Wales Regional event: Cardiff
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SOUTH Wales Regional event: Cardiff
Highlighted speakers:
Dr Suzanne Ross Principal Lecturer, SME short courses, Nottingham Business School
Councillor Bablin Molik The Right Honourable, The Lord Mayor of Cardiff
Huw Thomas Leader, Cardiff Council
This event has now ended
This event will feature a highly compelling masterclass, led by leadership expert and executive coach, Dr Suzanne Ross. Suzanne will dissect how the role of a leader changes as a business grows and highlight personal and team development techniques that are crucial for success. This will be followed by a session on regional productivity exploring how Welsh businesses can maximise their capacity to grow, and keynotes from Cardiff-based founders about their entrepreneurial journey to success.
We will also be introducing something new and exciting this year: business support. This is your chance to speak to our experts 1-2-1 and gain a fresh perspective on elevating your business. You will have the opportunity to book a 10-minute slot on the day and access targeted support focused on the needs of your business. Seize the chance to connect directly with SME advisors from the Department for Business and Trade, NatWest, and local business support. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn, engage, and build lasting connections.
Agenda
08:30 Breakfast and registration
Breakfast and refreshments will be provided.
09:00 Welcome Address
The Right Honourable, The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor Bablin Molik
09:10 Opening remarks from the conference chair
Professor Rachel Ashworth, Dean and Head of Cardiff Business School
09:15 Keynote address
Huw Thomas, Leader, Cardiff Council
09:40 SME masterclass: Overcoming the barriers to success – Become a strategic leader
In many instances, business failure can be attributed to a leader’s inability to strategically manage both the organisation and its employees. Poor leadership, irrespective of your business’s size, has far-reaching consequences on culture, productivity, and ultimately, growth. In this enlightening masterclass, SME coach, Dr. Suzanne Ross will delve into the transformation of a leader’s role as a business expands. She’ll spotlight essential techniques for personal and team development, critical for achieving success.
Key takeaways will include:
- identifying the mindset shift needed to transition to a strategic leader
- recognising how dysfunctional leadership affects growth.
- mitigating derailing leadership behaviours.
- how to let go and delegate in a way that empowers staff, engages customers, and improves performance.
Join us for this highly engaging masterclass, where you’ll acquire the knowledge to proactively prevent organisational dysfunction, foster a productive workplace environment, and parallelly foster the growth of your business. It’s an opportunity to learn and implement strategies that enable your business to thrive and evolve.
Dr. Suzanne Ross, SME Coach and Leadership Expert
11:00 mid-morning break
11:20 Regional business productivity
This panel session will be divided into two parts.
Part 1 – Panel session
During this panel session, you will be taken through the journey of how the founder of Penderyn Welsh Whisky, Brian Morgan, was able to finance and grow his business to become a household name and an internationally recognisable symbol of Wales. Brian, accompanied by industry experts, will delve into a comprehensive analysis of Welsh business productivity and strategies for enhancement. Join us to unravel the secrets of flourishing as a Welsh-based business by addressing crucial productivity challenges.
Key takeaways will include:
- how to improve managerial capacity.
- appropriate skills training.
- the importance of networking and regional support services.
- overcoming the digital deficit.
- a case study: Penderyn Welsh Whisky – insights into planning, branding, funding, and building the right team.
Part 2 – Group discussions
Following the panel session, you’ll participate in interactive group discussions. These small groups will provide a platform for reflecting on your key takeaways from the panel and responding to prompts facilitated by session leaders. Engage in meaningful conversations and collaborative insights to further solidify your understanding and apply the learnings to your unique business context.
Brian Morgan, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Founder of Penderyn Welsh Whisky
Shayoni Lynn, CEO and Founder, Lynn
Paul Butterworth, CEO, Chambers Wales
Kate Methuen-Ley, Strategy Advisor, Kateml.com
12:20 keynote ADDRESS: Founding and scaling Cardiff’s 2023 fastest-growing firm
Nick Collins, Founder and CEO, Cleverchefs
12:45 Closing remarks from the conference chair
Professor Rachel Ashworth, Dean and Head of Cardiff Business School
12:55 Lunch and networking
Resources
Dr. Suzanne Ross, SME Coach and Leadership Expert
Suzanne’s presentation from the masterclass
Productivity panel:
Managing Productivity in Welsh Firms: Final Report 2020
Productivity Report: Conclusions and Policy Recommendations
Nick Collins, Founder and CEO, Cleverchefs
Nick’s presentation from his keynote address
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.
Capacity is limited so please register your place as soon as possible.
About our Speakers
Dr Suzanne Ross Principal Lecturer, SME short courses, Nottingham Business School
Councillor Bablin Molik The Right Honourable, The Lord Mayor of Cardiff
Rachel Ashworth
Shayoni Lynn CEO and founder, Lynn
Professor Brian Morgan Professor of Entrepreneurship, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Director of its Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre
Nick Collins Founder, Cleverchefs
Paul Butterworth CEO, Chambers Wales
Kate Methuen-Ley Strategy Advisor, Kateml.com
About our business support
Department for business and trade
The Department for Business and Trade helps UK SMEs identify and win new sales opportunities in overseas markets. They do this by providing advice, market intelligence and custom-made support to maximise your potential growth whilst minimising risk when selling products or services overseas.
To make the most of this opportunity, we ask that you prepare your “pitch” by developing your export plan using the structure in the following link as a guide – https://www.great.gov.uk/advice/create-an-export-plan/how-to-create-an-export-plan/
Rob Lewtas Strategic Partnerships Manager, Department for Business and Trade
Development Bank of Wales
The Development Bank of Wales supports businesses in the Welsh community. If your SME is a new or established company that needs access to debt or equity finance, the Development Bank of Wales can provide the funding and advice you need to grow your business.
They provide equity funding for early-stage tech startups, ambitious businesses looking to grow and support for management buy-outs. These equity funds can invest from £50k to £10m.
The Development Bank of Wales also offers business loans and specialist funds for tourism businesses and property developers, which can be combined with Welsh Government grants. Their loans range from £1k to £10m over terms of up to 15 years.
Innovate UK
Innovate UK is a UK-based innovation agency that aims to drive business innovation and productivity. They provide facilities and a framework of funding, finance and one-to-one support from over 400 innovation specialists and scaleup directors embedded in every UK region and nation.
Please come ready to discuss your products and services, as well as your growth ambitions.
Be prepared to:
- Sharpen your commercial strategies
- Realise your maximum value from your IP
- Raise game-changing investments
Natwest
The NatWest Accelerator supports and empowers UK entrepreneurs to scale their businesses to the next level.
This free accelerator programme offers:
- One-to-one coaching with experienced Acceleration Managers
- A programme of thought leadership and events
- Access to a network of like-minded peers, supported by our Ecosystem Managers
- Focused support with access to experts from across your specialism
- Modern co-working spaces in one of our nationwide hubs.
If you’d like to hear more about Natwest’s accelerator programme or enterprise financial health checks, be sure to book your slot and speak to their representative.
Whether you bank with Natwest or not, they can support your business’s growth plans.
