2024 The Business Show AGENDA

A step by step guide to business growth providing a summary of each of the 10 steps to growth

Keep your Business from being hacked!
We will discuss 3 important mistakes that business owners are making that leaves them at risk to hackers.

The seminar will outline the most common ways of valuing businesses for investment or sale – based on turnover, profit, asset value, enterprise value and market valuation and the most common mistakes.

In this 20-minute seminar, discover strategies to regain control of your business and personal life.

Ideal for entrepreneurs and professionals feeling overwhelmed, it offers practical solutions for aligning actions with values, mastering goal setting, achieving financial clarity, enhancing customer experiences, optimising time management, and prioritising effectively.

Feel empowered and equipped to strike a balance and gain more time freedom.

Are you considering buying a business?   Buying a business that’s already trading may be quicker and easier than starting from scratch.  I’ll take you through five easy to understand steps when buying an existing business.

Aside from the obvious ‘big brands’, the wonderful world of franchising is often misunderstood. There truly is opportunity aplenty for individuals, partnerships or groups of would – be – franchisees. Rob will outline why a Franchise Resale could present you with the perfect platform for business ownership, and the key considerations when weighing up a new start franchise, franchise resale or a standalone SME opportunity. 

Berry Wand, a local business owner, knew that harnessing data was key to driving growth and success but wasn’t sure where to start. After attending a seminar on building a data-driven business, she gained practical strategies to foster a data-focused culture, overcome resistance to change, and implement effective data practices. Armed with a clear blueprint, Sarah felt confident in leading her business toward a future where data informs every critical decision.

 

We’ve all seen accountability done tremendously badly, especially those of us with corporate backgrounds. In fact, it’s rare to have seen it done well. Join Amy to learn her unique way to create a culture of accountability, using both the hammer and the heart, that drives the results you crave.

During the seminar, Ilinca will discuss the legal challenges businesses encounter and the strategies to overcome them. She will emphasise the pervasive role of law in every aspect of business operations, highlighting the essential dos and don'ts that must be considered at each stage of the business process

An agency brief can make or break a project. In this session, I’ll share insights from over a decade of responding to briefs, teaching you how to craft the perfect brief, vet agencies, and improve project outcomes. You'll also get a sneak peek at the best and worst briefs I’ve seen and leave with a unique template to guide your process.

This seminar looks at the rapidly emerging opportunities in Management Systems and Environmental Sustainability.  We’ll look at how People skilled in these areas can transform an organisations fortune and in doing so create value in their roles.  Then, most importantly we’ll discuss – how to make it happen!

Ignite your brand’s unstoppable growth and discover how to build disruptive brands from the inside-out. Learn how to transform your brand into a market leader. Discover how to leverage your internal culture, storytelling strategy, and creative design to create brands that captivate and convert. Perfect for ambitious scale-up business owners ready to make the world sit-up and pay attention!

Now is the time for us to increase our awareness of the climate crisis. Businesses cannot operate without the planet.

Buying A Business is arguably the riskiest purchase you will ever make.

 

And also, the most exciting and adventurous.

 

But in order to manage the business risk and ensure you make a good investment, there are a number of factors you need to take into account……and your gut feeling is definitely one of them.

 

Expect the unexpected and ask every question that comes to mind. Spend your money wisely!

This session promises to take you on a deep dive into all things value, focusing on you as the centre who drives the profit and profile of your business. Be ready to engage for an interactive session that will help to kickstart the momentum you need to reach new heights in your business and your bank balance.

Are you tired of being a one-man band, struggling to keep all the different parts of your business in sync? With integrated services, you can bring everything together seamlessly, avoiding the chaos of working with multiple disconnected systems, increase efficiency, and saved time and money. It's a game-changer for businesses and we have a wide range of clients who tend to agree! Join us and let's make your business thrive together.

An economic review focusing on areas/trends that are having a positive impact on growth for businesses.

More than a buzzword, you can utilize AI for your everyday startup and small business operations. This seminar will walk through some of the common tools that you can use right now with your team to scale and grow your operations and business.The talk will feature practical solutions distilled into 5 actionable items you can bring to your startups and teams tomorrow!

International expansion offers significant growth opportunities for SMEs. However, navigating local legislation, talent management, HR practices, and initial financial investment can be challenging and risky. These hurdles often deter SMEs from fully capitalising on international opportunities.

In this seminar, we'll explore the concept of the Flexible Workforce solution and discuss how it can empower your growth strategy, dismantle barriers to international expansion, and provide the speed and flexibility needed for safe business growth.

Looking at the most important areas of personal and business planning for owner managers, both during their working lives & upon retirement/exit from their business

Wealth management and financial planning advice for business owners, allowing you to run your business to the best of your capabilities as we work with you to help reduce and manage risks, attract and retain the best employess, tax efficiently extract profits and giving you the best possible exit/succession strategy.

Publishing a book is a phenomenal way to establish yourself as an industry expert, but what makes for a successful business book? Discover the secrets to aligning your book with your business goals, ensuring it’s of the highest quality, maintaining control over your publishing process, maximizing your book's reach, and integrating your book into your business ecosystem.

Join us for an immersive seminar where you'll learn the fundamentals of why we use Bubble, the leading no-code development platform for building apps fast for our clients. This session will guide you through the entire app-building process we use, from initial concept to deployment. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a business professional, or a tech enthusiast, this seminar will provide you with the tools and knowledge to create and launch your own apps quickly.

Start a trip from your business idea to market success. This talk gives business owners and leaders key tips for making strong business plans and using great marketing methods. Learn how to match your big ideas with real-world goals, handle market problems, and use the latest marketing tricks. Find out how to make a plan for success, get customers interested, and do better than other businesses.

GDPR is one of those things all businesses should be doing, but almost 70% aren’t doing it right. For many, this is because they find it boring, and why we aim to make it fun. Come along to this seminar and discover why we say “If it’s fun it gets done, if it’s a bore it’s a chore”

We’ll be exploring 4 things that every start-up can do easily and cheaply to give themselves a great foundation for success. The seminar is aimed at early-stage start-ups that are still figuring things out. We’ve carried out focus groups, surveys, and research to understand what start-ups wish they’d known at the beginning - and now we’re
sharing that with you.

Getting your business acquisition right – essential tips for success.

As business owners, there are lots of things that we can do ourselves, to help our websites get found online. 

Beks will share her top tips in an easy to understand, jargon-free way.

Smash Marketing works with SMEs to increase their visibility online through a variety of SEO tactics.

How to generate competitive tension to maximise exit value

• Understand AI Ethics: Explore existing ethical guidelines and regulations surrounding AI, including the significant insights from the AI Act.

• Solutions and Insights: Discover ways to embed ethical practices into your AI journey using the innovative Smart Ethics platform.

• Challenges and Opportunities: Uncover the complexities of navigating AI ethics in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape

Alex from ASC Finance for Business will cover everything you need to know about raising finance to buy a business, from how much you can borrow, to what information lenders need to see.

How does AI affect marketing and advertising? What are today's CMOs' must-have AI tools?

Winning awards takes preparation and skill. And that’s assuming you’re entering the right ones to begin with. Find out why you should be participating in awards, how to create submissions that will stand out to the judges and how to leverage your PR and marketing activity throughout the process. This session is for entrepreneurs (new and mature), serial entrepreneurs and anyone in business who wants to get their brand noticed.

The seminar will guide you in creating a comprehensive wellbeing strategy, starting with understanding your workforce's demographic and needs through surveys. We'll assess your current offerings, explore wellbeing frameworks, and various options to integrate wellbeing into your core strategy and daily operations. Emphasis will be on designing a multi-dimensional, inclusive approach, balancing digital and in-person activities, and fostering community engagement.

 

Struggled with making important decisions quickly? Don’t fall behind high-velocity entrepreneurs, become one!
Learn techniques from an award-winning management consultant who’s developed a method to make decision-
making simpler with high impact and low risk. By the end of the session, you will have an approach to push you
forward faster without being reckless, and you’ll see how it’s been done by successful entrepreneurs so that you
can do it yourself.

This seminar provides practical advice to CMOs, Marketing Directors and Managers who struggle to manage multiple websites. It addresses common pain points including inefficient content management, high maintenance costs and poor search engine rankings. 

 

It covers topics like brand and website architecture, content management efficiency, domain management, SEO, international websites, reducing maintenance costs, enhancing SERP rankings and improving security. 

 

It explores solutions including WordPress Multisite and multi-tenancy websites. 

Every business will own intellectual property - the name you trade under, the look or the function of products you make or use, even the brochures you create to promote your business. The Intellectual Property Office can help you understand how your IP can be protected effectively. 

Every business will own intellectual property - the name you trade under, the look or the function of products you make or use, even the brochures you create to promote your business. The Intellectual Property Office can help you understand how your IP can be protected effectively. 

If you are in the B2B space, mastering LinkedIn is essential, but so many people do it wrong. In this talk, you'll learn how to write engaging posts, build your network with the right fit of people/ potential clients and create engaging messages that will create opportunities using AI to help make them personal and relevant.

Discover The Surprising Truth About Small-Scale Property Development For First Time Developers. Most people come with pre-conceptions about what’s involved in developing property. Not only are they usually wrong, they’re frequently AMAZED by the reality.

In this talk, veteran property developer Dan Nelson lifts the lid on how small development projects are perfect for first-time developers and can generate life-changing results in relatively short-timescales. 

Life can be stressful! Are you irritable, having trouble sleeping, or feeling anxious? Maybe your physical health is affected too. Running a business, or working in a high-pressure environment, and trying to juggle a family, run a home and have a social life, can become overwhelming. Join this seminar to gain an understanding of stress, and its effects. Experience powerful stress-busting techniques to help you feel calmer and in control.

The seminar will highlight the ways in which Young Ladies Club impact BME women and girls in STEM. We will detail our mentoring programme and curriculum that we deliver in schools and other educational establishments and the collaborative work we carry out with STEM organisations.

During this session, we’ll look at the importance of reviewing the content businesses spend so much time creating, to support their SEO and drive inbound leads. We’ll look at analysing content produced on a website to identify whether It’s performing well, along with how to identify content that is hindering a website’s ability to be found in search and harming the business’ potential to grow.

This seminar introduces a groundbreaking model for accelerating digital innovation in large organisations. We'll explore how virtual innovation hubs can overcome traditional barriers, blend external expertise with internal capabilities and deliver "innovation sovereignty" – your own, sustainable digital innovation capability. Learn how this flexible, scalable approach empowers companies to own their digital future, turning technological challenges into strategic advantages in an increasingly digital world.

Join Kitty Newman as she reveals how to avoid common marketing pitfalls and leverage powerful strategies to maximize your budget. With experience managing marketing for scale-ups, global brands, and running her own successful agency for 8 years, Kitty offers firsthand insights into making your marketing spend work smarter and deliver tangible results with a high return on marketing spend.

Lord Gascoigne and a panel of experts will explore the evolving landscape of British architecture. Discover the impact of AI-driven design and the enduring value of traditional apprenticeships through expert insights, comparative analysis, and future trends.

How to ensure SMEs not only survive, but thrive, in today’s technological jungle Showcasing which technologies enable, empower and futureproof SMEs by powering digital transformation, driving productivity, delivering efficiencies, protecting teams, data and reputations, ultimately increasing bottom line. Including examples of world-class technologies within SME budgets, which also provide high levels of IT support and management, ideal for SMEs who often have small IT teams and need expert outsourcing on-budget.

We will show you how you get more time and grow your business by outsourcing your calls and admin.  As a business owner, you're likely all too familiar with the stress and pressure that comes from juggling a heavy workload. Between managing day-to-day operations, communicating with customers, and dealing with administrative tasks, it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day.

What if I told you there was a solution that could help you get more time in the day to concentrate on growing your business, remove stress of the daily business operations and free up your time? That solution is outsourcing, all without the financial burdens of employing staff and worrying about working around the legalities of HMRC , Payroll and Employment Law. There is no need to pay for Holiday Pay, Sick Pay, Employers National Insurance Contributions, all this goes away when you outsource.

 

We will discuss the reasons why this is good for the business, the pros and cons of outsourcing and the various options that are available to business owners.

 

We will discuss the hurdles and challenges new business owners and start ups face along with the struggles of existing businesses trying to find the work life balance, time to grow and  the difficulties for them to get to the next level.

Can podcasting bring true value to your business? How can you take advantage of the medium without wasting money or making common mistakes?

 

In this workshop, award-winning producers Katharine Kerr (Author of Step-by-Step Podcasting for Business) and Rick Simmonds (Podcast Pioneers) help you approach podcasting like the experts. They’ll help you dream up a programme that’s achievable, provides value to your customers and deepens engagement with your brand and work.

We will explore the hidden high stakes in the world of event organising and complex project delivery, marked by deadline pressures, tight budgets, and intense scrutiny from stakeholders. We'll discuss how long hours, toxic work cultures, and competitive stress lead to mental health issues like anxiety and burnout. Our focus will be on transformative strategies that prioritise mental well-being, fostering collaboration and resilience to safeguard organisers against reputational risks and high-pressure failures.

Whether you are starting out or an established business, having a well configured Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform aligned to your strategy will provide massive benefits to your organisation and support business growth.

Enable your business to GAIN MORE LEADS, IMPROVE CONVERSIONS, INCREASE TRANSACTIONS, RAISE AVERAGE SPEND, HIGHER MARGINS – leading to PROFITABLE BUSINESS GROWTH.

In this spirited presentation, Damon will unveil how AI can drastically boost your online presence or empower your digital strategies. He'll explore cutting-edge AI tools in content creation, data-driven marketing insights, and innovative design. Whether you're building a brand or enhancing your agency's services, you'll leave equipped with practical, AI-driven techniques to revolutionise your digital footprint and engage audiences more effectively in today's competitive online landscape.

A ‘not to be missed’ seminar for those looking for practical examples of how to maximise the value of a company.

AI is the most transformative technology of our time. Whether you're new to AI or ready to dive deeper, this seminar will explore how AI can drive positive change for your SME. We'll address key concerns like job security, data safety, and the implementation process, offering practical tips to help you confidently integrate AI into your business while avoiding costly mistakes. Join us to unlock AI's potential for growth and innovation.

Confused about ESG or the race to NetZero? Do you want to build a culture that empowers employees, attracts new talent, wins tenders and improves brand reputation? We can help you on your sustainability journey.

Sustainability must be addressed by all. We need to work collectively to make significant impacts that will leave a positive legacy for future generations. 

Make 2023 the year for demonstrating your organisation’s sustainable actions.

This seminar is for individual investors and businesses interested in investing in property over the medium and long term. 

We will provide an overview of accounting for various property taxes, the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating your property business, and practical hints and tips to maximise your property income. There is no better time than now to make changes to how you account for your property business.

Digital Transformation can mean different things to different companies from super charging your startup venture to changing how your established business operates to opening up new revenue streams. Whatever stage you are at, there are key factors to consider to ensure a successful implementation, which we will cover, but our key focus will be on why the best talent in the right roles is integral throughout.

After 40+ years of both buying and selling businesses, I want to explore some of the basics

🚀 Are you ready to supercharge your business growth and secure the funding you need to achieve your entrepreneurial dreams? Join us for an inspiring session that will change the way you think about investment.

Join the Start-Up Revolution: Transform your future with our Raising Investment Seminar!

An inspiring seminar featuring Helen Cannon, Founder of ISON Travel, as she shares her journey from overcoming imposter syndrome as a working mother to founding a global company. Discover how motherhood shaped her career, leading to a business that prioritizes inclusion and flexibility, and how ISON Travel became one of Britain's fastest-growing private companies.

In today's competitive landscape, efficient Payroll and HR management is crucial for small businesses to thrive. This presentation highlights the advantages of outsourcing payroll to specialised providers instead of relying on traditional methods, addressing risks and emphasising benefits. Attendees will discover how outsourcing can streamline operations, enhance employee satisfaction, and enable businesses to focus on strategic growth while making informed payroll decisions that align with their growth objectives.

Discover how generative AI transforms intelligent document processing, creating adaptive customer communication platforms. Learn about the integration of advanced workflows, AI agents, and conversational interfaces, leading to highly personalized, efficient, and engaging interactions. Explore the future of adaptive communication platforms and how they can revolutionize your business's customer engagement strategies.

Every business should have a business-to-business/business-to-government strategy, simply put doing business with institutions. Doing business with institutions is the fastest way to grow and scale. Learn how to sell to any institution, whether local/state government, corporations, higher education institutions and even the federal government in just 90 days!

For ambitious businesses that are seeking to scale, it is vital to get your organisational culture and leadership right. According to Deloitte, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct workplace culture is important to business success. In this speech, Chris will explore how to assess and nurture company culture – and its impact on growth, organisational performance, employee engagement, talent attraction and M&A.

Ever wonder what's missing from your skill set? Have you explored your brilliance beyond the typical abilities to run a successful team or enterprise? Do you worry that what got you to this point may not be enough to take you further? We reveal the game-changing elements to ignite your journey toward unparalleled results. You have untapped potential, and it's time to take your influence, impact, and profitability to record levels. Equip yourself with wisdom and tools to transform your life, career, and business.

Practical business continuity and disaster recovery plans to respond to security incidents and technology failure can be a lifesaver when things go wrong, but are rarely covered. This session works through a simple, effective approach to basic risk management, preparing for the worst, and practicing so that you’re not caught out.

Mark Fitzgerald Cooke walks us through the must dos and don’t dos of successfully selling a business. Covering the most common questions he and his team receive every day from prospective sellers, to simple secrets that can make or break a sale to what buyers want, Mark will cover it all. If you are ready to buy or sell or just thinking about it, this is the seminar for you.

For the typical SME business owner deciding to and preparing their business for sale are amongst the most important things they will ever do – the more time and effort put in, the better the prospect of getting the best value the business can achieve. 

Planning and preparation are key to a successful sale, but so too is how you handle buyer enquiries and the inevitable due diligence process.

SEO-Driven Revenue: Crafting a Winning E-commerce Strategy for Maximum Impact offers vital insights for enhancing your online store's visibility and sales through expert SEO techniques. This seminar will cover advanced keyword research, on-page SEO, link-building, and content marketing strategies, alongside analytics for optimisation. Gain actionable insights to outperform competitors and captivate your audience. Transform your SEO into a powerful revenue generator.

For SMEs who are start-ups, scale ups and/or sell-ups, we will guide you through strategic planning processes
to illustrate how and why your business should be built to ensure sustainable growth.

We will cover 6 critical areas of business, starting with strategy to building brand value through to creating
market visibility and increasing share of voice, implementing HR practices, implementing effective cash flow
management and staying compliant to minimise risks.

Developing sustainable strategies for business growth and expansion while maintaining profitability... and retaining your sanity. Balancing ambition with practicality can be a daunting task for business owners. Driving growth while ensuring profitability without sacrificing our time, work-life balance or mental well-being is essential. Join us as we discuss actionable strategies, provide insights and, and vital practises to help you achieve business success while retaining your sanity.
 

Science fiction predicted the need.

Star Trek envisioned the future as a 24th Century vision of technology imitating real worlds on the Starship Enterprise. 

Imagine the unlimited potential when you can “beam” literally anything in and have real-time conversations with AI experts who deeply understand their own context and environment.

Imagine the impact on businesses that rely on people and spaces. Imagine it being available not in the 24th Century, but right now.

 

I'll explain the importance of small businesses offering flexible payment options to compete with larger chains. Flexible payments allow customers to justify their spending by breaking it into affordable chunks, leading them to spend more. Many small businesses miss out due to lack of access to mainstream lenders, but I'll discuss how they can overcome this and how we can assist them

100% of employees want feedback, only 25% of leaders feel confident to give feedback. Get help emotioneering® that confidence by discovering ‘The Ultimate Feedback Model’ to give team members feedback that they want to listen to, and you feel confident delivering. Listen to Melissa Curran to help you to understand why and how to implement this ultimate feedback model for continuous improvement in your business for record breaking results.

Join Ellen from Alcea Consulting Limited for an insightful seminar on harnessing AI for business growth. Discover the transformative impact of AI on various industries and learn practical steps to identify and implement AI tools in your business. Hear success stories from companies like Bloom and Wild, Lemonade Insurance, and Vertical Aerospace, and
explore Alcea’s three-stage process to seamlessly integrate AI solutions and drive innovation.

Running your own business can be lonely and there is very little guidance out there which is why so many start-ups fail. This seminar will highlight some simple steps to give your business the best chance of success.

Running your own business can be lonely and there is very little guidance out there which is why so many start-ups fail. This seminar will highlight some simple steps to give your business the best chance of success.

This seminar will guide delegates to an understanding that the pressure that accompanies running a business and staying competitive does not necessarily need to lead to stress. With the right personal and team energy management approaches, teams and individuals can avoid stress and turn workplace pressure into enhanced performance, engagement, and creativity. This is how you do more with less and stay ahead of the competition when resources are tight.

Brave Agency has been running the eCommerce 202X report throughout 2024, and the insights generated have been astounding. Join us to delve into the reality of eCommerce growth, and the opportunities available to brands for 2025 and beyond.

Banks and non-bank providers of foreign exchange and cross-border payments hide the largest charges in their exchange rates. The purpose of this seminar is to educate and inform.

Universities can be rewarding locations of knowledge for innovation, but how to approach a partnership that helps your business grow? The university sector can be tricky to navigate, so join this session and learn how to build a partnership with the University of West London. 

Tired of wasting money on marketing that falls flat? Discover the secret sauce for small business marketing success! Emma reveals the essential ingredients that turn shoestring budgets into powerful profit-boosters. Whether you're a solopreneur or small team, learn how to supercharge your marketing ROI and leave your competition in the dust. Get ready to transform your approach and watch your business soar!

 

Graham Stephen, founder of bizval covers the basics of valuing your business.  

Whether you are thinking of selling or exiting, raising investment or simply curious, this session will empower you to make the right decisions.   

It will cover the basics of business valuation including valuation techniques, how to build for value from day 1, differences between traditional SMB’s and high growth business, understanding key value drivers and a Q&A section.

 

Unlock the potential of your online business with a dynamic, interactive website that drives growth and engagement. In the rapidly evolving digital landscape of 2025, a static website will no longer suffice. Instead, businesses must innovate and leverage their online presence to stay ahead.

Welcome to "Web Mastery: Your Online Business's Growth Engine." This session focuses on transforming your website into a powerful tool for business expansion and customer engagement.

Yes, even good salespeople make mistakes frequently and those mistakes cost you. Plenty of expensive warm qualified leads end up going nowhere. The time, effort and costs that your marketing and sales team put into those enquires go to waste. When you know what the root cause of a problem is – it is much easier to fix it. This seminar will help you fix three very common errors.

Brand strategy helps startups and scale-ups to differentiate and win market share. It helps investors achieve portfolio ROI. It is often overlooked, and yet it’s crucial to establish from the outset. Join me if you’re interested in finding out the difference between design assets versus a unique brand, when to use AI and how brand strategy is a foundation for creativity, to create iconic campaigns like Nike ‘Just Do It’.

Why not try a Cruise?
Discover the benefits of a Cruise Holiday compared to what you experience on Land, and why Cruising is the
fastest growing part of the Travel Industry Sector with Consumers.

The most important part of a business is the employees; without them, it would not function. At this panel hear from industry experts who advise on how to effectively manage your workforce while also scaling your business.