Archive - June, 2009

The Business Show Bristol 2009

June 26, 2009 in Uncategorized with Comments Off

The Business Show Bristol 2009

The Business Show Bristol 2009

The Business Show returns to Bristol on 16th September 2009, at Brunel’s Old Station, between 9.30am – 4.30pm.

The Business Show is the key business-to-business exhibition event in Bristol, open to the wider business community across the South West.

The show will feature a range of exhibitors, a seminar programme, 6 free speed networking sessions and a conference café – as well as wider networking opportunities throughout the day.

FREE entry for registered visitors.

View more information about this key event plus highlights from last year’s Bath Business Show by visiting our main website via link below.

A range of regular stands and affordable pop-up pitches* starting at just £75 are now on sale!

Register to attend or book a stand at  The Business Show Bristol 2009.

*Pop-up Pitch option is available exclusively to GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce members. If you would like to consider joining us to take advantage of this option click here

Changes at the top for Bath Chamber

June 16, 2009 in Bristol, Event with Comments Off

New leaders have been announced for both the Bath Chamber of Commerce and for the Initiative in B&NES.

Frank Collins was elected President at the Chamber’s AGM after Theresa McDermott stood down after a four year stint. Brigid Musselwhite, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal United Hospital will be his deputy. Meanwhile, Jonathan O’ Shea, Chief Executive of St John’s Hospital, has become Chairman of the Initiative in succession to Colin Skellett, from Wessex Water, who will remain as Chair of Future Bath Plus. They will be supported by Ian Bell, who has been made Executive Director for both the Chamber and Initiative in B&NES.

It will be the third time Frank, Finance Partner at Mogers Solicitors, has been Chamber President since he first came to Bath in 1991, and as he told members at the AGM, he’s relatively optimistic about the area’s future prospects.

“Obviously we are going through a difficult economic period but I sometimes think there is a tendency for people to talk themselves into despondency, making a tough situation even worse and producing a self fulfilling prophecy of gloom.”

“My attitude is we should emphasise the positives and be pleased that we have a number of reasons to feel confident. As the Chamber’s economic barometer has regularly shown, Bath continues to perform at above the regional and national average on a range of measurements.”

“The most important thing is that the Chamber serves its members well and contributes to discussions about how economic growth can be best managed and so bring prosperity to everyone when the upturn comes,” he said.

Over at the Initiative in B&NES, which works closely with the Chamber, although with a separate membership, Jonathan O’Shea, is planning for a period of listening and learning.

“St John’s Hospital is an 800 year old charity which has considerable commercial property holdings in the area, currently second only to the Council itself, and therefore it is right that the organisation plays its part in shaping the future of Bath and North East Somerset.”

“However, I have only been in the post of Chief Executive for just over a year so I am conscious that I need to immerse myself in the issues of concern to the business community, but also to the rest of society as a whole, especially those who have fewer advantages such as the old, the sick or the homeless,” said Jonathan.

One of the first people he spoke to was to John Savage, Chief Executive of GWE Business West, who leads the Initiative for the whole of the West of England.

“He explained that for twenty years, the Initiative activity centred in Bristol has encouraged the involvement of businesses in key issues, such as transport, housing, economic development, education and skills.”

“All of those topics are  underpinned with a desire to produce a sustainable, high quality of life for everyone, including the disadvantaged. That is an admirable concept and one that chimes well with the values of St John’s which has to run as a successful business in order to help those in need.”

“The Initiative in B&NES is a strong partnership between business and the Council. It provides an excellent basis for dialogue and exchange of information and I trust, will continue to make a real contribution to the life of the whole of the district,” said Jonathan.

For information about membership of the GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce network, which includes Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire & Gloucestershire – click here

Networking Events Evolve!

June 11, 2009 in Event with 1 Comment

New event series launched: 'Breakfast at Caffe Carluccio's'

New event series launched: 'Breakfast at Caffe Carluccio's'

The GWE Business West Events team, led by events programme manager, Amanda Davey, manage a full cross-regional programme of varied events designed for business.

The team are in the process of evolving the events programme to reflect the current economy, changing markets and customer expectations. Event attendance prices have been reduced across the programme, where possible, and the team have also introduced a number of exciting new networking opportunities into the calendar.

GWE Business West Events remain one of the top reasons why members join our Chambers of Commerce network and provide a dynamic range of business to business networking opportunities to the business community across the region. In fact, event bookings show an 8% increase during the period Nov – May 08/09, as compared with the previous period for 07/08, despite the current economic climate, with the events team managing an astounding 4265 delegate bookings in the last 7 months.  

The economy has simply challenged the team to adapt our networking opportunities and formats to match evolving markets and to suit business needs.

New events in the programme include ‘Breakfast at Caffe Carluccio’s’, a new monthly breakfast series open to all businesses for just £8.69 + VAT, which offers a fresh format where delegates can present on their business for two minutes. The first event took place yesterday, already generating positive feedback from members.

Emi Carmichael, account director at SiteClick Ltd told us. ‘Yesterday’s Speed Networking and today’s Carluccio’s Breakfast were by far the best day-time events I’ve attended! Networking is about business, and the bottom line is that I met many like-minded, positive decision makers this morning.  I’m confident that I’ll be meeting, recommending and doing business with some of the people I met at Carluccio’s today. I would personally recommend this event to any business that is looking to network and raise their profile in Bristol – I’m just off to book my place at the next event as I’m sure it will sell out soon!’ 

Another member, Alastair Sawday, chairman of the Alastair Sawday Publishing Company Ltd says. ‘I hugely enjoyed my breakfast at Carluccio’s, the breakfast was delicious, service excellent and generous, and the format of giving us all 2 minutes to say our piece was stimulating as well as entertaining. In fact, where else can you listen to a dozen people briefly and efficiently telling you about their commitment and passion for their work? I learned a lot, was provoked into generating some powerful ideas, and made some contacts that I will certainly follow up. Two hours well spent!’

A further opportunity is a new regular event format designed as part of our Women’s Networking series, ‘Just a Minute!’ Dedicated to women in business, delegates wishing to present for three minutes can place their business card in a hat on arrival at the event to be drawn at random when the event is opened.

To view our full programme of events visit http://www.gwebusinesswest.co.uk/

NATURE OUTWEIGHS NURTURE IN THE MAKE-UP OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

June 9, 2009 in Guest Blogger with Comments Off

  • Eight out of ten believe personality traits drove them to successO272dpi
  • Only 14% see education as influencing factor
  • ‘Obsessive Optimism’ identified as key trait for success

Great entrepreneurs are born, not made, according to the findings of a study published today to launch the O2 X Awards. Findings from the research concluded that boardroom success has got more to do with personality than it has with formal education, great connections and learning from those with more experience.

The study, commissioned to launch the O2 X Awards, which recognise and reward successful small businesses, was created by O2 to determine whether entrepreneurialism is a matter of nature or nurture.

Researchers surveyed more than 500 small businesses, conducted over ten hours of one-one-to interviews with a group of entrepreneurs and carried out in-depth research into the backgrounds of some of the UK’s best known businessmen.

Education, for many, had little impact on the road to success, with only 14% of those included in the study placing significant emphasis on the importance of their formal education on their business achievements and less than a third (31%) had studied business or for a specific business qualification.

Whilst over two thirds (67%) recognised the importance of life experience and previous employment in nurturing these qualities, the research indicates that these traits are inherent rather than learnt. Six out of ten entrepreneurs (60%) launched their first business by the age of thirty and on average had spent less than ten years in the work place before venturing out on their own.

In terms of starting up their own business, less than a fifth (17%) received direct financial backing from their families and cited that family connections had not helped them get a foot up on the career ladder.

The researchers found that the vast majority (84%) of the entrepreneurs in the study shared a distinct set of traits that were the reason for their success. None of the traits were learned, rather they were all present as part of the individual’s personality and constitute the DNA of the entrepreneur.

The five key personality traits forming the entrepreneur DNA:

1. ‘Obsessive optimism’: this approach to business creates a resilient attitude to failure and setbacks, an essential trait when starting out as your own boss .

2. Enjoyment of responsibility: a highly developed sense of responsibility enables successful business people to view responsibility as an attraction rather than a burden.

3. Desire to achieve: a major driver of entrepreneurial behaviour which enables successful business people to be single-minded about achieving their goals in spite of obstacles.

4. The reward of hard work: small business owners are driven by reward, both in the monetary sense, but also in the more emotional sense of reward and pride in driving their business forward.

5. The urge to be self-employed from childhood: This trait was present in nearly half (48%) of those questioned and also a common trait amongst celebrity entrepreneurs such as Sir Alan Sugar .

Finally, friends, not family, were seen as the people most likely to help them on the road to success. Over three quarters (76%) of those questioned had other small business owners in their close circle of friends and over half (54%) were actively encouraged by friends to start out on their own.

The research marks the launch of the O2 X Awards 2009 which is looking to find the UK’s best Male, Female and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Now in its sixth year, O2 will reward the most original and innovative businesses with a cash boost of £5,000 as well as mentoring from a business expert and marketing support. To find out how to enter, visit www.o2.co.uk/xawards

Simon Devonshire, Head of Small Business Marketing, O2 commented: ‘Our research demonstrates that there are prevailing qualities common to successful entrepreneurs, whether they are just starting out, right through to some of the UK’s most celebrated entrepreneurs. The ‘obsessive optimism’ trait is arguably more important than ever in the current economic climate. With SMEs facing economic setbacks, an optimistic and resilient outlook is essential to maintain confidence in their business.’

‘O2 is passionate about small business and the O2 X Awards is a great platform to reward the UK’s best entrepreneurs. Previous winners of the O2 X Awards have gone onto achieve great things and used their O2 X Award win as a springboard to successfully grow their business.’