12 speakers confirmed for free day-long ‘Survive and Thrive’ event for SMEs

Expert speakers  who will share tips on how to ‘survive and thrive’ in business in 2023 have now been confirmed for a free event next week.

The one-off conference has been organised by the Business Gateway Growth Hub and will be hosted by LLEP Board Members Glynis Wright MBE and Sonia Baigent.

It takes place on Tuesday April 18, at Leicester’s Morningside Arena and will cover a variety of cost-saving themes and explore possible solutions to current pain points faced by local firms.

This will include effective workforces, managing energy costs, and leading in challenging times.

There are still some places left for businesses to register now to attend the event.

Business owner and qualified accountant Sonia has provided business consultancy and support to SMEs for more than 15 years.

She will give her own talk, using ‘real life’ examples and success stories, as will local business leader and qualified solicitor Glynis. Also taking to the stage will be:

• Caitlin Davies – Microsoft UK
• Steven Mather – Steven Mather Solicitor
• Azar Khan – Axiom Energy
• Anna Cyhan – LLEP Skills
• Alpa Chauhan and Sally Drew – Leicester Employment Hub
• Sally Newnham – Mental Health and Productivity Pilot
• Christiane Startin-Lorent – Carbon Literacy Advocate and Trainer
• Stu Spencer – Charnwood Accountants
• Sam Goddard – St James Systems
• Saleem Arif – ReviewSolicitors

Presentation topics include recruitment,negotiating energy contracts, navigating debt, financial resilience, productivity hacks, and more.

Sonia said:

With such a strong roster of speakers and stallholders, business owners and attendees will leave the expo feeling positive and motivated. They will also be armed with useful tips that they can use to strengthen their position.

The current cost of doing business means local owners and directors are facing a daily challenge to manage the needs of both their business and its stakeholders.

My session will look at how you can bring focus and clarity to everyday decisions, as well as covering the support and options available to businesses in times of distress.

Our other speakers will also draw from their experiences to offer practical advice and tips on how to access support.

The purpose of the event is to signpost business owners to available support, whilst also providing practical tools and tips to help manage the current cost of doing business during the cost of living crisis.

There will be an expo outside of organisations offering free help and support to local businesses. Universities, banks, networks and trade bodies are among confirmed stallholders so far. They include:

• ACAS

• Axiom Energy

• Barclays Eagle Labs

• Centre for Organisational Resilience

• East Midlands Chamber

• Embark CSR

• Federation of Small Businesses

• Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership

• Leicester City Council

• LUInc (Loughborough University business incubator for the LLEP-supported Wayfinder programme)

• NatWest

• ReviewSolicitors

• Sir Thomas White Loan Charity

• Steven Mather Solicitor

• The Anderson Partnership

• University of Leicester School of Business

Sonia added:

Over the last few years, the challenges of running a business have grown.

The fallout from the pandemic, high inflation, impossible energy hikes – it’s all taken its toll.

We aim to provide practical advice that can be used immediately, for businesses to survive and grow in 2023 and beyond.