Two of Scotland’s brightest young female entrepreneurs will share the stories of their business growth at an event designed to inform and inspire Scotland’s SME community.
Petra Wetzel of WEST Beer will describe her success in developing a brewery and chain of bars in Scotland despite setting out “knowing nothing about beer”, while Leah Hutcheon will tell delegates about the development over five years of her exciting tech venture Appointedd.
The conference, Inspiring Growth, will examine how to overcome a range of business challenges, especially around funding, for firms which have gone through the start-up phase and are looking to scale up.
Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, kicks off he event by outlining why SMEs are the bedrock of the economy and why and how the Scottish Government is making a £500 million investment in them. Derek Shaw of the Scottish Investment Bank will explain how the agency is looking at a range of different funding approaches to support enterprise and business growth.
The focus of the event will be on practical advice for small businesses at the growth stage, the pitfalls to avoid, and various options to fund growth. Stuart Lunn, CEO of Lending Crowd, the main event sponsor, will take a specific look at the role of debt crowdfunding, while Paula Skinner of fellow sponsor Harper Macleod will discuss broader funding options and business strategy in Moving to the next level: what you need to scale up and grow.
The second session of the half-day event will hear from businesses with experience of success in specific aspects of growth. As well as Leah Hutcheon, delegates will hear from Emil Stickland of Thrive Digital, discussing his e-commerce experience with Rubik’s Cube (the world’s all-time best-selling toy), Angela Morrison of amiExecutive looks at creative ways of moving into export markets and Brian Smillie of app developer Beezer talks about The Five Pillars of making your own luck.
Conference director David Lee said: “There is so much that SMEs need to know when it comes to taking their business onto the next level. We have brought together a range of excellent speakers who will share a wide range of practical lessons – and the ups and downs of their own business journeys. We hope their insights will inform and inspire delegates.”
To book your place to Inspiring Growth: Alternative ways to take your business to the next level on the 22nd of March please click here.