportunity to network the business school students looking for opportunities within SMEs.

Fiona McGonigle, Business Engagement and Innovation Lead, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

Lyn Hamblin, Programme Director, Help to Grow: Management and Head of Graduate Outcomes, London South Bank University.

Session 2 – Sustainability – necessity and opportunity: A practical guide for SMEs

This workshop will provide you with insights and practical approaches that can help you align your businesses with sustainability goals across environmental, social, and economic topics that resonate with customers and employees alike. The session will be facilitated by Christoph Geppert from Grain Sustainability consultancy which has supported many businesses in developing and implementing their sustainability ambitions. You will gain insights into how you can make your business practices more sustainable while cutting costs, improving your reputation and increasing profitability.

There will be a mix of informative presentation, practical case study examples and interactive discussions to help you identify areas of your business with the biggest potential impact in the drive for sustainability. You will also have the opportunity to meet with fellow small business leaders to exchange best practice.

This workshop will cover:

• what is sustainability?
• the business case for sustainability;
• understanding the alphabet soup: from B Corp to the UN’s SDGs, GRI to ISO;
• what is carbon reporting and how does one achieve high-quality numbers;
• sustainable procurement and supply chain management;
• environmental reporting and compliance;
• building a sustainability strategy;
• communicating without greenwashing.

Christoph Geppert, Director, Grain Sustainability

Christoph’s presentation is available here.