Make Your Mark Blog

A report on the World Entrepreneur Society’s 2009 Summit, from Make Your Mark Ambassador Vernon Kerswell.

I had the privilege to attend this event as a Make your Mark Ambassador. Dedicated to entrepreneurs, it was organised by the World Entrepreneur Society, held at the prestigious Goodenough College, London. The theme… “What keeps you awake at night?”

This event, now in its second year, was organised to bring together great minds to share, learn and celebrate enterprise. It was largely attended by entrepreneurs who had made it in their business. Executives rolling up for a prompt 9am start armed with their Blackberries and iPhones in hand, twittering as they went. It was also well attended by the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, some of whom had fledgling businesses and others who had just begun their journey. With a ticket price of £120 (£55 for students) it made this event even more exclusive, and for those just starting out, even in a recession, it was a good investment for those wanting to meet like minded people.

It’s 9:30 in the morning in Kansas city and I am sitting between Virginia from Argentina and Jolia from Singapore. This is the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, generously hosted by our Global Entrepreneurship Week co-founders, The Kauffman Foundation.

Hosts of last November’s Global Entrepreneurship Week joined together from far and further away, battling the elements to make it to this truly global gathering. The storms have followed us from Chicago to Kansas City but the wind and the rain have been no match for the thunder and lightening unleashed by the 60 nations united in this room - 25,000 events and over 3 million participants during one Week - a stunning achievement by any standard, but when it comes to inspiration (for me)- it’s all in the detail.

Have you thought of being your own boss, of being an entrepreneur? Maybe you are an entrepreneur. Can you explain it in a video?

The European Commission is looking for videos that explore one of the following subjects: “The entrepreneurial spirit”, “Innovative Entrepreneurship”, “Responsible Entrepreneurship”

For the best video in each of the three categories the European Commission will award a prize of € 3,000, the second best video will be awarded € 2,000, the third best € 1,000.

The producers of the best videos will be invited to the opening event of the European week for small and medium sized enterprises on 6 May 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. Enter here.

Today I read an article that advised me that I should regularly monitor my competition to see what they are up to, to work out their sales strategy and showing me a few ‘back door’ ways to keep tabs on what my competitors are doing online.

A new research report from our friends in the US, the Kaufmann Foundation, suggests that men-owned business are more successful that women-owned businesses. After two years surveying 5000 businesses they found that women-owned businesses had lower survival rates, lower size, growth, earnings and profits. They suggest a few reasons why this might be the case;

- Access to credit (62% of women-owned businesses started with less than $25k, compared with 55% of men-owned; a higher percentage of women have low credit scores)

- Lifestyle businesses (women may be starting businesses as a lifestyle choice)

Trust.

A word with only 5 letters and yet it is such a BIG word.

We are all living in a time where trust is one of the most important elements of human interaction. Let’s face it - do you trust the banks any more, or big corporations? I remember growing up in an era where my parent’s generation did not think to question their doctors, or other people in authority as the trust was automatic; whereas nowadays we are all having to become mini-experts in the things that affect our lives as we don’t have as much unquestioning trust in what we are told. Trust in 2009 has to be earned.

Oh how proud I am! I feel enterprise skills are so important to progressing in today’s commercial world. People need to know how to identify a need or spot an opportunity, find a way to do it, tell others about it and be able to turn it into a commercial reality. Our economy needs continual innovation - not just in these ‘gloomy’ times, but all the time.

If the economic gloom is getting you down, why not whistle a jaunty tune, sing everything for the rest of the day, or go to a CBI conference on accessing finance in the recession.

Although it might sound a little dry, if you’re an entrepreneur you really shouldn’t have missed some top speakers answering:

(1) Is there money still available for businesses?
(2) How do you get it?

First up, Anthony Clarke, Chairman of the British Business Angels Association.

Angel investors are a bit like Dragons’ Den – they take a stake in the business for an injection of cash. Unlike the TV series they are usually very nice.

This morning I attended the launch of a new women’s support network.

The morning was very well attended by business women and public sector people who can provide invaluable advice and help. I was given a very warm welcome by Phil Cowper and his team from the Tameside Business Family www.tamesidebusinessfamily.com .

I arrived just in time to hear an inspiring talk by Helen Thomas MD of Meredith Thomas PR Ltd www.meridiththomas.com on what makes an entrepreneur. She surprised us all at the end of her presentation by saying that she was going to be 60 next birthday and had no intention of stepping down from managing her successful business. Helen has agreed to be an ambassador for us and spread the word that it’s never to late to give it a go!

Last night I attended a fab Fab Over 50s event in Preston. Obviously I was only allowed in under my roving reporter remit! The event was light hearted and entertaining aimed at confidence building and presentation skills.

Organised by Spark ambassador, Janet Harrison www.creative-academy.co.uk in partnership with image consultant Cliff Bashforth www.simplyimage.co.uk . Cliff gave image hints and tips to an audience of 70 or more of us hanging on his every word. I found that I’m similar to Kylie (unfortunately not because of my bum) and due to a senior moment (must have been the company) I’m not quite sure why.

Today I have been at Brew Tea Bar were teams of students from 5 schools across Merseyside have been taking part in the Brew Tea Challenge.

Make Your Mark Ambassador - Phil Kirby set Year 12 students from All Saints High School, Bebbington Sports College, Broadgreen International High School, Carmel College and Pensby High for Girls the challenge of creating a new tea blend and designing a poster campaign for the new tea.

Phil opened his Brew Tea Bar in August this year and it is going from strength to strength and when I spoke to him about Enterprise Week and he mentioned this challenge we were delighted to invite schools along to take part.

This morning I went along with PET (Progressive Educational Tools) to the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry to support 20 disadvantaged students in the MYM Challenge! Although they had all been excluded from their schools for one reason or another and all come from disadvantaged backgrounds we could definately see some potential for future entrepreneurs!

It just goes to show that even the ones that “dont have potential” or “are lost causes” actually have some of the best ideas and deserve a chance to prove it.

The winning idea was a social networking site for 2012 Olympic participants and the lucky team recieved a prize at the end for their fabulous efforts.

There’s a major business networking event and exhibition at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, London on Monday 17^th November from 6:30pm. The organisers are holding it in support of Global Enterprise Week 2008 and are expecting up to 1,000 businesses to attend.

This event brings together many networks and business communities and offers the opportunity to meet other high calibre business delegates, openly network in a relaxed and friendly environment, build strong business relationships and gain valuable information about the issues that most affect business.

As I struggle to start writing my first EVER blog post, one of the central messages of the seminar I went to on Tuesday really resonates – what did I actually learn in school?

I’m really not sure.

Richard Gerver, world-renowned education expert, wasn’t sure either. For those still thinking that Britain’s education system is the envy of the world and you haven’t forgetten a jot, try the short pop quiz that Richard sprung upon us – and yes, these questions are all in the national curriculum (answers at the bottom) -

Year 10 students at Pensby High for girls were treated to a visit from Wirral MP Steven Hesford and Make Your Mark Ambassadors Clare Molyneux and Tim Coleman.

Steven, Clare and Tim were on hand throughout the morning to talk to the girls about enterprise, the Make Your Mark Challenge and how they can develop and build their own enterprise skills and potential.

Mr Hesford said: “Enterprise week provides a great focus on how we can create business opportunities, particularly for our up and coming entrepreneurs of the future.