Anyone who attended it would tell you how FREEZING COOOOLD it was. It was colder inside than it was outside, despite that hundreds of new business starters, slightly & well established sole traders/companies trooped in to see headline speakers and exhibitors, attend seminars and workshops!
I enjoyed the first day so much I attended all three days. The event was packed with amazing and inspiring keynote speakers like Simon Coulson, Sir Richard Branson, Stedman Graham (Oprah Winfrey's partner), Ritu Sithi, Chris Johnson, Mark Nathwani all giving 'insights into their business experiences and pitfalls, guiding us into the next stage of our business'.
There were expert help and advice from 200 exhibitors running seminars and workshops aimed at start-up businesses (find out how to keep ahead of your competition), businesses running for 2 or more years (help and advice you need to develop your businesses growth, potential and profitability) and bigger businesses (explore new ideas, routes to market and multiple business opportunities).
Being a start-up business, I was not only there to Network, Listen & Learn, I needed to find a way to use my time effectively in order to grasp as much information and any crumbs of knowledge I could get so as to move my business, keep ahead of my competitions and learned new ideas.
I attended lots of workshops and seminars that were not only informative and educative but only inspirational like:
How social media can power a small business by businesszone.co.uk
How to use social media and digital commerce for online success by Gloople (Warren Knight)
Legal world of setting up and running your own business by Ritu Sithi
What every business needs to know about trade mark by CAMS
I sat in on so much more but the above were among the ones I found extremely helpful, although during a lot of the workshops and seminars, I found my brain working over time. It was like I had planted my brain in an extremely fertile soil of business knowledge....it was simply amazing. I had never experienced such a thing and even up to date, my brain keeps working over time. Simply put, it pays to be around, associated with, network with minds that can take you places.
Warren Knight was amazing, if I had money I would definitely attend his courses, and I plan to when I have some disposable income.
All in all, I am terribly grateful to my mentor at KIS training for informing me of this incredible opportunity. Being at this event has helped spark the electricity that's now showing me how I can grow my business.
Advice that I will carry with me through out this journey:
1. Keep it simple by Richard Branson
2. Set up with a group of like minded people, chat on skype, keep each other motivated by Cathy Presland
3. Revisit your market strategy every 3 months, make adjustments, go where your business takes you by Sarasparilla
4. Stay sole trader as long as possible, do what is right for your business by Nikki Hesford of misfitUK
5. Don't just work hard, work smart; see an opportunity - make decision & take action by Mark Nathwani
6. Make your website easy to use, easy to navigate, easy to understand by David Miles
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Stedman Graham is the CEO of S. Graham & Associates, bestselling author, serial entrepreneurs, consultant and Oprah Winfrey’s significant other
Set up Student magazine when he was 16, founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, shortly afterwards opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London, built a recording studio (Virgin Music) in Oxford shire in 1972. Virgin Group has now expanded into leisure, travel, tourism, mobile, broadband, TV, radio, music festivals, finance and health and through Virgin Green Fund we are investing in renewable energy and resource efficiency.
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