About us

Make Your Mark campaigns to increase entrepreneurial behaviour amongst young people - to encourage them to have ideas and make them happen.

Having a can-do attitude and the skills to spot opportunities, overcome challenges and implement ideas is more important than ever in today’s tough global economic climate.

Who is behind Make Your Mark?

The campaign is run by Enterprise Insight, which was founded by the four leading UK business membership organisations – the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors. Their Director Generals sit on Enterprise Insight’s board, which is chaired by entrepreneur Peter Jones. Enterprise Insight is supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and is endorsed by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Alongside the Make Your Mark campaign, Enterprise Insight runs three other strands of activity:

Global Entrepreneurship Week - Enterprise Week has been running in the UK since 2004. Last year, it became part of a wider global movement - Global Entrepreneurship Week, which took place in over 100 countries. This year, to emphasise the global nature of enterprise and entrepreneurship, the Week will now be known as Global Entrepreneurship Week UK. The week remains relevant to everyone, be it on a one-to-one, local, regional or national basis. The global links add a new dimension, yet it remains a platform for anyone to spotlight their entrepreneurial activities, whatever you do.
This year the Enterprising Britain competition is focusing on uncovering innovation hot-spots who are recession proofing their area or ‘place’. We’ve also started the Enterprising Places Network, which will connect local practicioners with city-regional, sub-regional and regional organisations, and to national organisations and Government, with the aim of sharing good practice, shaping and influencing policy and practice.

Entrepreneurship Now - a new programme of work for 2009/10 using our experience of behaviour change campaigns to reach new audiences (over 50s, women, ethnic minorities). Through events and a communications campaign we will aim to tip certain groups into entrepreneurship in the short-term, reframing the recession as a time of entrepreneurial opportunity for many. If you are an organisation working with these audiences and would like to get involved with this campaign please email [email protected]

Supporters

National organisations working closely with the campaign include:

Arts Council England - Association of Colleges - Black Training and Enterprise Group - Business in the Community - Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - Department for Children, Schools and Families - East MidlandsDevelopment Agency (representing Regional Development Agencies) - Enterprise Education Trust - Learning and Skills Council - National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship - National Education Business Partnership Network - National Federation of Enterprise Agencies - Prowess - Scottish Government - Shell LiveWIRE - Social Enterprise Coalition - Specialist Schools and Academies Trust - The Prince’s Trust - UnLtd - Young Enterprise.

Make Your Mark works closely with both corporate and media partners on specific elements of the campaign including Virgin Media, Vodafone, Cobra, Bebo, MySpace, the BBC (including Dragons’ Den, BBC news and economics and Newsnight), handbag.com, The Financial Times, Daily Mail and Metro among others.

Inspiring stories

Telling stories of those who are already being entrepreneurial is central to the campaign. We have hundreds of Make Your Mark Ambassadors who actively support the campaign and we share their stories to inspire others.

We also work with a range of high profile entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial celebrities including Peter Jones (who is the Chair of Enterprise Insight, our parent organisation), Levi Roots and Jacqueline Gold, Jo Wood and Wayne Hemingway.

This year we will also be telling the stories of entrepreneurial students, teachers and tutors who champion enterprise in schools and colleges, and parents who can share experiences of their child wanting to be an entrepreneur.

Why do we need the campaign?

Enterprise activity - the seizing of new business opportunities by both existing firms and start-ups - is crucial to everyone in the UK, now more than ever. To build an enterprise ‘culture’ lots of parts of society, from education through to business, need to inspire people to think and act in enterprising ways.

Many people have untapped entrepreneurial potential and lack the motivation, confidence, experience and capability to turn their ideas into reality. New and existing businesses often fail to grow at a rate that would drive UK competitiveness and productivity.

This is against a backdrop of ferociously competitive global markets and unprecedented global challenges. We aim to use enterprise to unlock the talent and potential of everyone in the UK.

Campaign impact to date

Since 2004 we have seen an increase in enterprise participation, aspiration and action amongst young people, helping to create a new generation of entrepreneurs. This is demonstrated by:

- The proportion of business start-ups by 16-24 year olds rose from 6.5% in 2003 to 8% by 2007

- Running a business is the top career choice for nearly two-thirds (62%) of young people

- Make Your Mark has played a major role in shaping enterprise policy and practice not least in:

Demonstrating that every part of society has a role to play in creating an entrepreneurial culture, including education, business,media, government and the third sector, as no single sector or organisation can create opportunities on this ambitious scale
Promoting the vital role of enterprising people in creating enterprising businesses and enterprising communities