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2018 Summit Programme

Examining Financing Options and Best Practice for Revenue Generation

October 31st | Royal Lancaster, London

Morning Schedule

08:30 – Coffee and networking

09:00 – Welcome note and introduction by SmallBusiness.co.uk

09:05 – Opening keynote address

Speaker: Kelly Tolhurst: MP, Minister for Small Business, Parliamentary Under-Secretary
(Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)

09:30 – Keynote address One: Overview and outlook for the UK economy

  • What’s been happening in the UK economy
  • What’s expected to happen to growth and inflation over the next few years
  • How the Monetary Policy Committee’s views on interest rates are evolving

Speaker: Ms Lai Wah Co: Deputy Agent for Greater London, Bank of England

10:10 – Start-up loans: Affordable finance and support for new and early stage businesses

Speaker: Jane Cormack: Product Development and Delivery Director, Start Up Loans

  • What is a Start Up Loan?
  • Who can apply?
  • What does the application process involve?
  • Why Start Up Loans might be a good option for you
  • Start Up Loans recipient success stories
  • Getting started

10:40 – Coffee and networking

11:00 – 11:30 – Case Study: Overcoming Cashflow Hurdles – The Perkbox startup to scale-up story

  • The Perkbox story: three pivots and a mission
  • Capital efficiency
  • How to fund for success: knowing how and when to find funding

Speaker: Chieu Cao: Co-Founder and CMO, Perkbox

11:30 – 12:10 – From ‘worker’ to business owner: putting together a living business plan

  • How to stand out from the crowd and win new business
  • Your personal survival budget
  • How to manage the cash
  • The importance of pricing
  • Allocating costs and efficient book keeping
  • How to achieve both financial security and growth

Speaker: Peter Searle: Director, Business Doctors

12:10 – LUNCH

Afternoon Schedule

13:15 – Afternoon welcome

13:20 – Case Study: Generating revenue: making your brand work for you

  • How to build a brand
  • Selling an idea not just a product
  • Emotionally connecting with your customer
  • Driving your core values & benefits

Speaker: Ania Richmond: Founder and MD, Pommade Divine Skincare 

13:50 – Keynote address two: Small business priorities for the UK

  • Small business sentiment in the UK
  • Supporting the self-employed
  • Improving the experience of small suppliers and tackling late payment
  • The future of trade

Speaker: Martin McTague, Policy & Advocacy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses

14:20 – Case Study: Ma Baker: Solvency, social media and the sole trader

  • Business beginnings
  • Sole trader marketing and revenue generation
  • Managing cashflow
  • Success and growth
  • Looking to the future

Speaker: Liz Wilson: Founder, Ma Baker

14:50 – Coffee and networking

15:10 – 15:40 – Case Study: From ‘scratching’ around for cash flow, to rolling in clover

  • How to start a brand with just £500.
  • Launching into new categories to build sales and profit
  • Balancing rapid growth v lack of working capital and profit
  • How we avoided some near misses and raised funds
  • Lessons learned

Speaker: Nick Coleman: Founder & CEO, The Snaffling Pig Co.

15:40 – 16:10 – Panel Discussion: Alternative funding opportunities for small businesses

  • Why use alternative funding options, and how do you decide which option is right for you?
  • What do funders look for in a small business when seeking to invest and what do they avoid?

Panellists: 
Angelika Burawska: Chief Operating Officer, Startup Funding Club
Xavier Ballester, Director at Angel Investment Network’s Startup and Property Divisions
Colin Goldstein, Commercial Growth Director, iwoca

16:15 – 16:20 – Chair’s closing thoughts

16:15 -16:45 – Networking and close