Global Entrepreneurship week
I just knew that this event would be unlike any other in my normal but hectic schedule. It was Global Entrepreneurship Week, whereby Manchester Entrepreneurs, along with the Manchester Enterprise Centre ran a series of exciting events this week as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2012.
The focus of the Week - which saw more than 200,000 people taking part in more than 2,500 events in the UK from 12th-18th November- was to "pass on" the practical help and support needed by early start-ups and individuals who are considering taking the plunge.
On Tuesday, we had three top speakers come for our Founder's Talk and talk about their entrepreneurial journey so far and the practical advice they wished to pass on at our events.
First up, we had James Giles and the team at FastBleep- a non-profit social enterprise established in Manchester in 2010 with a clear aim: to promote learning, creativity and discovery for all in healthcare and life-science education. James and his team spoke passionately about their aim to be the centre of an array of disciplines, how it has grown, his plans for the future and how Fastbleep is solving a real need in the life sciences area of education.
Second, we had Chris Seaton, a former captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps who created an easy-to-use iPhone and iPad app called Mersey Burns - a free clinical tool for calculating burn area percentages, prescribing fluids using Parkland and recording patients' details. Mersey Burns has won a range of awards, including the NHS North West Health Innovation Awards, and it has been presented as the British Burns Association and the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. It has been featured in BBC News Online and in the Mirror. The talk was around shipping a product, the importance of building networks and how to use pieces of information to get into the eye of the media.
Last but most certainly not least, we had our mystery speaker- none other than Stan Reinholds- President of Manchester Entrepreneurs for 2011/12 and now COO at PieBoy Clothing- speak about PieBoy's journey from small university (our university!) student start-up to a national clothing range in a matter of only 12 months. He spoke about his experiences in negotiation, selling, pitching and how to appeal to the student demographic.
Additionally, The Manchester Enterprise Centre put on an awesome range of events from Social Enterprise events, challenges and other events. They've got the Venture Out competition coming up where you could potentially win £500, so check that out here!
Moreover (this week just didn't want to end..), Fahim went down to London on Thursday to pitch for £3,000 at NACUE (National Association of Colleges and University Entrepreneurs) Innovation Day, where there was over £170,000 up for grabs. Thankfully, the society successfully got the money from which the majority will be used for our project to disrupt the Lettings and Property Industry...more to come on that front soon!
We have our event on Tuesday in collaboration with Oxbridge BioTech Roundtable on Stem cells: Applications and Ethics at the same time (6pm) and at the same place as always (MBS West 3.101). Register here if you're interested in attending!
Watch out for the big event in 10 days- The Annual Big Sales Challenge! More info can be found on our Facebook event here.
