Default Events Channel

Entrepreneurs Panel: Using Third Parties

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Bringing in the expertise and experience of third parties can be a critical move for many businesses. Fresh perspectives, controls and new contacts are just some of the many benefits, as is the efficiency gleaned by avoiding the costs and time associated with building an infrastructure from scratch - especially pertinent for the smaller business. External help in one particular area also allows management to focus on other aspects of the company.

Using external suppliers isn't without its pitfalls however. There may be a danger that development of a company's own skill base is hampered or is lost through outsourcing, or from relying on a third party for a particular service. If an organisation is new to a service they may also suffer from having no previous benchmarking to compare service quality.

Join us for the second in our new series of panel events, which will again be chaired by respected interviewer Jeff Grout from JG Consulting. Guests will hear from four entrepreneurs from entirely different backgrounds who will share their experiences of how best you can use third parties to the benefit of your business.

A little more about our panellists

Tom Maxfield (ex Sage and founder of Tom's Companies), who will give his views on those creative types in advertising and PR. Tom is Chairman and Chief Executive of Tom’s Companies, a group of up-market properties in the North East and Cumbria including two hotels, two restaurants and an oriental spa.

He has a degree in modern languages and speaks Spanish, French and Italian as well as a smattering of Outer Mongolian! He was Sales Director of the Sage Group Plc from 1984 to 1997 and was responsible for defining and implementing the company's UK reseller strategy during a period of enormous growth.

Since 1997 he has been involved in transforming Seaham Hall from a derelict building into a luxury hotel and has created the Serenity Spa within the grounds. The Samling, overlooking Lake Windermere, has been developed as a luxury hotel as well as an exclusive use venue and Fisherman’s Lodge and Treacle Moon continue to provide elegant dining in the heart of Newcastle.

Sam Colquhoun (Right Hand HR), who will share her thoughts on outsourcing and buying in services. Established in 2001, Right Hand HR is a leading provider of outsourced Human Resources services within the UK. Sam set up the company to provide fully outsourced services to SME’s, employing 50 – 250 employees who were unable to have a full HR department in-house.

In 2005, due to the company’s success, Sam was awarded National Business Awards' Entrepreneur of the Year for the North East region, along with the NECC Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Prior to setting up Right Hand HR, Sam's experience was gained in multi-nationals within the Automotive, Pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors. Whilst at Bristol Myers Squibb and Procter & Gamble, her role was Human Resources Director with responsibilities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Sam holds an MSc in Human Resources Management, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Brian Dougherty (The Specials Laboratory), who will explain the relationship he has with his executve coach/business consultant and the value this adds to him and his business. Brian established the Specials Laboratory with Fiona Cruickshank in 1999. Starting with no employees the company now employs 120 members of staff. The turnover for the next year will be £8m+ as the company goes from strength to strength.

The Specials Laboratory manufacture unlicensed medicines for retail pharmaceutical and healthcare markets. They also have a sister company, Specials Clinical Manufacturing, which offers a full range of manufacturing services for the clinical trials market.

Brian is a registered pharmacist and achieved QP status in 1983 under current regulations. He has 24 years experience in quality assurance, manufacturing and R&D.

Jamie Greenwood, managing director of NJL Yorkline and Medispace

The panel event will commence at approximately 6.30pm and includes supper after the panel discussion. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation, cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full. Reserve your place by calling the Entrepreneurs' Forum on 0870 850 2233 or by e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Review - below is a summary of the panel's "Top Ten Tips" for working with third parties:

1. Size does matter – whether it’s lawyers or accountants, choose the right size firm for your business; as a start-up you may not get the treatment you demand from a larger firm, and the costs will be higher. It’s also important to recognise when your business has outgrown your third parties and that the time may come when you need to change them.

2. Find a good fit – make sure you choose third parties who are in tune with your business, who are also entrepreneurial and who you get on with. Make sure your brief is clear and that you get the appropriate specialist in their firm.

3. Raising finance – think very seriously is you are planning to rely on grants to get you started. Applying can be a humiliating process and it may be months or years before you finally see some money. In some cases having experience and background in your field, commercial awareness and some finance behind you may actually work against your grant application.

4. Your business plan is key – with a high quality business plan, traditional lenders will support you if they can. If you’ve produced a well thought out, well researched business plan supported with the right documentation and your request is still turned down, find out why – you will have learned something for next time.

5. To market, to market – have clear ideas about your market and the benefits you bring to it then find an agency that is tune with you. Spend more than you think is reasonable, spend even twice as much on building and marketing your brand – it will survive longer than your individual products.

6. Create a culture – third parties can provide valuable support in building the culture of your business through the attitudes and actions of your people, and the type of people you recruit. They can also bring objectivity through programmes like Investors in People and to training – the right expertise for the job may not always be within.

7. Non-executive directors – they need to be people who can bring something different to your business, with or without direct experience of your sector. Good non-execs will prod, push, challenge and ask why? They bring an objective viewpoint and can cut a swathe through the detail with a pragmatic approach. Mature, experienced non-execs can be a great asset to fledgling businesses.

8. Find a good mentor – the life of an entrepreneur can be a lonely one; a mentor will be a loyal, confidential source of advice, guidance and understanding when you need it and someone to bounce off ideas before you waste time pursuing those that will not work. A mentor can be a fellow entrepreneur, a business advisor or an associate, but they should have some degree of independence from you.

9. Due diligence – run a ‘beauty parade’ of your selected third parties by asking them to present their ideas – you will quickly work out who you can and cannot work with. Seek advice and recommendations and do your own research, for example, if you’re looking for a PR company, ask the journalists who they would recommend.

10. Measurement and reward – get a fixed price for the job before they start work, then if the work takes longer than anticipated then it won’t cost you any more. Depending on the sector, you may be able to split the payments based on service delivery.

Finance For Growth

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Finance for growth is a subject close to most entrepreneurs' hearts. In fact, in our recent event survey it came out joint top as the subject you'd most like to hear about.

Our sponsors Barclays have agreed to support an event that will touch on how to go about raising finance for expansion and managing relationships with funders, including venture capitalists.

A panel of contributors will discuss how they have managed the process successfully for their own businesses, and also provide tips and best practices for those interested in this issue. This really does promise to offer something for everyone, whether your business is large or small, relatively new or is long-established.

A little more about our speakers...

Ged Murray, Northgate Plc

Ged qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen before joining Reg Vardy plc in 1988, where he served as Finance Director from 1991 to 2001 and as Chief Executive until 2002. He was appointed Finance Director of Northgate plc, the UK and Spain's leading commercial vehicle rental company in January 2003.

Brian Jobling, Eutechnyx

Brian Jobling took the Managing Director position at Eutechnyx Limited in May 1989 at the age of 18. From this point on he freely admits it has been a steep learning curve - but also a successful one with the company going from strength to strength to be an acknowledged world leader in their field.

Eutechnyx operates in a volatile, but rapidly growing market - computer game development - and despite massive and ongoing changes in technology and business practice. Brian has managed to stay ahead of the competition during his 15 years at the helm to achieve the highly respected market position the company enjoys today.

Barrie Hensby, Chief Executive, NEL

Barrie joined NEL in 1991. Before that he had been Managing Director of two Berisford Bristar plc companies and also has extensive experience of venture capital with Yorkshire Fund Managers Limited, where he was Senior Investment Manager. A chemical engineer by training, Barrie joined Shell from university as a petroleum engineer before becoming Group Economist for Ocean Group plc after obtaining his MBA. He has also run his own business in both manufacturing and consultancy. Barrie is an FSA Approved Person and a Chartered Director.

Start time: 18:30

Closing: 21:00

3rd Annual Charity Ball

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0100

The Glitter Ball.

Set the town alight this September with the region’s most glittering event.

Ladies and Gentlemen
It’s time to party

Glittering personalities, glittering entertainment, glitteringly good food….this year’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum Charity Ball in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support is sure to be a glittering event. So dust off your DJs, Rocks and Frocks and get ready to spread your own personal stardust….because not only is this all about glamour, fun and fabulousness it’s about contributing to a very special charity and bringing light into many lives.

Each year this event gets better, each year this event is talked about for months by those lucky enough to be part of it. Meet friends old and new but most of all get in touch with your glamourpuss selves for one special night on the town!

Venue: The fabulous Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead
Date: Saturday 23rd September, 2006
Time: Champagne reception at 7.30pm, carriages at 1.00am
Dress code: Dinner Jackets and Dazzling Rocks and Frocks

All tables have now been sold, but if you would like to pledge a donation or an auction prize please call the Entrepreneurs’ Forum on 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

Entrepreneurs' Panel: "You can't do it alone"

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Building the right team is critical to business success - we need the collective knowledge, skills and support of others.

Sir Richard Branson believes that "if you have the right people, treat them well and trust them, they will deliver happy customers".

Some entrepreneurs, by their own admission, don't make the best bosses. When they get it wrong the business inevitably suffers. Sir Terence Conran concedes that all of his mistakes were due to the wrong choice of people.

But do you know what you're looking for?

The 'right attitude' is crtical to business success. Sir Richard Branson looks for 'the desire to improve', whilst Sir Tom Farmer seeks a 'can do' attitude.

Sahar Hashemi believes that 'skills can be taught, but you can never change attitude'.

This forthcoming entrepreneurs panel will discuss how to build the right team and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of recruitment and retention.

A little more about our panellists:

Michael Hogan - The Esh Group

As the sole proprietor of a successful fencing business and a growing property business based in Esh Winning Co. Durham, Michael Hogan was enjoying the trappings of success but, as many bosses find, life at the top was becoming quite lonely. With this in mind he agreed to meet with other like-minded companies around the village and discovered that their combined experience and knowledge in terms of creating a central resource would be beneficial to all. Following lengthy deliberation a holding company was established, shares were exchanged and a new journey began. Esh have now grown to an annual turnover in excess of £100m. Passionate about the people that he employs, a share option incentive scheme was set up that allows staff to cash in a percentage of their shares at various times in the scheme cycle when they may need the money most.

Lorna Moran - Chief Executive, NRG plc

Lorna commenced her working life as a recruitment consultant with Hoggett Bowers. She founded Northern Recruitment Group in 1976 and floated the company in 1997 with full listing on the LSE. NRG has a turnover of circa £18million, 120 staff and offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Newcastle, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough & York. Lorna was awarded the North East Businessman of the Year award in 1997. Additional to her responsibilities within NRG she is currently Chair of the North East Industrial Development Board on behalf of One NorthEast, a Director of Tees Valley Regeneration, Director of The Northern Rock Foundation and Director and Company Secretary of the Entrepreneurs' Forum.

Stephen Cowell - Chief Executive, Develop (part of The Longhirst Group)

Stephen Cowell is chief executive of Develop, a company he has led since its inception some 12 years ago.

Develop is one of the leading skills training providers in the UK, turns over £16m and employs some 400 staff within its three divisions - Technical Training, Personal & Corporate Development and Venues. Within the Venues division Develop operates a number of residential training and conference centres, including Longhirst Hall near Morpeth.

Prior to this venture Stephen had a number of positions in Higher and Further Education.

Paul Christian - Ward Hadaway

Paul Christian is head of Ward Hadaway’s Tax team, providing specialist technical and legal advice on all tax related issues. He has extensive experience in the field of employee share incentives and other employee benefits, particularly in entrepreneurial and high-tech companies. Paul qualified as a solicitor in 1998, joining Ward Hadaway in 2001.

The event will be held in the boardroom of Ward Hadaway's Sandgate House building on Newcastle's quayside, with free parking available for guests in Sandgate car park. For a map and directions please click here.

The panel event will commence at approximately 6.30pm and includes supper after the discussion. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation, cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full. Reserve your place as soon as possible by calling 0870 850 2233 or by e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

AIM Flotation For The Smaller Business & Going Public And Staying Public

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0100

AIM Flotation for the Smaller Business – Graham Wilson, Chairman of Parkdean Holidays.

Going Public and Staying Public – Lorna Moran Chief Executive, NRG Plc

Continuing to grow a business beyond a certain level is a major challenge which faces many small to medium-sized organisations. With the Alternative Investment Market specifically tailored to growing businesses - floating on AIM is one option open to the growth-orientated entrepreneur.

AIM has lower costs than the main stock market and has a more relaxed regulatory regime. Raising capital for expansion or R&D, as well as raising the profile of regional or fast-growing companies are some of the main reason for listing on AIM. There are also potential incentives to staff in the form of share schemes and taxation benefits.

We are very privileged indeed to hear from two highly respected North East entrepreneurs who have floated their businesses and can now pass on the benefit of their experience. AIM was unproven when Lorna took NRG to the stock market and seven years down the line she will provide a valuable insight into lessons learnt and the tough growth environment that people-based businesses face.

Graham brings extensive experience at the helm of AIM-listed Parkdean Holidays Plc and also as a key contributor to the flotation of Premier Direct Plc. Graham has presented on this topic on a number of occasions and reminds his audience that it is better to learn from others who have done it than be led down a blind alley by advisors with agendas of their own.

A little more about our speakers:

Lorna commenced her working life as a recruitment consultant with Hoggett Bowers. She founded Northern Recruitment Group in 1976 and floated the company in 1997 with full listing on the LSE. NRG has a turnover of circa £22million, 120 staff and offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Newcastle, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough & York. Lorna was awarded the North East Businessman of the Year award in 1997. Additional to her responsibilities within NRG she is currently Chair of the North East Industrial Development Board on behalf of One NorthEast, a Director of Tees Valley Regeneration, Director of The Northern Rock Foundation and Director and Company Secretary of the Entrepreneurs' Forum.

Graham Wilson has 24 years experience in the holiday park sector. In 1989 he led the management buy-out of Beazer's holiday subsidiary by Parkdean Leisure, which then floated in 1993. In 1995 Parkdean Leisure was acquired by Vardon plc and he joined the Vardon main board. In 1998 Vardon sold the holiday division to Rank plc and Graham left the company. Graham established Parkdean Holidays for the acquisition of Trecco Bay Holiday Park in November 1999 Graham is also Non-executive Chairman of both Amdega and Leger Holidays and a Non-executive Director of Premier Direct plc and Goals Soccer Centres.

For more information about AIM click here.

Start time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Entrepreneurs' Forum Conference 2006 Review

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 18 May 2006 00:00:00 +0100

The third Entrepreneurs’ Forum annual conference held at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead on 18th May once again brought a series of high profile business speakers to the region. The conference, chaired by popular former broadcaster Anna Ford brought together Brian Souter, founder of Stagecoach; Emma Harrison, star of TV’s “Make Me A Million” and founder of A4e; The Alternative Business Guru – Geoff Burch and Tim Waterstone, founder of Waterstones and current chairman of Chelsea Stores.

The day-session was rounded off when Anna Ford led a Q&A with Forum board member Sir Peter Vardy, who spoke about selling Reg Vardy Plc and about his plans for the future.

Some Forum members gave their thoughts on the speakers:

Emma Harrison, reviewed by Si Bales of The bgroup
“I found Emma to be truly inspirational and the conference saw something quite unique in her presentation. We saw someone who has made a real difference in creating a multi million pound business and being able to change thousands of people’s lives.

She offered us some real gems that we could take away and implement in our own businesses. We all want to believe we are going to be running multi million pound corporations in the future and Emma showed us the journey to get there. I feel absolutely stimulated and can’t want to get back to my business.

I feel Emma and I have a lot of similarities although I am nearer the beginning of my business but after listening to her story I feel I can realise all my ambitions and dreams. She made it all seem so simple.”

Brian Souter, reviewed by Tom Maxfield, founder of Tom’s Companies
“My impression before hearing Brian speak was from what I had read in the press and I admit I was expecting a headbanger! But he was refreshingly self-effacing, almost humble, and his is an amazing rags to riches and back again story. Two points stood out for me that I took away – ‘scent the trend’, sniff it out and follow it; and his thoughts on management, inspiring rather than dominating. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him.”

Geoff Burch, reviewed by Jamie Greenwood, managing director of NJL Yorkline
“In his typically passionate and entrepreneurial delivery, Geoff left me with several ideas, in particular the importance of marketing the company well to your people to get them to come with you. I hadn’t really thought of that before. I also took away the idea of rather than just using a sales tool of two or three people, if you have 100 people who all have business cards and understand the business then you have a fantastic sales team. The Entrepreneurs’ Forum conference is always inspirational. My staff always know when I’ve been to Forum events because I go back into the office and make lots of changes for the better.”

Tim Waterstone, reviewed by Nigel Mills of Mills Stores
“Tim gave me ideas of how to review out strategy and review my approach and it gave me great comfort to know that I am not the only one in business that has challenges. To listen to a man who has built a business, sold it, bought it back again, sold it again and tried to buy it back a second time is amazing. His key points for me were having a vision of what he was trying to achieve with his business and the very clear lines of communication, not having layer after layer of management.

He spoke about the importance of being aware of how the business environment changes and how the world in 2006 is very different now from what it was in 1983. The vision he had is still the same but it’s about adapting the vision to work in a changing environment. I greatly enjoyed listening to what he had to say about want entrepreneurship means to him. He is a considered man, a humble man from whom we can learn an awful lot.”

Black Tie Dinner
Those who attended the black tie dinner witnessed Mike Browne of ScS scoop the coveted Entrepreneurs’ Forum Entrepreneur of the Year award, just beating off stiff competition of Fone Logistics founder Ian Gillespie. Mike’s success in leading a management buy-out of ScS, floating it on the stock market and growing it from one store to 80 and a turnover of £107m led to this honour from fellow Forum members. The award was won in previous years by prominent North East entrepreneurs John Hays of Hays Travel and Steven Bell, founder of Bells Stores.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Tarek Nseir of TH_NK, who pipped Si Bales of The bgroup to first place. Tarek has grown his new media company to employ 36 people in a relatively short space of time, winning contracts with big name clients including ITV, Northern Rock and Northumbrian Water. Guests were then entertained after dinner by the inimitable Rory Bremner.

Previous Forum conferences have attracted equally high-calibre speakers, including Sir Clive Woodward, Jacqueline Gold, Simon Woodroffe and Lord Kirkham and are the pinnacle of the Forum’s events calendar.

A DVD of the 2006 conference is available at £30 + VAT. If you would like to order a copy please e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net or call 0870 850 2233.

Entrepreneurs' Panel Event

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Entrepreneurs may not always have the experience, the skills or the money when they start out - but they've got the ideas coupled with the unswerving drive and determination to overcome problems, obstacles and setbacks.

They have the courage to 'have a go' and are not inhibited by the fear of failure. Quite simply, if an entrepreneur does not fail or make mistakes from time to time they are not pushing hard enough.

Mistakes and failures are viewed merely as learning experiences. Anita Roddick believes that, "not learning from your past is the greatest enemy to future success". What can we learn from the problems and setbacks of others? What are the pitfalls to be avoided? What are the 'Golden Rules' for entrepreneurial success? Hindsight provides perfect vision.

After successfully trialing a panel format last summer, the Entrepreneurs' Forum are launching a series of such events for 2006, beginning on Monday 24th April at Seaham Hall.

Join us to hear the personal stories of four North East entrepreneurs - Phillipa Clothier, Martin Jones, Ian Gillespie and Adam Thorpe - who will share the benefit of their business hindsight. The panel will be chaired by Jeff Grout from JG Consulting, who has interviewed many business leaders in the past, including Sir Alan Sugar only last month.

A little more about our panel:

Philippa Clothier formed Clothier Lacey & Co seven years ago and during that time the agency has carved out a reputation as one of the leading PR companies in the region. Having started her career at Proctor & Gamble in 1976 Phillipa moved on to Brockie Haslam Advertising agency in the late 70's before starting her first business in 1986 - a full service marketing agency named CMC Group. Philippa then spent a year as PR and design director for the Yellow M agency before launching Clothier Lacey in 1998.

Martin Jones started Freedom Holidays after his parents sold off their business, Lincoln Travel, where he had been working during his university gap year. The spectacular growth of Freedom was halted with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which saw the global travel business thrown into turmoil and Freedom's business halve overnight. Martin has since rebuilt the business, creating a leaner operation and now aims for a turnover of £40m+ for 2006.

Ian Gillespie saw the future and the potential of portable communication devices back in 1985. Whilst operating a family motor dealership at the time he introduced a sub-division which sold carphones. This quickly became a business in its own right, acting as a service provider to Vodafone and Cellnet, which Ian operated until 1996 before selling up. He then developed a new business as a fulfillment provider of handsets to other service providers - and so Fone Logistics was born. The company now employs 180 staff and has a turnover of over £70million.

Young entrepreneur Adam Thorpe runs Gill Edge Group, a property company he formed in 2002 which specialises in niche developments in the Yorkshire Dales. Adam has grown the business from scratch after shadowing a leading northern property developer. He has faced numerous business challenges but his perseverence has ensured that his company is now enjoying impressive growth.

Start time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Si Bales Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0100

The Regency Private Dining Room
The Assembly Rooms
Newcastle

Si Bales is managing director of The bgroup, a leading UK youth communications agency based in Newcastle, specialising in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.

Si is in her early 30’s and has been running the group for over five years, growing The bgroup into one of the UK’s leading agencies in youth and enterprise marketing.

The bgroup is made up of four specialist teams which incorporate digital media developers, brand and design experts, specialist copywriters, campaign strategists, marketers and managers, and innovative filmmakers.

The bgroup prides itself on being a vibrant, open and creative place to work, and this exceptional work/life balance and culture have been recognised by a leading regional development agency who are planning to use The bgroup as an entrepreneurial ‘best practice’ model of business.

Hugely ambitious, Si is constantly considering new products and services to add to The bgroup’s repetoire and develop existing work. Recent examples have included developing a pioneering Internet business TV Channel, using podcasts and blogs to aid client communications, and creating an internal ‘laboratory’ for bteam innovation.

Si Bales spent her childhood travelling globally with her family, before settling in her mother’s native North East of England to attend school. She completed a degree in English Literature and then spent three years in London working in marketing and publishing, before returning to the North East and began her own business in the summer of 2000, following the birth of her second son.

The bgroup is now jointly led by Si Bales and her business partner Di Gates, and the business is growing at an exceptional rate. There are now 20 ‘bteam’ members, and the business has a new office in Covent Gardens in additional to its new Newcastle premises, from which it is developing internationally.

Si is a visionary with an extremely astute business mind. She firmly believes that The bgroup will soon become the UK’s leading communications agency in entrepreneurial communications, and she and the rest of the bteam are constantly using and developing new technologies in order to create innovate ways to engage with young people.

Start time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Bob Fuller, CEO, 3UK Network - Focus Dinne

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Bob Fuller, 58, is the Chief Executive Officer of 3 UK, the mobile media company.

3 has over 3.2million customers in the UK and delivers convergence of communications, entertainment and information to customers on the move.

He joined 3 in the UK in May 2003, following two years as co-CEO of 3 Italy. Before the Italian position he was Chief Executive of Telewest's Cable division.

From 1997 to 2000 Bob was Chief Operating Office of Orange UK and Group Director and was a key player in ensuring the company's success. Before becoming COO he had been Commercial Director of Orange UK from 1994, a role in which he was responsible for customer service, logistics, sales and marketing.

Bob's career in the industry dates back to the early eighties, after he began working with Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa in 1982. He worked for the group in both the UK and Italy as well as Hong Kong. Hutchison are the parent company of 3 and were also the company behind Orange.

Orange was launched in 1994 and was successfully floated in 1996. In 1999 Hutchison sold it's 49.01% stake in Orange to Mannesman of Germany for a profit of US$15billion.

3 UK is a member of the HWL group of 3G companies, which include 3G operations in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy and Sweden.

Bob is married and lives in Northumberland.

We're delighted to welcome such a high profile guest and would be delighted if you can join us for this members-only focus dinner in the sumptous surroundings of the private dining room in Jesmond Dene House.

Start time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Closing the entrepreneurship gap: What is happening in the North East?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Brought to you by The Entrepreneurs' Forum and Universities for the North East.

Join us to hear contributions from industry and professional services representatives, regional development agencies, business support agencies, academics and local and regional government.

The itinerary for this free event is as follows:

SESSION ONE: WHAT THE REGION CAN DO TO CLOSE THE ENTREPRENEURS GAP

9.30 - 9.40 Welcome & Overview
Paul Callaghan, Entrepreneurs' Forum Board Member, Chairman of the Leighton Group
and Governor of University of Sunderland

9.40 - 9.50 Presentation on literature review and background to the conference
Dr Paul Benneworth, Centre for Urban & Regional Development Studies, University of Newcastle

9.50 - 10.00 Alan Clarke, Chief Executive, One North East
- Role of the RDA in Entrepreneurship Developmet in the NE

10.00 - 11.30 Pitch & Panel Session
Chair, Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, Vice Chancellor, Durham University, and Universities for the
North East.
6 minute presentations by regional buisnesses/universities/agencies on what their organisations are
doing/not doing, followed by audience contribution/discussion.
Contributors include:
Lucy Armstrong, Chief Executive, The Alchemists and Governor of Northumbria University,
Dan Brophy, Chief Executive, Business Link Tyne and Wear. Paul Campbell, Chief Executive, The
Amazing Group and Board Member of the Entrepreneurs Forum.
Jamie Martin, Chair CBI North East Regional Council and Managing Partner of Ward Hadaway.
Paul Callaghan, Chairman, Leighton Group and Board Member of the Entrepreneurs' Forum.
Andrew Lewis, Director (Economic Group), Government Office North East
Professor Max Robinson, Academic Entrepreneur and Manager of Student Blueprint competition
Durham University
Paul Rubinstein, Assistant Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council and Dr Tony Chapman, Director
of Social Futures Institute, University of Teesside.

11.30 - 11.50 Coffee break for networking

SESSION TWO THE INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

11.50 - 1.00 Chair of Session Two - Paul Callaghan

Presentations on 'Closing the Entrepreneurship Gap: International Best Practice'
Professor Henry Etzkowitz, Professor of Management of Innovation, University of Newcastle
Business School, "Why Business, Universities and Government must Work Together"
Professor Magnus Klofsten, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Linkoping University,
Sweden "Can Entrepreneurship be Taught?"

1.00 - 2.00 LUNCH

2.00 Close of Second Session

SESSION THREE - ENTREPRENEURS UNCOVERED

This session will be aimed primarily at undergraduates and graduates of the region's universities
who are either seeking to establish their own business or to work for an entrepreneurial business
in the North East. However all conference delegates are welcome to attend Session Three.

2.00 - 2.10 Welcome by event facilitator
Paul Callaghan

2.10 - 2.30 Keynote Address by National Entrepreneur
Simon Woodroffe, Founder Yo! Sushi and former star of Dragon's Den

3.00 - 4.00 Entrepreneurs Panel
Sir Peter Vardy - Reg Vardy plc, Brian Jobling - Eutechnyx, Paul Campbell - The Amazing Group,
Simon Heptinstall - Storey Carpets, Tom Maxfield - Toms Companies, Will Dracup - Non Linear
Dynamics, Si Bales, The B Group, Satish Sheworak - Moshine

4.00 - 5.00 Refreshments, Exhibition of entreprenerial businesses, Networking.

5.00 Close

Start time: 09:30
Closing time: 17:00

Entrepreneurs' Uncovered Graduate Conference

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

in conjunction with Universities for the North East

Join us for the second installment of our "Entrepreneurs Uncovered" format, which saw a successful launch in November 2005 and saw over 100 students and 20 entrepreneurs gather at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead.

This free afternoon session is an opportunity for Forum members to raise their profile and promote their businesses for free to students from the region's universities. It's a chance not only to engage with the next generation of business superstars and talk to them about setting up and growing entrepreneurial businesses, but also to meet potential graduate employees.

This is also the chance for graduates and undergraduates to meet with entrepreneurial businesses and find out how they succeeded, gaining a unique insight into what it takes to be an entrepreneur. As well as a exhibition of entrepreneurial businesses, guests will be addressed by Yo! Sushi founder and former star of Dragon's Den Simon Woodroffe and will hear from a panel of North East entrepreneurs.

Simon's background: What do you do when you’ve been a roadie, a stage designer and a TV executive, have got to the age of 40, nearly run out of money and are unemployable with a family to support? You start a conveyor belt sushi bar of course.

That’s what Simon Woodroffe did and letting you into his world and mind tells you about what he learned along the way and how he stayed on the tightrope to open YO! Sushi, YO! Below, YO! to Go and now a host of YO! spin-offs with which he hopes to eclipse Virgin and Easy. Inspiring – definitely unmissable.

Since opening that first Yo! Sushi restaurant in Poland Street, London in 1997 he has expanded the Yo! brand to incorporate international franchising, the Yo! Japan fashion label and his YOTEL hotel format.

The itinerary for the afternoon includes:

1.30 - 2.00pm Delegates/Students arrive

2.00 - 2.10pm Welcome by event facilitator, Paul Callaghan

2.10 - 3.00pm Keynote address by Simon Woodroffe

3.00 - 4.00pm Entrepreneurs Panel, featuring contributions from Sir Peter Vardy (Reg Vardy plc), Brian Jobling (Eutechnyx), Paul Campbell (The Amazing Group), Simon Heptinstall (Storey Carpets), Tom Maxfield (Tom's Companies), Will Dracup (Nonlinear Dynamics), Si Bales (The B Group) and Satish Shewhorak (moShine Animation).

4.00 - 5.00pm Refreshments, Exhibition of entrepreneurial businesses & networking

5.00pm Close

Starting time: 13:30
Closing time: 17:00

Employee Ownership, with John Clough of the EAGA Partnership

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

EAGA Partnership is an employee-owned social enterprise company. It was ranked as the 28th best company to work for in a Sunday Times report in 2004. EAGA has developed a reputation as an efficient and effective outsource parter and programme manager for Government and FTSE companies throughout Britain, Ireland, Canada and India. It is best known for delivering large scale energy efficient heating systems and home renovations to vulnerable clients and offering income advice.

John Clough is chief executive of EAGA, having left British Coal to take up the post in 1990.

His early career was spent in the coal and chemical industries, after graduating from the University of Newcastle with a first class honours degree in chemistry. He held senior positions within British Coal in production and general management throughout the country before moving on to EAGA.

Under John's direction EAGA has been reorganised into an employee owned Partnership and has experienced rapid growth since 2000. Turnover has surged to £300m annually and the organisation employs 1,400 staff.

John's evangelism for service excellence has been sought out recently by Nexus, whose board he joined in April 2005. His other areas of expertise include strategic planning and performance methods, 'third way' corporate structures and change management.

John was honoured with and MBE in 1994 and his other honourary positions include Freeman of the City of London, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Science and also Fellow of the Institute of Energy. His voluntary work includes being Trustee of the Eaga-charitable Trust.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Private Members Lunch with Simon Woodroffe

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000

This special members-only lunch, with Yo! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe, will be held at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead on 8th March 2005 from 12noon-2pm.

Simon's background: What do you do when you’ve been a roadie, a stage designer and a TV executive, have got to the age of 40, nearly run out of money and are unemployable with a family to support? You start a conveyor belt sushi bar of course.

That’s what Simon Woodroffe did and letting you into his world and mind tells you about what he learned along the way and how he stayed on the tightrope to open YO! Sushi, YO! Below, YO! to Go and now a host of YO! spin-offs with which he hopes to eclipse Virgin and Easy. Inspiring – definitely unmissable.

Since opening that first Yo! Sushi restaurant in Poland Street, London in 1997 he has expanded the Yo! brand to incorporate international franchising, the Yo! Japan fashion label and his YOTEL hotel format.

Jeff Grout, managing director of JG Consulting will lead the discussion over lunch with Simon. Jeff has conducted public interviews with a group of entrepreneurs who know first hand, and often spectaularly, about being successful.

His interviewees include Sir Terence Conran, Anita Roddick, David Lloyd, Harvey Goldsmith, Sir Tom Farmer and Peter De Savary amongst others. Jeff is also due to interview Sir Alan Sugar in March of this year.

Starting time: 12:00
Closing time: 14:00

Andy Hanselman - Compete Or Get Beat

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Andy Hanselman is a recognised expert in improving business competitiveness. He is a regular speaker on business development issues such as Leadership, Revolutionary Organisations, Sales & Marketing, CRM, and Customer Care. His specialist subject is ‘Maximising Customer Relationships’ and having presented to over ten thousand business leaders and decision makers, Andy is recognised for his engaging, humorous, and down to earth approach. His stimulating, motivational and practical style offers real solutions to today’s business problems.

Andy has developed a reputation for innovative, inspirational and stimulating training and motivational seminars, and is in demand as a speaker at team building events, seminars and conferences up and down the country.

Recognised by Enterprise Magazine as a Future Top 100 Entrepreneur, he has over 15 years experience working with, and learning from directors, partners and senior managers of literally thousands of businesses. This has identified some common factors that distinguish successful companies and their leaders from their competitors, helping them compete, not get beat.

After helping develop a successful training and consultancy business for someone else, Andy founded his own consultancy, Hallmarks Business Development in 1995, which he recently sold to its management team freeing him up to concentrate on speaking and writing.

He consults, speaks and trains senior decision makers in a wide range of industries and has developed numerous business development programmes, training and motivational seminars as well as regularly writing articles and papers for local and national media.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Nick Bell - ZeroPlus - Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The third in our series of focus dinners for young entrepreneurs.

Join our guest speaker Nick Bell in the private dining room at Malmaison, Newcastle Quayside.

Nick Bell is co-founder and managing director of Newcastle-based audio-visual company ZeroPlus. He and his business partner, Olly Henderson, formed the business in 2003 and now employ around 20 full and part time staff.

Business isn't new to Nick however. He was already a dotcom veteran by the tender age of 14, having set up teenfront.com, which become one of the largest teen websites in Europe at the time through partnerships with the likes of Coca Cola, Freeserve and COI. Nick sold Teenfront at the age of 16 to rools.com, though he continued to manage the operation of the site and work on a consultancy basis for rools. The team he worked with was packed with a wealth of experience, including the likes of Sir Stanley Khams and Bernard Arnault.

After the downturn in the dotcom sector Nick bought back the company for a nominal fee and grew it through numerous acquisitions to be the leading player in the on-line teen magazine market. However, the market couldn't sustain the site - despite attracting over 500,000 visitors a month - and they struggled to attract sufficient advertising revenue.

Nick re-sold the site in 2002 for a modest sum to concentrate on his consultancy roles and various web-related projects. During his consultancy period Nick worked on numerous high profile sites, including the film website for Universal Pictures' Blue Crush, the recruitment website snapajob.com amd student portal studentmax.com.

It was at this point that Nick and Olly identified a gap in the audio-visual market - seeing an opportunity to serve both domestic and commercial sectors. The idea was to grow not only a successful company but a leading brand.

Other ventures for Nick have included Cocobeach - the Tanning in Tesco concept at Tesco Extra Kingston Park, which he later sold.

Nick is a past youth correspondent for the BBC and was the 2004 North East young entrepreneur of the year.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Brad Holbrook, Founder of Dataform - Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Brad Holbrook set up business forms distributor Dataform in 1985 and following numerous acquisitions he sold the business for the second time in 2005, having grown it to a turnover of £40m.

Join us for a focus dinner in the private dining room at Jesmond Dene House to hear Brad’s story and gain an insight into exit strategies for business.

After attending Usworth School in Washington on what he describes as a “a fairly regular basis until the age of 14”, Brad Holbrook learned how to play truant and eventually left at the age of 15. He lists his qualifications around that time as “paperboy, milkboy, bookies runner and tear-away”, a combination he fondly remembers as a perfect launch-pad to join the marines.

Basic training came and went, and so did Brad after discovering that he and the marines didn’t get on. At a loose end, his father’s declaration that “you don’t get anywhere without a trade” prompted him to sign up as an apprentice diesel fitter aged 17.

Part of his new trade involved a return to education, albeit part-time at Gateshead Technical College. The course involved a finance element and after two years of repairing trucks, trailers, trains and trawlers Brad decided it was finance where his future lay – or more specifically making money.

So at 19 Brad joined Makro as a forklift truck driver and since they wouldn’t put him through their management training programme, he enrolled himself on a Business Studies course at New College Durham, which he had to pay for himself.

After winning student of the year Makro decided to enrol him on the management training programme after all. Brad said: “At the age of 20 I’d arrived in business. I had 20 staff, a £4m budget and £4k a year.”

Not long after that a friend of his left Makro to join American Business Forms Co. as a trainee salesman, so Brad followed, saying: “There I am, first day on my sales patch in Co. Durham in my new Marina Coupe with black plastic seats and my second best suit – I got married in my best one – and with a map in hand.”

He won salesman of the year in his first year and repeated that success for the following three. By then his diminishing commission rate promoted him to leave and set up in business himself.

Dataform, a business forms distributor, was born in 1985 and within a year he had 12 staff working out of a unit at Team Valley. Three years later they moved to larger premises on Team Valley after acquiring a printing company. After selling the print arm to a management buyout in 1990, there followed an approach from “a small software company called Sage” to acquire his main business in 1992.

Between 1993 and 1997 Brad ran Dataform for Sage, acquiring two new businesses and creating the Print Management concept.

During this time Brad bought Aldwark Manor, near York, creating a 62 bedroom destination resort, adding an 18 hole golf course in 1998 and a spa and beauty treatment centre in 2000.

In 1997 Brad led a management buyout of Dataform from Sage. They made their first acquisition two years later and opened offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Milton Keynes. A security products company in Birmingham was acquired in 2001, followed by the purchased of SQR in 2002. The following year he sold Aldwark Manor hotel, golf course and spa to Marston Hotels.

Between 2004 and 2005 further acquisitions in Wolverhampton, Watford and Cardiff followed and by mid-2005 Dataform made pre-tax profits of £2m on a £40m turnover.

He sold Dataform for the second time in September 2005, when the group was acquired by Communisis plc.

2006 has seen Brad launch an entirely new venture – a medical business based on mobile treatment units. Could this be the next big plc which continues the region's renaissance?

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Leadership Dilemmas for Family Businesses

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000

in association with the Institute for Family Business

One of the most difficult things for a family business to decide is who will take over. Peter Leach, Chairman BDO Centre for Family Business and Philip Mackeown, Director of Musgrave Group Ireland will discuss leadership issues facing family businesses in the 21st century.

Peter Leach has over 25 years of experience advising owner-managed businesses on a broad range of commercial, financial, organisational and strategic matters and is one of the UK’s leading experts on the Family owned business. He has worked with some of the largest UK and international families, dealing with issues ranging from succession, strategy and pay & benefits to acting as a non-executive Board Member.

Peter founded the BDO Centre for Family Business in 1992 and has been Chairman since its inception.

Peter has pioneered research into Family Businesses in the UK and has worked extensively with the London Business School and Warwick Business School. He is a visiting fellow at Cranfield School of Management and a regular lecturer at Henley Management College and The London Business School.

He also writes extensively on the subjects of family business management, growth and entrepreneurship and contributes frequent articles to the national press. Additionally, Peter is author of ‘The Guide to Family Business’, which is the definitive text on the subject and is published in several languages.

Peter is a much sought after speaker, and has accepted invitations from a range of organisations and institutions world-wide, including the YPO, the CBI and the European Commission.

Peter Leach is a partner in BDO Stoy Hayward LLP and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Philip Mackeown has held several positions within the Musgrave empire since joining his family's firm in 1991. He is a member of the education committee for the Musgrave Family Business Programme and is a member of Family Firms International (FFI). He is also a board member for the Family Business Centre at University College, Cork.

After a spell as an Audit Trainee with Price Waterhouse in London, Philip joined the Musgrave Cash and Carry in Robinhood, Dublin and held various positions in the group. He then moved to Spain to look after Musgrave's own store operations, covering 25 supermarkets with a €38m turnover and then returned to Cork to project manage the integration of several new supermarkets into the company's franchise system.

He has also gained significant experience outside of the family business, including acting as a management consultant to Irish Pub Professionals between 2001 and 2002 and as the director of corporate relations for Cork's bid for the European Capital of Culture in 2003/04.

Philip Mackeown is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and holds an MBA from University College, Dublin. Since 2002 he has lectured in Family Business Management at University College, Cork.

Peter and Philip will be joined by a panel of North East entrepreneurs representing family businesses in the region.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Sharks, Myths & Agendas

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Protecting Personal Wealth - a Private Bankers' View, with Rob McIntyre

Have you always wondered what Private Banking is all about?
Are you fielding calls from clients and colleagues bemoaning the state of their personal finances and the poor quality of their investment advisers?
Are you worried that property prices have peaked but afraid to consider alternatives?
Do you think that derivatives are "financial weapons of mass destruction" and far too racy for the average investor?

Our guest speaker, Rob McIntyre, looks after several self-made 'rich list' clients. With refreshing honesty, he explains how to avoid the sharks, dispel the myths and spot the agendas that are increasingly prevalent in his sector and gives some practical tips that will be useful to you and your clients.

Robert is an Oxford and INSEAD graduate, and ACIB. He was formerly a Director of Leopold Joseph Merchant Bank and for the last 8 years has been a Relationship Director at Barclays Private Bank.

Latterly he he has acted as part of the leadership team for the whole UK business, though continues to act directly for clients, who are invariably businessmen and entrepreneurs.

Robert will give his personal views of where private banking and the investment industry stand after recent stock market turmoil.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Does Design Matter And How Do I Know?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Open Forum Event

Throughout the past 20 years Alan Smith has been involved in the design and construction of over £2bn of buildings, including over 3,000 residential units, 2.25m square feet of leisure and retail property and 6m square feet of commercial office space.

Alan’s philosophy is that “good design will always be good design.” At this special event Alan will draw upon his extensive experience to explain how design can be used to produce stimulating working environments.

He will also briefly analyse the influences on his career and how they and other experiences and events have helped or hindered him in becoming Senior Partner of Red Box Design Group, Honorary Founding Chairman of BALTIC The Centre for Contemporary Art, Chairman of FUSEBOXDESIGN Ltd., Chairman of Red Box Gallery Ltd and Chairman of Great North Art Affair Ltd.

Quality, design, commitment and personal service are the maxims which sustain Alan’s key role in managing the Red Box Design Group. Since its formation, the Group has been involved in many significant projects, including:

Nissan European Technology Centre at Cranfield
Stadium Park, home to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and new £50m Olympic size swimming pool
Gateshead College
BALTIC Business Centre
Northern Rock HQ
Hilton and Raddison hotels

In his spare time Alan and his wife enjoy the fine collection of modern and contemporary art which they have amassed. They have also become significant patrons of both recognised and emerging artists. Alan spends an extensive amount of time mentoring in this particular field, especially with young emerging artists and designers.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Tom Knight Talking Turkey - Christmas Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

The Great Hall, Jesmond Dene House

After dinner speaker Tom Knight, CEO of JJB Sports Plc.

After injury forced aspiring athlete Tom Knight to give up on his promising sports career it was the business world that he turned to. After brief spells at Ford and Proctor & Gamble Tom couldn’t resist the pull back into the world of sport with adidas.

Tom spent seven successful years there from 1976, before taking the plunge into business himself, launching Monument Sports back in his native North-East. His chain of stores grew steadily for the next four years before acquisition-hungry Blacks Leisure Group snapped them up, along with a number of other regional UK sports multiples which were all re-branded First Sport. Tom joined the board of Blacks as Sales & Marketing Director after the acquisition, but was quickly appointed Managing Director.

As the sports retail industry exploded over the next decade First Sport expanded to over 180 stores nationwide. Tom also created the fashion chain AV and launched Pure Woman, a sport/fashion womenswear concept in Bluewater and Southampton. These outlets also ran alongside Blacks’ 50 strong specialist outdoor stores.

By early 2001 Tom had spent several months preparing a MBO to take the sport and fashion side of the business private. However the attempts were eventually rebuffed and a year later the Group sold off the division to rivals JD Sports, who ironically Blacks had tried to acquire previously.

Later that year Tom joined north-west retail giants JJB Sports during difficult trading conditions and was soon appointed MD, working with founder and majority shareholder Dave Whelan.

After a busy couple of years spent fighting an OFT ruling on price fixing, overseeing the sale of the TJ Hughes chain and the expansion of JJB’s lucrative health club chain, Tom returns to his roots to regale Forum members and guests with some of his often hilarious stories from over 30 years in business.

Starting time: 19:00
Closing time: 21:00

Entrepreneurs Uncovered - Young Enterprise Panel Session

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Hilton Hotel Newcastle-Gateshead
8th November, 2005
6.30 - 8.30pm

Are you a budding entrepreneur?

Do you see yourself as a business superstar of the future?

Do you want to meet some of the region’s most successful entrepreneurs and find out how they did it?

Then come to the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton Hotel on Tuesday 8th November 2005 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm where the Entrepreneurs’ Forum is holding a special event for people just like you.

If you are a student who is looking to start a business when you leave university or a graduate who has already taken the plunge with your own business and you really want to know what it takes to create and build your own company then this is an evening not to be missed.

The North East has some of the UK’s most dynamic businesses, in activities as diverse as software, research, retailing, hospitality and recruitment. Their founders have hundreds of years’ experience of starting, growing and succeeding in business. And they’d like to share it with you.

The evening programme will include a facilitated panel of entrepreneurs sharing their individual stories and then access to other leading entrepreneurs. Sir Peter Vardy (Reg Vardy plc), Tom Maxfield (Tom’s Companies), Paul Callaghan (Leighton Group), Dave Charlton (The Officers Club), Lorna Moran (Northern Recruitment Group plc), Paul Campbell (The Amazing Group), Nick Bell (ZeroPlus), Simon Heptinstall (Storey Carpets), Nigel Mills (Mills Group), Sarah Linley (Fusebox Design), Ian Gillespie (Fone Logistics), Sophie Richardson (The Beauty Box), Adam Thorpe (Gill Edge Group) and John Lawler (Madventurer) have already pledged their support.

Mike Southon, best selling business author, professional speaker and part time rock star will be facilitating the evening. Mike is a serially successful entrepreneur. He co-founded The Instruction Set, an open systems consultancy, in 1984, and sold the company 5 years later to what is now Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.

Mike has since been involved in seventeen start-up ventures, responsible for sales and marketing – the experience of which went into co-writing the bestselling Beermat Entrepreneur, Sales on a Beermat and Boardroom Entrepreneur.

Mike has been a keynote speaker, moderator and workshop leader for many organisations, including Microsoft, Novell, Hewlett Packard, Accenture, Rolls-Royce, Royal Bank of Scotland and Sun Microsystems.

This is a rare opportunity to engage with people with great passion, tenacity, drive and courage (and have a free meal too!). Seldom have so many entrepreneurs gathered in one place - and all to help you. Touching isn’t it?

This event is open to students and graduates of our superb regional universities and colleges and is free to attend - but you must register.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

SME Conference: Optimising Growth - Key Disciplines Uncovered

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Experts in five key business disciplines, Sales, Marketing, People, CRM and Finance will inspire, motivate and educate 125 delegates at the Entrepreneurs' Forum SME Conference at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead this November.

SMEs are the lifeblood of our national and regional economy, driving employment, wealth and in some cases government policy. The primary aim of the conference is to encourage businesses to grow, as well as giving practical advice on key areas of business to strengthen their knowledge base.

We are honoured to have keynote speakers Paul Walker, CEO of Sage and Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer address delegates in the morning.

The afternoon sees attendees choose two from five workshops, where our experts and facilitators will present their key steps to success before taking questions from the floor.

Sales: Mike Southon, Author of Sales on a Beermat
in association with David Forster of Lead Generation Ltd.
How to double sales immediately - Salesperson attributes: are you a Hunter, Farmer or Manager - Qualifying - Closing - Dealing with difficult customer situations

Marketing:Rod Connors of The Branded Sports Group
in association with Angela McLean of Fast Forward Ltd.
On the Blocks: Starting with the basics. Building a Brand Positioning Statement
Every Touch Counts: The importance of integrated marketing
Creating Talkability: Building a communication strategy around your brand

Finance: Jeff Macklin of FDUK Ltd.
in association with Neville Bearpark of UNW
Getting a finance cornerstone - Thinking (and acting) cash - Staying flexible and avoiding fixed costs, the FC staircase - Funding - Exit

CRM: Nigel Risner
in association with Simon Heptinstall of Storey Carpets
Who are the competition - How much attention to detail - Who walks the talk - Who talks the walk - How are your customers heard - Everyone makes a difference

People: Lorna Moran of NRG Plc
in association with Jeff Grout of JG Consulting
Getting the talent into SMEs; selling the chance to make an early impact - The competencies for success; the right attitudes and behaviours - Training and development as an investment - The SME dilema....what happens if you invest in people and they leave? What happens if you don't and they stay!! - Growing your business through people

Starting time: 08:30
Closing time: 17:00

Adam Thorpe, Gill Edge Investments and Michael Hogan, The Esh Group - Focus dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Focus Dinner - Bistro 21, Durham

Adam Thorpe is a young businessman who isn’t afraid to look to his more experienced peers to take inspiration and guidance.

Having initially been mentored by a leading Northern property developer after school Adam embarked on a career in paid employment, with two successful but ultimately unfulfilling roles within a technology group. This frustration led Adam to leave for University, completing an Economics degree at Newcastle University, where his very physical hunger for business activity and success began to stir again.

At this time Adam found himself in the company of many of the region’s leading business people and he soon began to decide from whom he would take his lessons in business and in life. During his last two years at University Adam began working with the chairman of one of the North East’s leading property developers on some of the area’s most prestigious projects.

Adam comments “Taking this valuable insight into the inner workings of site management, finance, borrowing arrangements and business from ground level up I now had what I needed - a profession and a business I could base my plans around and achieve my ambitions through.”

With that he began his first property company aged just 21, alongside a joint funding partner. Following three more years of development, several months on sites learning the trade, celebrity company gone wrong and a lot of money paid to professionals he has lost money on some projects but more importantly made money overall. This success is now fuelling impressive growth of his company.

Join us for the second in our series of young entrepreneurial talent and hear Adam’s story through a frank and honest discussion. He will speak of the business challenges he has faced, the tears and joy along the way and why he is more determined than ever before to prove negative thinkers wrong and to stamp down every challenge set in front of him.

Adam has been mentored more recently by Michael Hogan of the Esh Group, who will be chairing the evening.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Growth Challenges For SMEs - Angela McLean, CEO, Fast Forward Now

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Angela McLean is a typical serial entrepreneur, having started five businesses in the past eighteen years. Early entrepreneurial success came with award winning Baggers, a company producing children’s rainwear in a bag. After selling the firm she decided to pass on her knowledge to others considering a life in business.

After graduating with an MBE from Durham University in 2000 Angela is now a consultant and lecturer at Masters level, including MBA programmes in strategic marketing, international marketing, entrepreneurship and small business management.

In addition Angela has also developed a highly successful graduate enterprise programme at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her belief is that by working closely with entrepreneurs before they leave university, the level of student business failures can be reduced. Indeed her students won the 2004 National Students in Free Enterprise and went on to finish 7th in the international final in Barcelona against 1,700 students from 38 nations.

Angela is CEO of Fast Forward Now, a company which specialises in consultancy to higher and further education institutions, providing support and mentoring opportunities to student businesses and providing guest speakers to colleges and universities.

Current projects include researching a book, The Educated Entrepreneur, as well as writing regularly for Enterprise North East.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Rachel Lomax - Deputy Governor - The Bank of England

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Focus Dinner - Jesmond Dene House

Rachel Lomax became Deputy Governor of the Bank of England on 1st July 2003. In addition to her membership of the Monetary Policy Committee, she has specific responsibility within the Bank for Monetary Policy, including monetary assessment and money market operations.

Before joining the Bank, she was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport. Between 1999 and 2002 she held the same position for the Department for Work and Pensions (previously the Department of Social Security) and, from 1996 to 1999, at the Welsh Office. She was Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President of the World Bank in 1995-6 and Head of Economic and Domestic Secretariat at the Cabinet Office in 1994.

Her earlier career was spent at HM Treasury, which she joined in 1968 and where she worked on a wide range of macro-economic, monetary and financial issues. She was Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Nigel Lawson, in the mid 1980s, and Deputy Chief Economic Advisor in the early 1990s.
Rachel Lomax is on the Board of the Royal National Theatre and DeMontfort University. She graduated from Girton College Cambridge in 1966 and obtained an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1968. She has two grown up sons and two granddaughters.

Join us for a fascinating insight into the career of one of Britain's most successful economists and into the workings of the Bank of England.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Charity Ball 2005

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0100

The Golden Event

The Entrepreneurs' Forum Charity Ball will be held at the Hilton Hotel Newcastle - Gateshead with money raised in aid of St. Oswald's Hospice.

Champagne reception at 7.30pm and carriages at 1.00am

Sir Peter Vardy and the board of the Entrepreneurs' Forum warmly invite you to the Entrepreneurs' Charity Ball.

The theme this year is gold - and anything goes! If you're the shy retiring type keep it low profile with a golden tie or neck scarf, but if you're a flamboyant charachter why not try to upstage our entertainment for the evening, Mike Fab-Gere with his golden suit?

Starting time: 19:30
Closing time: 00:00

Creating Wealth Through Property - William Frame - CEO Braemore Estates

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Focus Dinner - Malmaison Private Dining Room, Newcastle

Braemore Estates was established by William Frame in September 1987 - remember the stock market crash and The Great Storm? As they say timing is everything!

Braemore started in modest fashion with William buying a small flat in Marchmont, Edinburgh for £30,000 doing it up for £8,000 and selling it some 6 months later for £36,000 profit. This launched William out of employment with Bernard Thorpe Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents and into the life of a property entrepreneur.

After surviving the difficult times of 1991 to 1993 - Braemore has grown into a well established property company with a portfolio of residential and commercial properties principally in Edinburgh, Inverness, Glasgow, The Scottish Borders and south of the Border in London, Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, South Kensington and Chiswick.

Having a substantial income-producing portfolio is allowing the business to carry out residential development in and around the Crieff and Dunkeld areas where higher quality homes are being built with the emphasis on quality, design and creativity, not the mass-produced houses found in any suburb of Great Britain.

Recently the Head Office was moved from Georgian Edinburgh to the Ochtertyre Estate in Crieff. Braemore Property Management continues to be run from Brae House in Dundas Street, Edinburgh and handles the day-to-day management and rent collection of over 700 properties in Edinburgh for owners in this country and all over the world.

William makes a very honest presentation on the high-risk business of building wealth in property and his Scottish roots ensure that its jargon free and to the point.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Peter Wisniewski - HR Director - Nike UK & Europe

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0100

“How Nike has tried to retain its culture as we continue to grow”

Open Forum Meeting will take place at the Lecture Theatre, Reg Vardy Plc, Houghton House. 6.30 - 8.30pm

Peter Wisniewski has been responsible for HR at Nike’s UK operation for the past eight years, the last three of which have also encompassed the sporting giant’s European business, helping to develop the company’s regional people strategy.

On the 6th September he will be telling Forum members and guests about how "Nike has tried to retain its culture as we continue to grow". Peter will speak of the real challenges and how the key lessons along the way have been the importance of leadership, trying to keep things simple and the difficultly in simply applying common sense. In an honest appraisal, Peter comments “We still have a long way to go and so much more to learn”.

Prior to Nike, Peter says he was “incredibly fortunate to have also worked for Philips, Fisher Price and De La Rue, meeting some great coaches along the way”. He also claims to have had his fair share of luck, having been sponsored through several years of higher education “when I should really have been kicked out of school when I was 16”. Peter was born, bred and lives in the North East and it may not surprise you to hear he loves sport!

Nike is the largest sports company in the world. In the last few years the company has grown significantly from it’s UK headquarters in Sunderland, with the UK business now the second largest within the Nike portfolio. Such growth has created significant challenges, not least how to instil the discipline and process required by Wall Street whilst simultaneously trying to retain a maverick culture which thrives on passion, energy and fun.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Summer BBQ

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0100

The Entrepreneurs' Forum would like to invite you to relax, saddle up and join us for an evening of entertainment plus a sumptuous barbecue including the famous 'Hog -Roast' in the fantastic setting of Seaham Hall.

Enjoy the adventurous country and western theme, with line dancing lessons, archery, horseshoe throwing, a shooting range and a blazing saddle style film show. The country and western music will be followed by a late night disco.

Dress Code: Denim and neck scarves!!!

Don't miss what is guaranteed to be a great evening. Ticket price is £50 per person including welcome drinks.

Starting time: 19:30
Closing time: 00:00

Entrepreneurs Panel - The State of the Nation

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0100

The Entrepreneurs Forum presents:

“The State of the Nation – find out what is really happening out there direct from the people who know”

The evening promises to be a thought-provoking, informative and somewhat irreverent look at the state of the economy and the challenges that our businesses face today and in the future. To provide breadth, depth and balance we have brought together a panel of some of the region’s most informed and stimulating business leaders, each from a different sector of the economy. Speaking from a retailer’s perspective is Dave Charlton of the Officer’s Club, representing Manufacturing is Keith Miller of Miller UK and Technology is ably represented by Paul Campbell of the Amazing Group. Finally John Raglan of Dipsticks Research will give us the view from the Service Sector. Trying to keep the panel in order will be Chairman, Paul Callaghan of the Leighton Group.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Tarek Nseir - Managing Director TH_NK - Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0100

When your chosen career is out of reach for reasons beyond your control, what do you do? If you’re Tarek Nseir you use natural talent and sheer determination to build one of the fastest growing new media companies in the North East.

We’d like to invite aspiring entrepreneurs to join Tarek at a focus dinner to hear about how his chosen career in the RAF was curtailed by failing eyesight and how that eventually launched him onto the path to successfully starting and running his own business.

The London and Paris offices of Accenture were his first port of call, but the restraining corporate culture wasn’t to his liking. So after cycling around Kenya to raise money for charity he set off North to University in Newcastle, where his first foray into business led him and a group of friends to set up Revelation Design even before he graduated; which he eventually did, with a first of course.

The steep learning curve he and his friends experienced proved invaluable and the fledgling business flourished, eventually leading to Tarek winning the “North East Young Achiever” award in 2002. Following this he developed a partnership with Cravens to tap into their strategic strengths, before selling a small portion of the business to fuel further expansion.

Spurred on by this success the business morphed into TH_NK, so named to reflect the innovative and creative marketing solutions company it had become. Today TH_NK employs 20 staff, has seen a 500% surge in turnover in the past 18 months and boasts an impressive client list including ITV, Northern Rock and Northumbrian Water.

Tarek is one of a rare breed of young entrepreneurs here in the North East. Our region is bottom in the national league of business start-ups; our young people are less likely than any other across the UK to go into business for themselves.

But Tarek believes that the North East is the perfect place to do business and yet he has broader territorial ambitions still, with plans to open a London sales office in September and to forge a strategic alliance with a Dubai based advertising agency in the near future.

Tarek will talk about his journey to setting up in business, the problems faced in recruiting the right people and some of the exciting plans he has for the future, including an exciting £80k R&D project which may lead to a new spin off company and why he thinks the next 12 months will be “very interesting indeed”.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

Mark Squires - Chief Executive - Benfield Motor Group

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Benfield – A driving force for over 40 years, Mark Squires – Chief Executive
Wednesday 1st June 2005 – Reg Vardy Plc, Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park.

Founded in 1958, Benfield Motor Group is a third generation family business which has grown to become one of the largest privately owned companies in the region. With 25 dealerships representing ten leading vehicle manufacturers, employing over 1200 people, Benfield is the leading motor retailer on Tyneside, but also enjoys a sizeable presence in West Yorkshire and Cumbria. The company is widely respected within the industry, receiving its top honour, the AM Dealer Group of the Year in 2001. It remains the largest dealer group to be accredited as an Investor in People and recently appeared in the Sunday Times Profitrak 100.

The Benfield story is one of sustained organic growth, family values and a reputation for gaining the trust and confidence of its customers, as its pursues its vision to become a “world class, professional motor retailer.” Since 2000, the company has been through another growth spurt, growing its turnover from £200 to £300 million and last year invested over £10million in new facilities.

Mark Squires is not your traditional car dealer. Educated at the Royal Grammar School, and an economics graduate, Mark spent five years in advertising working for leading brands such as Johnnie Walker, IBM and Swissair, before packing his bags for Chicago, where he received an MBA from top-ranked Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mark joined the business in 1992 working alongside father John Squires, and was appointed as Chief Executive in January 2000. During his tenure, Benfield has seen significant growth and enjoyed the three most profitable years in its history.

Mark will talk about, managing growth and organisational development, corporate governance in a family business; transitioning from a paternalistic autocracy to a professional management structure; “Rip off car prices” and the future of motor retailing.

Mark is married with two children and lives near Hexham, Northumberland.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

The Entrepreneurs Forum Conference 2005

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 12 May 2005 00:00:00 +0100

How do you follow the enormous success of our Inaugural Conference in 2004 ? Simple - make it bigger and better!!
Thursday 12th May 2005 - The Hilton Newcastle Gateshead

“A MUST-DO event in the corporate calendar” – that’s how one business director described the Entrepreneurs’ Forum conference after last year’s inaugural event.

Now the countdown has begun to the 2005 conference which once again brings together an outstanding array of speakers who are travelling to the North East to share their expertise and ideas.

They promise to challenge, to motivate and to inspire the region’s business community in their own individual style and to leave their audiences reinvigorated and ready to take on the world.

The conference is at the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton on May 12 and is open to entrepreneurs, business owners, directors and managers, their staff and clients.

Some of last year’s conference delegates have spoken about what they were able to gain from last year’s event.

Graeme Lowdon, of Hexham-based Nomad Digital, said: “The conference was absolutely great. I can liken it to a battery charger. There are parallels there because people put a lot of energy into their businesses, but an event like this you get re-energised and reinvigorated and go back ready to put all the ideas into action."

Steve Nelson, finance director of Leighton, added: “Last year’s conference was outstanding and I would absolutely recommend it. It was full of energy, full of buzz and new ideas. Every speaker was inspirational. It’s the type of event that could be a must do in the corporate calendar.”

Mark Hatton, managing partner in Newcastle of Ernst & Young which is continuing its sponsorship of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and the conference this year, said: “The Entrepreneurs Forum Conference is a superb event which brings together the region’s leading entrepreneurs and some very impressive speakers.
“The informal and constructive atmosphere encouraged at this event will allow everyone there to share their thoughts on the opportunities and issues faced by entrepreneurs in the North East today.”

Compere Evan Davis, the popular economics editor for the BBC and presenter of Dragons’ Den, will open the conference with a state of the nation presentation post-General Election.
The speakers will follow:

Lord Kirkham is a miner’s son brought up in South Yorkshire where, in 1969, he started a company making furniture upstairs and selling it downstairs. It later became DFS, the UK’s biggest furniture retailer, continuing as a successful private company for 24 years before being listed on the Stock Exchange. Lord Kirkham, who bought the company back last year, was knighted in 1995 for his work for the Animal Health Trust and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. He was elevated to the peerage four years later.

Jacqueline Gold is one of Britain’s most successful businesswomen, credited with transforming the Ann Summers lingerie business into a multi-million pound empire and one of the most profitable private companies in the UK. A true entrepreneur, Ms Gold started as a junior in the family business, spotting the potential in women selling sexy lingerie in their own homes. She has been voted one of Britain’s top ten most powerful women by Cosmopolitan magazine and Business Communicator of the Year 2004.

With a tongue as sharp as his suits, Simon Woodroffe comes to the conference straight from the popular BBC show Dragons’ Den, an experience described by one entrepreneur seeking investment finance as like being “put in front of a firing squad”. Mr Woodroffe’s own entrepreneurial pedigree has seen him give up a well-established career in the music business to launch his first conveyor belt sushi bar in London in 1997. YO! Sushi now boasts 17 restaurants in the UK and an international franchise, part of an ever-expanding YO! brand.

Jason Porter is a co-founder of the on-line phenomenon of the decade, Friends Reunited, the website that has brought together thousands of long lost friends, colleagues and families in the UK and overseas. The tale of how he and his business partners developed the idea from a computer in a back bedroom into a household name is a classic case of entrepreneurship. Friends Reunited now has more than ten million registered members in the UK and 16.5 million names listed under schools.

Rod Connors passes on his experience in promoting products from face cream to football boots gained in senior marketing positions for Unilever, adidas and Nike. Although just 41, he is renowned in the marketing world for his dynamic approach and innovative ideas which have helped develop some of the world’s best known brands. He now runs his own company The Branded Sport Group with clients including Heinz, Persil, Dove, Flora and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The day-long conference will be followed by optional workshops debating issues such as growing your business and wealth management for entrepreneurs, available to a limited number of delegates.

In the evening, the famously irreverent evening dinner will include the announcement of the Forum’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, selected by the members, and last year won by John Hays of Hays Travel.

Following a successful national tour of The Gasman Cometh and Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, The Northern Theatre Company will perform a selection of satirical songs from the English duo Flanders and Swann and the American song writing genius Tom Lehrer, while Alan Hudson, a member of the world famous Magic Circle, will perform up-close magic.

Sir Peter Vardy, chairman of the Entrepreneurs Forum, said: “Following on from the success of our inaugural conference last year we are delighted to be bringing once again an exceptional list of outstanding speakers to this year’s event.

“The aim of the conference is to celebrate the innovation and determination of our entrepreneurs and the success stories that are right here on our doorstep. Entrepreneurs are the future of our region they create opportunities, wealth and employment and the Forum through events such as the conference helps to give our newest talent a guiding hand.

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity for business owners and managers to bring along their most valued people and clients, who will learn an immense amount from the wisdom that our speakers disclose. There really is nothing else like it in the region.”

The conference is being sponsored by the Forum’s three new corporate partners – Barclays, Ernst & Young and Ward Hadaway. Plus partners One North East, Business Link and Tyne & Wear Development Company

Starting time: 09:30
Closing time: 23:00

Keith Miller - Managing Director Miller UK Ltd

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Growth by the Bucket load !!!

When a 20 year old guy is told by his employer that he’s “a second rate welder and has no real chance of promotion” he most probably would head for the local and drown his sorrows. How many would be determined to have the last laugh, hand in their notice, sell their prized Ford Granada, purchase a £295 Ford Escort Estate, a Mighty Midgit welding set and possess the tenacity to start out on their own.

Keith Miller, Managing Director of Miller UK Ltd did just that and we are delighted that he is prepared to share his amazing story from Mobile Welding Services to World Class Manufacturer with Forum members. As an independent global manufacturer of buckets and couplers Miller UK supplies its innovative products to customers across the globe. They currently employ 260 people at the HQ in Cramlington and the same number in a new manufacturing joint venture in China. Projected turnover for 2005 is £33 million.

Celebrating 27 years of manufacturing in the North East, Keith has been determined to stick to his roots and has successfully developed his business into a market leader. With offices in Germany, China and Japan plus ambitious plans to expand further in North America, Japan and Europe, Millers profile has helped to attract a worldwide client list that includes Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, Hitachi and Volvo.

This incredible growth has not been without tears and on many occasions Keith has to ask his people if they are ‘On the train – or on the platform’ and is refreshingly honest in terms of the cultural issues that they face in streamlining tasks and striving for best practice. He will talk about the various step changes, the resistance that is inevitable, and a multitude of new experiences in terms of systems, controls and KPI’s that his business has embraced. He may even disclose the issues that arise from employing his family within the business!!

Mentored by Sir John Harvey Jones in the early nineties, Keith is the epitome of a true entrepreneur and has worked in many markets around the world to build his business reputation.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Michael Hogan - Founder and Director of Esh Group

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0100

‘A Model for Growth’ – Focus Dinner Tuesday 12th April 2005 – Bistro 21, Durham

As the sole proprietor of a successful fencing business and a growing property business based in Esh Winning Co Durham, Michael Hogan was enjoying the trappings of success but, as many bosses find, life at the top was becoming quite lonely. With this in mind he agreed to meet with other like-minded companies around the village and discovered that their combined experience and knowledge in terms of creating a central resource would be beneficial to all. Following lengthy deliberation a holding company was established, shares were exchanged and a new journey began.

The Esh Group was formed in 1999 with the aim to further develop the concept of SME’s clustering together for greater support and financial strength. Crowned North-East Company of the Year at the 2003 Business Awards last year the company has grown sales by 50pcto £70million turnover, increased profits by 4pc and now employs over 700 people.

Growth has been organic and by acquisition and with eight businesses in the group including Dunelm Property Services, that was set up from scratch in July 2002 and within two years has grown to employ 150 people with a turnover of £25m, the company looks set to eclipse last years results.

A true entrepreneur with a keen eye for opportunities, Michael will talk about the Esh Group model and whilst success has been sweet there have been many lessons learnt along the way. An experienced property developer, he has also been instrumental in the development of a specialist training division within the Esh Group, NECT (North East Construction Training) and this company now provides training to clients throughout the North East. Passionate about the people that he employs a share option incentive scheme was set up that allows staff to cash in a percentage of their shares at various times in the scheme cycle when they may need the money most.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:00

Nigel Risner Event

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Nigel Risner – Why customer care doesn’t work
Tuesday 15th March 2005 at Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

Many sectors of business are represented by Forum members and we are delighted to announce an event which will be of particular interest to those in the service sector, as well all members striving for customer excellence in their business.

Excellent customer service is seen as the answer to every business’s problems, the remedy to cure all ills. But for there to be substance behind the words may demand a culture change in your business.

Unless your frontline sales people are empowered to be less operations-driven and more customer-driven with the opportunity to invest personally in their customer relationships then nothing will change.

Through his stimulating and no holds barred approach, Nigel Risner will confront the issue head-on. He’ll focus on how to create customer intimacy, retention and the satisfaction that leads to customer loyalty; he’ll show how to turn moments of misery into moments of magic for your customers; and he’ll demonstrate how your customers can become roaming ambassadors for your business.

Described as an inspirational and outstanding speaker, his interactive presentation will not only show you what you need to do to bring change to your business but will also motivate you and your team to actually do it.

His rare ability to combine humour with easy-to-grasp concepts and practical tips is the backdrop for what promises to be an informative and entertaining evening. His simple but powerful ideas will stick, so you can still draw on his business-building messages a long time after we say goodnight.

For Forum members looking for some fresh inspiration to take their business forward it’s one not to be missed.

One of Europe’s leading speakers, Nigel Risner conducts more than 150 seminars and speeches a year for leading companies and organisations. In 2000 he was awarded the Speaker of the Year accolade, the highest honour bestowed by the Academy of Chief Executives and voted for by more than 200 CEOs in the UK.
As one of the youngest CEOs of a financial services company in the City aged 26, he knows business and knows what it takes to lead a successful business, translating his hands-on experience into a compelling and exciting philosophy.

In the last 12 months his clients have included BT, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Debenhams, HSBC, RAC, Lloyds TSB, Pepsi Cola and Siemens.

Nigel is an accomplished author of many successful CD collections, instructional guides and books including ‘You had me at Hello’ and ‘It’s a zoo around here’.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Martin Jones - Freedom Direct - Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000

‘Flying High’ – Martin Jones, Freedom Direct
Wednesday 2nd March 2005 – Bistro 21, Aykley Heads House, Aykley Heads, Durham. DH1 5TS

Travel is an unforgiving industry if you take your eye off the ball for a second. Natural and man-made disasters can stop the phones ringing overnight while agents selling holidays on behalf of tour operators are in competition with their own clients.

Martin Jones established his business in difficult circumstances and has survived when many others have crash landed.

We are delighted to invite members to join Martin at a focus dinner to hear how he grew Freedom Direct from an idea into a business that’s on target for £40m turnover by 2007. There have been hard lessons to learn on the journey and Martin is always the first to admit he’s made his own mistakes along the way.

Having joined his parents’ company, Lincoln Travel, as a student he was due to retain some equity in the business when it was sold. A garden leave clause invoked by the new owners left him unable to work for six months but gave him time to fine tune his idea for Freedom Direct.

In the first year the business turned over £5m, selling holidays on behalf of the major tour operators via advertising on Teletext. Turnover continued to double each year but early success led to rising costs, while Martin was busy enjoying his new found wealth.
Then came September 11 and business halved overnight, followed by the war in Iraq and changes in the industry that continue to make it a less than level playing field.

Martin will explain how restructuring the company is increasing turnover once again; the impact of his web-based businesses; how creating customer loyalty is making a difference; his plans to take on the competition by turning Freedom Direct into a tour operator; and how education gives him interests outside the business.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Sales on a Beermat

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Sales on a Beermat - Mike Southon
Following the success of the Beermat Entrepreneur Event we have invited Mike back to present the content of his third book that suggests entrepreneurship is only about sales. This event is aimed at getting the whole company selling whether you prefer the ‘kick the door down’ style or relationship management or want to introduce sales for the non-sales person in your company.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Boardroom lunch with the 'Rt Hon The Lord Brittain of Spennithorne Q C'

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0000

‘Boardroom Lunch’ with the ‘Rt Hon The Lord Brittain of Spennithorne QC DL
Friday 4th February 2005 – Houghton House, Reg Vardy Plc

We are extremely pleased that Lord Brittain has accepted our invitation to speak at our next Boardroom Lunch. This distinguished speaker will be accompanied by his charming wife Lady Diana Brittain, CBE; JP; Chairman of the Community Fund (Formerly National Lotteries Charity Board)

Lord Brittan is currently Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank. He is also a consultant to Herbert Smith, and a Non-Executive Director of Unilever.

Lord Brittan was a Member of the European Commission from 1989 to 1999 and for much of the time served as Vice President. From 1989-92 he was responsible for Competition Policy and Financial Institutions. From January 1993 he was responsible for External Economic Affairs and Trade Policy. From January 1995 he was responsible for Trade Policy and for bilateral relations with North America, Australasia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.Educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School, Cambridge and Yale, Lord Brittan was called to the Bar in 1962, became a QC in 1978 and a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1983. He was knighted in 1989.

In 1974 he entered Parliament as Member for Cleveland and Whitby, holding various shadow posts. Following the general election in 1979, Lord Brittan was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office. In 1981 he joined the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, became Home Secretary in 1983 and was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry from 1985 to 1986.

In 1983, following boundary changes, he was elected MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, which he retained until he took up his post in Brussels.

Lord Brittain is now based in London but frequently travels to his home in North Yorkshire. His interests include hill-walking, cricket and the opera. He was awarded a Life Peerage in the Millennium New Year Honours List, and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire in 2001.

Starting time: 12:00
Closing time: 14:00

Growth Warriors - Paul Walker, Sage

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Thursday 13th January 2005, Boardroom, The Sage Group plc, North Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Paul Walker, Chief Executive, The Sage Group plc

We are delighted to open the 2005 focus dinners with one of the North East’s most respected business leaders and CEO of a FTSE 100 company that recently reported a 29% increase in annual turnover to £687.6m and a 20% increase in pre-tax profits to £181.1m. Named North East Business Executive of the Year in 2004 this acquisition master has purchased companies all over the planet making Sage the worldwide leader in business solutions to the SME business community.

Paul Walker began his career as a chartered accountant and auditor with the international accountants Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young) after graduating in Economics at York University.

Paul joined the UK-based business in 1984, as only the seventh member of staff. Today Sage is an international business with over 8,000 employees, 4.4 million customers and a turnover in excess of £700m. He was appointed as Finance Director in 1987, and the company floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989, providing an important stimulus for growth.

Appointed as Chief executive in 1994, Paul was responsible for all international developments, and has since played a key role during a period of sustained expansion. Growth has been led by the acquisition of companies in the United States, France and Germany and more recently in the Asian markets. In addition to extending its range of accounting and payroll software, Sage is offering new customer-facing products and services such as customer relationship management and e-commerce. Its offerings are also increasingly industry specific.

The 2005 focus will be on growing the customer base, continuing to improve products and services and developing recently acquired businesses. Constantly seeking acquisition opportunities to strengthen their market position, this type of growth is often the key to satisfying investment criteria.

To hear more and to have the opportunity to explore the mind of a master entrepreneur that has steered his business through the good times and sometimes the scary times over a twenty-year period book a seat at the table now. Places are limited to 15 members.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Living with Sainsbury's - Steven Bell

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Tues 11th January 2005 – Reg Vardy Plc, Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park.

Bells Stores is a family name that has become a household name and recently hit the headlines when a major multiple retailer acquired the convenience store division of the business. The challenges of handing down a company to future generations in an ever changing and increasingly competitive world are significant. This event provides an insight into the Bell family and presents the authentic and alternative story to past press ramblings and some public perception.

Steven Bell, Chief Executive, Bells Stores Ltd and Newman Scott, is the man who can accurately map the growth of the Bell family business and we are delighted that he has accepted our invitation to share this fascinating story with members of the Forum.

The company was founded in 1968 by Steven’s father Les Bell, with the opening of two stores in Guisborough and New Marske, and today boasts a total of 50 outlets with a vision to expand to 70 stores by 2006. A vision that may well be considered conservative given the current relationship with Sainsburys ! Steven was introduced to retail at the age of ten and this clearly laid solid foundations for a highly successful career, very different to the chosen business ventures of his brother Gary who engineered two companies out of an association with Teesside Dairies.

An opportunity to buy Newman Scott shop fitters brought another dynamic to the business and Steven will talk about the sale and subsequent buyback from liquidators of a business that now registers in the top 20 best shop fitters in the UK.

Sons and fathers can be a provocative mix, add diversity, acquisitions and a strategy for success and it becomes a highly appealing presentation!

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

'Balti Towers' - a little bit of Basil in Seaham! - Hossain Rezaei MBE - Chairman, Pride Valley Foods.

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Manufacturing in Seaham is alive and healthy in terms of the speciality bread sector and Pride Valley Foods are a dominant force in the UK market. They operate in a trading environment that is controlled by aggressive relationships with major multiples whose sophisticated analysts can write your P & L to within a tiny percentage. They know your costs for raw materials, labour and manufacturing and will even dictate how much you spend on marketing and brand awareness.

Big Brother may be looking over his shoulder, but Hossain Rezaei has coped with far bigger challenges in his quest to build a sustainable business. This brief synopsis highlights certain key events, though the full story is a fascinating and passionate battle for survival.

<ul>
<li>at 13 years of age his father had a serious accident and Hossain had to take control of their family
business.</li>
<li> The 1978 Iranian Revolution forced him to look for education and employment in the UK and he settled
in college in the North East studying satellite communications and electronics.</li>
<li>A 150% mortgage took him into the property market renting rooms to fellow students and investing
in small take away operations allowing Hossain to send money home on a regular basis.</li>
<li>1990 Hossain opened his first bakery in Gateshead and the business flourished.</li>
<li>11th December 1995 at 6 o’clock a devastating fire pitched the business into crisis.</li>
<li>A seven and a half year battle with the insurance company began to recover £12 million.</li>
<li>Personal assets and hard negotiations with the bank allowed Hossain to open a new factory on
Seaham Industrial Estate.</li>
<li>1998 turnover built to £19 million, employing 200 staff he recruited an MD to run the business whilst he
became Chairman and continued the court battle.</li>
<li>2003 – two MD’s and management teams later – business in chaos – Hossain steps back in.</li>
<li>2004 – consolidation and transition period.</li>
<li>2005 – growth and profitability and exciting new opportunities</li>
</ul>

Sharing his experience of funding, letting go, unions, non-exec directors, buying out a VC and many more issues that face growing businesses we are delighted to welcome Hossain as the speaker for our last event in 2004. Highly respected in the North East business community, his unique style, strong values and integrity have been vital ingredients for recovery and the future looks better than ever.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

�The Beermat Entrepreneurs Live' - Mike Southon and Chris West

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to be able to bring to the North East two highly respected business speakers who between them have been involved in 16 start-ups over 20 years, one of which grew to a 150 person company, two of which went public and several of which did not take off, arguably the most useful lessons of all…. Presented in association with Business Link Tyne & Wear this talk is a valuable tool for individuals in any sector and is definitely not to be missed if you are committed to growing your business.

Mike and Chris are co-founders of Beermat Learning, an education and consultancy group specialising in organisational innovation and entrepreneurship. Their next book, The Boardroom Entrepreneur is to be published in Spring 2005. The Beermat Entrepreneurs Live is the hugely successful two-man show based on the bestselling book (now translated into 11 languages). It has been staged in Business Schools, entrepreneur clubs, dinners, corporate conferences and many other venues in the UK, mainland Europe and America. Everywhere, it has delighted audiences with its mixture of business insight, clear and relevant material and approachable humour.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Family Business Event - Barbara Murray

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to be working once again in partnership with the Institute for Family Business on this very important subject. This event is aimed at owners, directors and senior managers, whether you are fully engaged in a family business or are at the stage where you want to be able to build for the next generation - this is a critical date for your diary.

This year we have secured sponsorship to introduce a speaker with an International reputation who has consulted to family businesses for over fifteen years.

We welcome to the North East, Barbara Murray who is a prominent teacher, writer, researcher and consultant on family business matters and has spoken at many conferences and teaching programmes around the world. See biography attached.

Barbara will outline the pitfalls that can beset the transfer of ownership and leadership to succeeding generations. Creating structures and processes – unique to family business – that ensure continuity is planned and that effective communications take place. Managing family communications as they enter into the inevitable conflict zones, with practical ideas on how to prevent, or even take advantage of, tension that arises.

A short case study will be presented by Jonathan Wild, third generation Chairman of his family business, Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, which employs 950 staff and has an annual turnover of £50million. “Bettys” teashops and “Yorkshire Tea” are among its famous brand names.

The family and the company have endeavoured to turn a dream of long-term business sustainability into practical strategies for every corner of the business. Its innovative work has received public recognition in Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, Business in the Community’s top award for Cause related Marketing and for the last four years it has been voted one of the top 100 Best Companies to Work for in the UK.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Albert Dicken, Chairman of Dickens DIY Group 1983 to 1999

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Albert Dicken, Chairman of the Dickens DIY Group 1983 to 1999
“Stick Boy Makes Good”

Tuesday 9th November 2004, Reg Vardy Plc, Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park

When Dickens DIY were bought by Kingfisher, parent of its national rival B&Q, the press bemoaned the fact that intense competition in the DIY market had put paid to more than 120 years of Dickens history. Asda had also succumbed the same week to the advances of Kingfisher, which made the story even more plausible. Allegedly, the writing was on the wall for some time! With this in mind we asked Albert Dicken, Chairman of the Dickens DIY Group to set the record straight and we are delighted that he accepted the invitation.

Founded in 1878 by Harry Rogers, the small shop on Stockton high street was handed down to his daughter Alice who married a Dicken, and though she later threw him out, she continued to trade under her married name.

Albert left school at 15 with his 50yd Breaststroke certificate and started work in his Great Grandfathers shop. The journey from shop floor to Chairman is a fascinating story. The early days involved the usual hard slog associated with building and funding a retail business and then came exit planning, buy back strategies, and four years ago, selling to a huge conglomerate.

A potted history of the last 25 years: In 1978 the company was bought by Montague L Meyer (Jewsons) for £2.4m and while Albert’s brothers chose to retire he stayed on as Managing Director.

5 years later Albert bought the business back when Montague decided that nuts and bolts did not fit with Jewsons building merchants approach. The company had just bought the former RCA Records factory in Washington and Albert raised the finance through Barclays to develop the 17acre site into a DIY Superstore. The largest home improvement centre in Europe.

In 1995 they opened Darlington and in 1996 Newcastle followed and business was indeed robust.

In 1999 Kingfisher bought the Dickens chain for £45m, its aircraft hangar sized operations were indeed a million miles away from the original shop. A vast majority of the funds were ploughed into a charitable trust and The Goshen Trust now supports schools and charities around the world. Albert also maintains control of Masada UK the retail unit and warehousing operation based in Tesside.

The Dickens brand was known throughout the North East and beyond and marketing played a major role in the success of the business. Newsletters, supplements, and strong advertising campaigns promised to provide the answers to all your DIY requirements and this chain of massive stores always seemed just on your doorstep no matter where you lived.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

Digby Jones - Director General CBI - Boardroom Lunch.

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Fri, 22 Oct 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Digby Jones – Director General of the CBI

Boardroom Lunch Friday 22nd October 2004 Houghton House, Reg Vardy Plc

Our Chairman, Sir Peter Vardy, is delighted to invite members to attend a private Boardroom Lunch with our guest, Digby Jones, who is once again taking time during one of his twice-yearly visits to the North East to visit the Forum. This is a rare opportunity to meet Digby, to hear him speak and to take part in a lively and interesting question and answer session over lunch.

You may be aware that Digby’s five-year contract with the CBI was extended at the request of CBI members for a further two years to 2006, partly due to a number of important political events on the horizon.

In the coming months the UK takes over the Chairmanship of the G7, there is the likelihood of World Trade Talks taking place in this country and, of course, the General Election, which is widely predicted to take place in May.

With so many imminent major events with potentially unsettling effects on business and industry, CBI members considered that now was not the time to change the Director General. And of course Digby has remained a popular and extremely effective DG during his five-year tenure.

His personal roles in business extend across many sectors including healthcare, education, tourism, manufacturing, construction, media and management and he is a lawyer by trade.

Digby’s regional visits give him the opportunity to speak directly with businesses, to talk over the challenges they face and to discover what they feel the CBI’s priorities should be when speaking with the Government on their behalf. His visit is, therefore, an important opportunity for Forum members to make their contribution to that dialogue.

Starting time: 12:30
Closing time: 14:15

Graham Wylie - Chairman TSG - 'From Computer Weekly to the Racing Post '

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:00:00 +0100

A profile of one of the North East’s most respected entrepreneurs. Generally a very private person, Graham has agreed to give an account of his days as a founder of Sage and the exit plan that provided the funds to embark on his recent acquisition trail for TSG, one of the fastest growing new businesses in the region.

In 1981 Graham was one of Sage’s founder members, and programmed the original Sage accounts software. Following flotation in 1999, as Sage started to develop into an international business, Graham became MD of Sage (UK) as well as holding the position of Group Technical Director. Under Graham’s leadership, Sage UK became market leader in the accounts and payroll software market, with almost one in three of all UK businesses using a Sage product by 2003.

The Sage Group’s international success is widely known to be the result of the successful export of the Sage UK business model, so effectively refined by Graham and his UK management team. Sage now employs over 1,500 staff in the UK alone, over 1,000 of these are based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Graham left Sage in 2003 and established Technology Services Group to provide IT Services to SMEs around the UK. The Group now services over 7,500 businesses from eight locations across the North of England and Scotland. Annualised turnover exceeds £25m and TSG is finalizing plans to expand further south into the Midlands.

Graham’s contribution to the North East region has been acknowledged by the honour of Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as an honorary doctorate awarded by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2003, Graham was honoured by the Queen with the award of a CBE.

Graham is now busier than ever having also invested heavily in his property portfolio including the purchase of Close House, and, turned his newfound passion for racehorses into another lucrative business that currently owns in excess of 60 horses.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 21:30

'Portfolio Entrepreneurs' - Graeme Lowdon

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 12 Oct 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Graeme Lowdon (38) graduated from the University of Newcastle with an MBA and from the University of Sheffield with a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. From 1984 he worked in the power industry, including several overseas assignments in Singapore and Malaysia. From 1989 to 1993, he was a systems engineer with NEI ABB Gas Turbines Ltd, following which he moved to ABB Power Generation in Switzerland to become Manager for South East Asia Power Station Sales.

In 1995 Graeme founded Industry On-Line Ltd, which was sold in 2000 to J2C Plc for £21.9m and he completed a stock market take-over of J2C in 2002. In 2001, Graeme co-founded Ion Holdings (ww.ionap.co.uk) to develop companies with high growth opportunities such as Nomad Digital Ltd (www.uknomad.com).

Ion Holdings has also invested in the manufacturing sector, acquiring a company manufacturing high technology, polymer based products mainly for the automotive trade. Nomad Digital Ltd was co-founded by Graeme Lowdon and Nigel Wallbridge. The Company is focused on wireless data communications and has pioneered the development of WiFi hotspot kits in the UK, the first roaming deals with mobile network operators and the first demonstrations in the UK of WiFi on moving trains. Graeme has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Scottish Entrepreneurial Exchange for several years and is a Founder member of the Forum.

He is the Commercial Director of Manor Motorsport, which runs the McLaren Formula 3 Team and four UK Formula Renault cars. Graeme lives near Newcastle with his wife and daughter.

Richard Tonks, Forum Board Member, will chair the meeting. Richard founded Savers Health & Beauty in 1987 from his first shop in the Milburn Gate Centre, Durham and by the Millennium the business had grown to 170 outlets. Blistering growth in the following 3 years saw an increase to 270 stores and Richard recently sold for an undisclosed sum to the Hong Kong based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa.

A true entrepreneur, it wasn’t long before he was back in business and he is now the Chairman of Republic. This Leeds based high street fashion chain, founded in 1986 has a turnover of £60million with profits up 5% to £8million in the last year and a growth strategy that will add more than 100 stores to the existing 40 stores. Richard is highly regarded as a mentor for growing businesses.

Starting time: 19:00
Closing time: 21:00

Stand and Deliver - Alan Ross MD of Ark Associates

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

We are delighted that Alan has accepted our invitation to talk to our members on a topic that is consistently raised as an event request on your feedback forms. None of us gets a second chance to make a first impression. Human beings are instinctive by nature and within seconds of meeting someone or hearing them speak our minds are often made up.

So what if your presentation or communication skills aren’t up to scratch? It may not be fair, but deals can be won or lost on the image we portray.

Business leaders are constantly open to scrutiny, whether from City analysts, potential clients, customers, the media or their own employees. Each expects different things; each occasion demands different communications skills.

Alan Ross spent two decades in Sales and Marketing in the food industry – a ‘professional persuader’ with the skills to sell. Always fascinated by the process of communication and how it impacts on business, he set up his own company, ARK Associates, to coach senior managers in how to hone their presentation skills.

The world’s top athletes will find the best coach they can to give them the advantage to enhance their performance. But in business, often the higher a person rises in their company the more difficult it becomes for them to admit that they could benefit from training.

This seminar is for members who want to improve their presenting style for those occasions that really matter and to generally communicate more effectively at work.

Alan will draw on his corporate experience and introduces the lessons he has learned from coaching busy executives in many different organisations. As Alan says: “Not many people think they are the bees’ knees at presenting. When they think about it and become more aware of what they do, most people will agree there are areas where they could improve.”

Alan’s client list includes directors, partners and senior executive teams at companies including Eversheds, HBOS plc, Siemens, Scottish & Newcastle, Trinity Mirror Group and Brewin Dolphin stockbrokers.

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

SHINE Project - Shaping Horizons in the North East Seminar

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

SHINE Project – Shaping horizons in the North East

Pat Ritchie – Head of Strategy One North East in attendance

‘What actions does ONE and its key stakeholders need to take, over the medium-term to maximize the North East’s sustainable development and minimize the risks to this in the period to 2016.’

Starting time: 18:30
Closing time: 20:30

The Entrepreneurs Charity Ball - Hilton Newcastle Gateshead

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Sir Peter Vardy and the board of the Entrepreneurs Forum warmly invite you to the Entrepreneurs Charity Ball in aid of Percy Hedley Foundation. A ball with a difference that salutes Hollywood's good and great, past and present, mix with stars from stage and screen and see if you can recognise our local heroes! Why not dress as your favourite film idol. Choose from a range of fabulous costumes that we have reserved for hire for this event or dress in your own inimitable style.

The Percy Hedley Foundation are an inspiration to all of us and this year we aim to help them in their mission to create a unique specialist Sports and Fitness Centre for disabled people in the north east.

Starting time: 19:00
Closing time: 00:00

Herbert Kim - CEO Codeworks

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The considerable presence of digital technology and digital media companies in the North East has provided one of the best opportunities for economic regeneration. From games companies to the UK’s only FTSE 100 software company this industry is enjoying incredible growth and the whole region is benefiting in terms of investment, employment and funded R&D.

We are delighted to welcome for the first time to the Forum, Herbert Kim, CEO of CODEWORKS launched in January 2004 as the North East’s Centre of Excellence for Digital Media and Technology.

12 years experience in technology and media related businesses, Herbert was, prior to his current role, at mm02 where he was originally Head of Business development for BT Cellnet and then Head of Marketing for 02’s incubator division. Other senior roles include UK Managing Director for QXL.com, Head of Partner Relations at Bertelsmann’s BOL.com, General Manager of Blackwell’s Online Bookshop and Marketing Manger at IBM. He has been included on Revolution Magazine’s list of top 100 people in the UK new media industry.

Herbert has an MBA in Strategic Management from Wharton School and graduated in History with honors from Princeton University where he focused on American diplomatic history in the post-WWII era. Born in Brooklyn, NY he has resided in the UK for 7 years, currently lives in Ryton and enjoys the occasional game of golf.

CODEWORKS, over the next ten years, are working to establish international leadership in specific digital technology and media sectors, building CODEWORKS into a self-sustaining engine of economic regeneration through digital industry support, financing and innovation. They are leading a coalition of the region’s business, academic and policy stakeholders united in the aim of building the regions digital economy through a focus on what the North East does best ….collaborate.In the spirit of collaboration please join us for this special focus dinner and have the opportunity to openly discuss the digital revolution from your perspective. The dinner is limited to 12 people and you should book immediately to avoid disappointment.

Board member, Paul Callaghan, Chairman of the Leighton Group will chair the evening. Paul co-founded Domain Names.com and helped it to grow to become one of Europe’s largest domain name registrars before selling to Veri Sign in 2000. Leighton operates throughout the world at the cutting edge of new technology and currently has six companies in the group.

Starting time: 19:00
Closing time: 21:30

10 easy steps to turn a good idea into a Global Technology Business

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Venue: The Culture Lab , Newcastle University

Join us to hear from Paul Callaghan, founder of the Leighton Group, on the incredible story of the company's development, as well as his thoughts on the future of digital technology. Paul assures us that even though the event is being held at the University, this will not be an academic lecture – far from it!

Paul has built several businesses from scratch including Leighton, 4Projects, Communicator Corp and Domainnames.com. In this presentation he will share some of the steps (and stumbles) he has taken in moving from a blank sheet of paper and a good idea to businesses that trade successfully throughout the world.

A little more about Paul and Leighton....

Paul is chairman of Leighton, the Sunderland-based technology and communications group. Leighton operates in over 45 countries on 6 continents and in 10 languages at the cutting edge of new technology and currently has four companies based in the North East that lead the UK in their respective markets:

· 4Projects (The UK's market leader in the provision of on-line Project Management software)

· Communicator Corp (Developers of award-winning on-demand digital marketing and communications software)

· Leighton (The North East’s foremost digital agency with a world-wide portfolio of clients)

· Business Education Publishers (A long-established publishing company)

Among the Group’s clients are British Airways, Microsoft, BT, the Australian Government, Toshiba, John Lewis Partnership, Mitchell and Butlers, Carillion, Scottish Power, Sir Robert McAlpine, Royal Bank of Scotland, Prudential, GNER, English Partnerships, Land Securities, Conoco, Lloyds TSB, Visit London, Best Western Hotels, Corus, Endsleigh Insurance, Tesco, Amnesty International, Sega Europe, Huntsman, Network Rail and Taylor Woodrow.

The Leighton Group has won many awards including a DTI Smart Award for Innovation in 2000 for Leighton and a second DTI Smart Award for Innovation in 2003 for the Communicator Corp. In 2004 Leighton won company of the year in the Portfolio Awards and in 2005 Communicator Corp won Technology Company of the Year.

Speaking on his second visit to Leighton in October 2004, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown commented: “I am visiting a company that has increased its workforce and managed its growth by investment, showing what can be done to build a world class company”.

Paul founded Domain Names.com in 1997 and helped it to grow to become one of Europe’s largest domain name registrars before selling it to VeriSign in 2000.

Ernst and Young voted Paul the ‘Northern E-business Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2000 and in 2005 he was voted the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Portfolio Awards.

He is a founder director of the Entrepreneurs' Forum and Chairman of RTC North, the region’s technology centre. Paul was Chairman of Business Link Tyne Wear from 2003 until 2006 and in July 2006 took on the Chair of Business Link North East

Paul has a first degree in Economics from the London School of Economics, a Masters degree in Management and Education from Newcastle University and a further Masters degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Salford. He is the author or editor of 16 books and numerous articles on business and IT as well as being the joint author and co-editor of the Official History of Sunderland Football Club.

In July 2003 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Sunderland in recognition of his contribution to the business and academic life of the region and has since joined the University’s Board of Governors. In October 2006 he will become the ‘David Goldman Visiting Professor of Business Innovation’ at the University of Newcastle.

Paul was one of the featured ‘Passionate People’ in ONE North East’s award-winning Regional Image campaign ‘Passionate People, Passionate Places’ and he is genuinely passionate about helping the North East region to grow and prosper. He believes that this is only possible by extending education, developing a talented and well-educated population and nurturing and encouraging entrepreneurs and business.

The event will commence at approximately 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation, cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

To reserve your place please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

Focus Dinner - Trading Out Of Insolvency

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Members-only focus dinner with Jamie Greenwood, managing director of NJL Yorkline.

Private Dining Room
Jesmond Dene House
Newcastle

Many entrepreneurs have overcome immense obstacles to grow their businesses - none more than Jamie Greenwood, managing director of NJL Yorkline and Lyndhurst Estates.

Born in Yorkshire, Jamie led an MBO of a Leeds-based family shopfitting & maintenance business in 1998 at the age of 27. Over the following four years the business grew four-fold to an annual turnover of £10,000,000 and became the Yorkline Group based in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne.

During 2001 Jamie launched Lyndhurst Estates and was voted young entrepreneur of the year by a national publication.

However the rapid growth of his businesses led to a shortage of working capital. In 2002 the group began working as a sub-contractor for several main contractors. As a manufacturer with high working capital requirements Jamie turned to a number of institutions to secure extra cash but found that none were keen on contractual type debt.

By the end of that year they had a £150,000 bad debt, at which point things went from bad to worse. The financiers froze the group's facilities and asked that the debts were repaid immediately.

"My options seemed limited. Where are all the Banks, Consultants and Lawyers now? Do I guarantee a loan, sell the house...? In the end I listened to the advice of a good friend and made the painful decision to call in the administrators, as we were on the brink of insolvency."

Jamie worked with the administrators “which was a painful and emotional experience.” Four years on, Jamie has a £5million turnover business with steady growth in niche markets and has put some safety measures in place this time around. "We also avoid being a sub-contractor," he adds.

Join us to hear Jamie's story and the lessons he has learned in losing and then rebuilding his business into the success it is today.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at approximately 7.00pm so guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

To register please e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net or call us on 0870 850 2233.

SME Conference

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead

9.30am to 5.40pm

The Entrepreneurs' Forum today unveils its line-up of motivational speakers and business coaches who will offer inspiration and education at a conference designed to support small-medium sized companies in the North East.

Biographies of each speaker and details of our workshops can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

The Forum's SME Conference is returning after last year's successful inaugural event thanks to demand from members and delegates from high growth businesses.
The mix of coaching sessions in a range of key business disciplines combined with the personal stories of some of the country's most successful entrepreneurs proved a winning formula.

And this year's event is bigger than ever with the number of workshops increased from five to six and three highly sought after keynote speakers to inspire a fresh drive for success among the region's entrepreneurs.
Renowned interviewer Jeff Grout returns to the North East to introduce the line-up, opening with Sally Preston, founder and managing director of Babylicious Ltd.

Food technologist Sally created a brand new market sector after hitting upon the simple yet revolutionary concept of producing frozen baby food. That was five years ago and Babylicious has grown into the biggest manufacturer of frozen baby food in Europe, while Sally has scooped numerous national and international awards including Best New Business top prize in the HSBC Start up Stars Awards and a Sage and Daily Telegraph Business Award for Best New Business. With regular TV appearances as a child food expert, Sally was appointed onto the DTI's Small Business Council in June 2004, helping to advise the government about the impact of policy and legislation on small companies.

She will be followed at the conference by Martin Penny (pictured), the man behind a hairdressing revolution.
Martin founded Jemella Group, which trades as GHD (Good Hair Day), in West Yorkshire in 2001. Since then GHD styling irons have earned iconic status as the must-have hairdressing product of the decade with a fan base that includes Madonna and Victoria Beckham. GHD was the fastest growing company in the North of England in the Sunday Times 2005 Fast Track 100 and sales forecasts for this year amount to £70m. With a global growth strategy Martin is aiming to make GHDs a must-have product on an international scale.

After lunch, delegates will take part in workshops covering the key disciplines that are crucial to business success – sales, marketing, customer service and technology. There will be a session on how to deal with 'people issues' entitled ""From marriage to divorce - in business" with Ward Hadaway. For any entrepreneurs who fear they are losing their drive, psychologist Professor David Johnson will be on hand to offer an insight into the entrepreneurial mind.
He is one of the few people to achieve success in the worlds of business and academia and bridges the gap between academic psychology and commercial reality.

To round off the conference, delegates will hear the truly inspirational story of Pete Goss MBE who became a national hero a decade ago when he risked his own life to rescue a fellow competitor in the Vendee Globe single-handed yacht race.
In a selfless act of the utmost bravery, Pete battled hurricane force winds and 15-metre waves to save Frenchman Raphael Dinelli, before heading back out into the Southern Ocean to complete the challenge.
He was awarded the MBE by the Queen and France's highest civil honour the Legion d'Honneur by President Jacques Chirac.
Pete has gone on to complete many more sailing challenges, including training and leading a previously inexperienced crew of 14 through the world's toughest yacht race, and is a founder of an education charity.
Complementary to the Forum's annual May conference, the conference for SMEs recognises the vital role small-medium businesses play in the economic success of the region.

Carole Beverley, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs' Forum, said: "Our SME Conference provides not only the inspiration and motivation to encourage enterprising individuals but this year yet more practical help is on offer from experts in key areas of business to help delegates grow their companies.
"It is a fantastic and extremely worthwhile opportunity for people to take some time to work on their business rather than in it, to learn some valuable new skills, to pick up fresh ideas and leave with renewed motivation and drive for success."

BOOKING DETAILS

To book places at the SME Conference please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net. We will need to register which workshops you and your guests are attending so please have those details to hand when calling, or include them in your e-mail.

Alternatively you can download a booking form from the 'Attachments' section below and fax to 0870 850 2277.

Christmas Gathering

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The Great Hall
Jesmond Dene House
Newcastle

7pm - 11pm

Join us in the sumptuous surroundings of The Great Hall at Jesmond Dene House for the Entrepreneurs' Forum's annual Christmas Gathering.

As well as fine food and fine company we have two speakers to entertain, inform and amuse.

Before dinner Chris Rea, managing director of AESSEAL, will address guests. Born in Northern Ireland in 1954, Chris has grown AESSEAL into the UK’s 2nd largest and the world’s 4th largest mechanical seal manufacturer.

Chris has spent 25 years developing the business, which had 5 people in 1981. Today the Group has over 1,000 employees and operates from 66 locations in 30 countries. Sales of £61m, 80% of which are exported to 83 countries, are predicted in 2006.

On the 19th June 2006 Chris won the title of “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 North” and a week later AESSEAL were judged to be “Best Manufacturer in the UK” at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ MX2006 Awards.

After dinner we have L Vaughan Spencer, the satirical creation of comedian Neil Mullarkey, who has gained a cult following for his business guru presentations.

He appears regularly at The Comedy Store in London where he presents his workshop for succeeders: “Don’t Be Needy, Be Succeedy”

Spaces are strictly limited due to the size of the venue, so please book early if you would like to attend. Tickets are priced at £75 + VAT each and members are welcome to bring partners and/or staff as additional guests, up to a maximum of a table of eight.

The event will commence at 7pm on 30th November. This event is open to members and their guests. Please note that the dress code is smart-casual.

Please reserve your places as soon as possible by faxing back your registration form to 0870 850 2277, by calling us on 0870 850 2233 or by e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Leadership in Growth Businesses

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0100

How do the best leaders and managers get the best out of their people? How do they create "turned on" teams? How do they develop committed, motivated and effective people throughout the business and improve their competitiveness, productivity and their profits?

Back by popular demand, Andy Hanselman is a recognised expert in improving business competitiveness. He is a regular speaker on business development issues such as Leadership, Revolutionary Organisations, Sales & Marketing, CRM and Customer Care. Andy is recognised for his engaging, humorous and down to earth approach. His stimulating, motivational and practical style offers real solutions to today’s business problems.

In this session Andy will highlight some of the key factors that differentiate revolutionary business leaders from their competitors. Not a list of do's and don'ts, but practical ideas to help improve people performance in business. He will share lessons learned from some of the best businesses and their leaders. The session will be practical, stimulating and challenging. As well as encouraging leaders to assess their own leadership style and performance, he will provide some real 'take away' actions points to put into place immediately.

Participants will discover:

The difference between leadership and management and the implications for you
How to improve your leadership effectiveness
Ways to think and work more strategically
Strategies for getting your people ‘on board’ and developing commitment through the team
Ideas to improve the way you communicate
Winning hearts and minds – tips and techniques for inspiring, motivating and managing others
How to deal with ‘problem performers’
Getting the behaviours you want from your people
Creating and maintaining a positive and winning culture

Andy's presentations have proved tremendously informative, entertaining and well-attended when he has addressed Forum events in the past, so please book early to secure your places at this session.

Please note change of venue: Houghton House, Reg Vardy plc, Sunderland

Focus Dinner - Property and planning plundered

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Members only focus dinner, with Michael Spriggs, UK Land Estates

Please note that the date of this event has changed to Thursday 21st of September and is now fully booked.

We are delighted to welcome the Managing Director of one of the most respected property development companies in the North East, and a genuinely nice guy!

As a corporate lawyer Michael Spriggs thoroughly enjoyed the relationships that were built with his business clients and since joining UK Land Estates in 2002 the company has expanded rapidly.

Born and brought up in Wylam, Michael graduated in modern history at Worcester College Oxford, had three years at Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong and returned to Newcastle Polytechnic to gain law qualifications followed by articles in the City of London.
Back in Newcastle Michael led the merger between Wilkinson Mayghan and Eversheds, becoming senior partner of Eversheds and serving on the national board.

UK Land Estates is the largest commercial property investor and developer in the North East. The company has consolidated group assets of over £450m and an ongoing active development programme of £450m. They have approximately 2,000 properties on 35 estates, ranging from Ashington in the North to Middlesbrough in the South.

Creating value out of property, they are essentially a property investment business which has 90% of it’s activities in the North East. They have developed Strategic Joint Ventures with the RDA, Newcastle Airport and HBOS.
Exploding the myth that all is now well within North East redevelopment, the Highways Agency and planning departments, this dinner will provide an ideal opportunity to open the debate that proposes:

Domestic and inward investment is already suffering but the real effect will not be noticed for five years
Property and land is limited in supply due to current planning regimes and consequently rates are rising
Planning applications are drying up
Traffic flow on the A1 stops regeneration

The dinner will commence at approximately 7.00pm so guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm. To register please e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

Family Business Event

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Thursday 19th October - 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Reg Vardy Office, Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland.

Join us to hear from Peter Leach, chairman of the BDO Centre for Family Business, who will present a series of family business case studies. Peter will address the issues facing family companies in the 21st century, focusing particularly on first and second generation businesses.

So if you are worried the kids will sell off the company and spend the proceeds on fast cars and exotic holidays when they take over, it may be an idea to come along and find out how others have dealt with the same issues you face.

To book a free place for this event please register by calling 0870 850 2233 or email the Entrepreneurs' Forum at info@entrepreneursforum.net

Knowing where family ends and business begins is a key to bringing harmony to often contentious family-run businesses

Families can be difficult to understand at the best of times. But combining a family with a business can throw up a host of problems that even the most seasoned professional will find difficult to understand. Businesses are built on level-headed decision making, but family firms are often ruled as much by emotion as by common business sense. In any business there is a constant battle between the heart and the head and this struggle really comes to the fore in a family-run company.

But this is all grist to the mill for Peter Leach, BDO Stoy Hayward’s chairman of its Centre for Family Business. 'There is an inherent conflict that inevitably flows between business and the family and like any area where you can predict conflict, prevention is better than cure,' says Leach.

But there is another looming conflict that is weighing on Leach's mind. In his Budget speech, chancellor Gordon Brown set out his intention to change the tax regime governing trusts, which the chancellor would appear to view as a thinly veiled form of tax avoidance.

However, it would also seem that Brown has disregarded the important role trusts play in preserving capital and protecting family businesses from the vagaries of wayward sons and daughters.

'What he has done is annoying,' says Leach. 'The whole idea of having a regime where trusts are taxed is a problem.' He points to potentially exempt transfers, which have been used to set up trusts for offspring where no inheritance tax would be paid provided the settlor of the trust lived for seven years or more. Such trusts ensure that errant children are not able to fritter away the money at a young age. Under the new rules, these transfers have to be in cash if the children are over 18 to avoid the new tax.

'This means you will not be able to have a time period to help your children understand the wealth,' Leach complains. 'The government knows that if you have a choice between putting £1m of shares into a trust for your children and paying the tax upfront, or giving them the shares outright, you would not give them the shares outright. So, instead of paying the tax, you hold on to the shares, which then become part of your estate, which will, of course, be taxed.'

He also criticises the anomaly in the treatment of spouses. 'If you have set up a will that gives your wife a life interest in a trust, thinking that your wife will not get taxed, now she will. That’s a bit tough,' he says. But he believes this will change before the rules are passed in the finance bill. ‘I think you will have to wait until royal assent, because I think the bill will change as it goes through parliament.'

But this does not help trust and inheritance tax planning at the moment. And such issues can be crucial for family businesses, many of which are owned through a system of trusts in order to preserve and protect the business assets.

Leach, along with a number of organisations including the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, is lobbying the government to change its mind. And he is able to draw on his experience with the Centre for Family Business in this task.

Leach set up the Centre for Family Business at BDO in 1992 having been involved in owner-managed businesses and private clients during the late 1970s and most of the 1980s.

'I kept seeing the same pattern: what do I do with dad, what do I do with my brother? All this time I was being asked how to deal with siblings, parents and errant sons. And quite often the solutions were very similar,' he explains. Having identified this pattern, he was surprised to find that no one had really studied the issue in the UK. But he knew there had been research carried out in the US. He discovered there were family business centres in virtually every state in the US.

Leach worked with the London Business School to study 30 family businesses to show their survival characteristics. He subsequently ran a series of seminars on key family business issues, such as succession and corporate structures.

During these seminars, Leach noticed that people were prepared to talk openly and candidly about the problems they faced in running their business and so created the centre as a membership forum in 1992. Participants were able to share their experiences and learn from each other as well as the advisers at BDO. 'People felt a sense of belonging and it also became quite a powerful lobbying group,' says Leach, adding that from an early stage it had teamed up with the CBI to promote family business issues.

Juliette Johnson, a senior director in the business centre, who works alongside Leach, adds: 'It was the realisation that what they were facing wasn't unique to them, and that all family businesses were facing the same sorts of issues.'

When the centre launched, it created quite a stir, according to Leach. ‘It was the first time that anyone had done any joined-up thinking between family systems theory, family psychology and business,’ he says.

When Leach carried out the initial research, he found that around three-quarters of private businesses were family owned. But there is not one size that fits all. Leach describes his business as very diverse. 'I can be dealing with a landed company with 100 shareholders who are looking to sort out their governance structure and then a retail business with a turnover in excess of £5bn,' he says. And he doesn’t stick to the UK. 'One of the early cases I did was in India and I have now been referred to a number of the large Indian groups.' He also works with businesses in Ireland, the rest of Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

So what are the major issues facing these companies and the common hurdles that unite them?

Succession is always going to be the biggest hurdle – less than a quarter of such businesses make it to the second generation, and this figure drops to 13% for third-generation successions. This does not mean that the businesses have failed, it could be that they have been sold to an external party, or that the following generation does not have any wish to work in the businesses. But quite often it is because the current owner does not know how to handle the difficulties of passing the business on to the children.

To solve such issues, Leach suggests that you get the owners to realise they are dealing with their successors’ futures, not their own. 'They have to empower the next generation to work out a solution, as a team, and then the owner has to bless it,' he says.

Johnson adds: 'You then need to focus your attention on these people to see what they need in order to develop, to grow into the role. What education do they need, what development plans and coaching are required, and how do they support each other?'

Another increasingly important area revolves around the governance of the business, and the role a family plays within that. Leach and Johnson are often involved in setting up family councils. As Johnson explains: 'This creates a very clear separation between the management side of the business and the ownership and family side. You almost need to put a brick wall up between the two and have very controlled communication between the two. The council will be very much on the family side.'

They also assist in the preparation of a constitution. This naturally involves working with the family. 'You can’t just tell the family what they should be doing, they have to want to do it,' says Leach. 'So any process has to involve education.'

Education and communication seem to be constant themes with Leach. He regularly lectures at Cranfield, and has also taught at the London Business School and Henley. And one is left with the feeling that he believes the government and the chancellor also need educating if it is to avoid doing considerable damage to the UK’s family silver.

Family values

According to research, only 13% of family businesses survive to the third generation of the family.

One reason for this, according to Peter Leach, is that when the founding father or mother passes the business on to their children, those children will have been brought up with certain shared values as they would have grown up under the same roof. But when the business then passes on to the next generation who will, in effect, be cousins, they will have been brought up with differing values, attitudes and aspirations. And this will have a direct impact on the business.

So you want to work in an entrepreneurial business?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

"So you want to work in an entrepreneurial business?" is an event aimed at final year students and recent graduates from universities in the North East. The event is held at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead and is free to attend, with return coach travel included.

The focus of the event is a recruitment exhibition where some of the most entrepreneurial businesses in the region will be showcasing graduate job opportunities. Attendees will also have the chance to see our keynote speaker, Pipex Hosting managing director Dominic Monkhouse (pictured) as well as hearing from our panel of entrepreneurs on why they recruit graduates .

Some of the companies taking part include Leighton Group, Sage plc, The Engineering Business, NRG plc, Fusebox Design, Adderstone Group, Broadmedia Technology, Fone Logistics, Mills Stores, Northern Rock and Excelsyn.

If you are a final year student or graduated in 2006 and would like to attend this event please call 0191 230 5742 or e-mail k.partridge@bridgeclubnorth.com to book your place.

Itinerary

1.30 - 2.00pm Registration

2.00 - 2.10pm Welcome by Paul Callaghan, founder and chairman of the Leighton Group

2.10- 3.00pm Keynote address by Dominic Monkhouse (pictured), MD of Pipex Hosting and former MD of Rackspace

3.00 - 4.00pm Entrepreneurs' Panel

4.00 - 5.00pm Employment exhibition, snacks and refreshments

5.00pm Close and return coaches

Enterprise, Investment and Export

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Houghton House
Reg Vardy Office
Doxford International Business Park
Sunderland

When Jeff Fitzpatrick bought the ailing Walker Hall in 2001 it was the start of a journey which would firstly see him rescue the company, before turning it back to profitability and then building a portfolio of successful businesses within the group.

The Walker Hall group of companies now comprises Ecopanel Systems, Walker Hall Enterprise, The Imagine Group, The Investment Club Network, Account 4 Me, Pathfinder Consulting and Walker Hall Training & Development.

Jeff's early career was spent as an industrial relations specialist, dealing with draymen, miners and dockers. He then moved into manufacturing as a HR manager, before joining Burberry/GUS where he rose through the ranks from Distribution Director to Deputy MD, then onto Managing Director before finally becoming Deputy Chairman (manufacturing).

As well as talking about his portfolio as a whole Jeff will focus particularly on The Investment Club Network. This is a 12,000 member organisation which spans 22 countries and supports over 500 investment clubs.

The Investment Club Network (TICN) teaches people how to invest safely in the stock markets of the world. Clubs set their own targets but generally aim for at least a £1 Million portfolio over 60 months of trading on an individual contribution to the clubs investment fund of just £70 per month. Often, returns of 6% per month, which compound to over 100 are achieved.

In the final part of the session Jeff will be joined by David Smallman from the Louisiana State economic development department. Jeff and David will talk through the various options, opportunities, pitfalls and lessons that any potential exporter should heed.

More about some of the companies in the Walker Hall group:

Ecopanel Systems, an engineering business specialising in designing, installing and managing environmentally friendly chipboard/mdf plants around the world.

Walker Hall Enterprise, which has assisted 1,800 new businesses per year.

The Imagine Group, which focuses on website development, database design, online research and marketing.

Account 4 Me, suppliers of bookkeeping and accountancy services and distributors of SAP Business1 Software.
Walker Hall Training and Development, which has delivered thousands of successful training missions and over 1,000 online training courses.

Pathfinder Consulting, an acclaimed international management consultancy and advisors to the Louisiana State economic development department. Pathfinder have won significant work in UAE and will be opening an office in Abu Dhabi. They also have offices in Dubai, Cambridge, Baton Rouge and are looking for an office in Louisiana.

Jeff is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel.

This is the Forum's final event for 2006 so please join us for what is sure to a fascinating and informative evening.

Reserve your place by e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net or by calling 0870 850 2233.

Entrepreneurs Panel

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Venue: Seaham Hall Hotel & Serenity Spa.

Our first event of 2007 sees a panel featuring seven members of the Entrepreneurs' Forum board: Paul Walker (Sage plc), Lorna Moran (NRG plc), Sir Peter Vardy (Vardy Group of Companies), Paul Callaghan (Leighton Group), Simon Heptinstall (Storey Carpets), Tom Maxfield (Tom's Companies) and Martin Jones (Freedom Direct).

Chaired by Paul Callaghan, in the opening session we will be asking what exciting times and challenges the panellists consider their growth orientated businesses will face in 2007. We believe the predictions for the region in 2007 are extremely positive and we will extend the debate on this subject to the wider audience.

We will also share out thoughts for the development of the Forum over the coming months and the Directors are particularly interested in what you believe works well, needs improving and what additions can be made to add value to your membership. We welcome your comments on the evening or you can write to us confidentially.

To register for this event please e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net or call us on 0870 850 2233.

Female Business Leaders Lunch

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

For members-only. With Lynn Gate, managing director of The Storage Company and Lorna Moran of NRG plc.

New to the Forum event calendar and by popular demand please join us for the first in our series of Women Business Leaders Lunches. In a socially informal environment we will hear from some excellent speakers from the region and beyond, discuss the issues and challenges facing women in the current business climate and agree the topics and format for future gatherings. We are testing the appetite for a series of events and as this is the first, it's free! You will have the opportunity to shape them for the future and be back in your business by 2.15pm.

Our guest speaker is Lynn Gate, managing director of The Storage Company. Lynn has also recently launched a new business named The Office Company.

Chairing the event is Lorna Moran, chief executive of Northern Recruitment Group plc and vice-chair of the Entrepreneurs' Forum.

Lorna formed the company which later became NRG back in 1976 and has since led it through a successful flotation in 1996 when turnover hit £11million, which by 2006 had reached over £18million. Today NRG has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stockton and Middlesbrough, as well as their Newcastle HQ.

Lorna was the driving force behind the creation of the Entrepreneurs' Forum, having seen the Entrepreneurial Exchange at work in Scotland.

More about our speaker, Lynn Gate....

Lynn's business career began when, armed with a £15,000 overdraft, she acquired a facility on Scotswood Road, Newcastle which she turned into a shop-fitting company. Keen to utilise the extra office capacity upstairs she began leasing out space on more friendly terms than were available elsewhere.

From the shop-fitting business Lynn then moved into storage space for businesses that often did not have suitable premises of their own, with the acquisition of a property on South Shore Road in Gateshead and later added another site in Dunston. After building up The Storage Company over a number of years Lynn opened a new branch in Newton Aycliffe, before disposing of the Dunston and Gateshead sites to fund other projects.

Her latest venture - The Office Company - began when she acquired the former Metro Radio building in Swalwell and, after an extensive refurbishment, Metropolitan House has opened as the new firm's first development.

Metropolitan House offers three floors of air-conditioned offices with flexible terms and a host off other benefits. Lynn also continues to offer the benefit of her 20 years business experience to mentor tenants who need advice.

The ethos that she can balance her own business ambitions with helping others to achieve theirs is as strong today as it was when the original shop-fitting and office lease business was launched back in 1988.

Lynn was awarded the Nat West Bank Northern Career Woman of the Year Award in 1990 and was nominated for the Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship in 2004.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah Linley from Fusebox Design for kindly hosting this event at Fusebox's HQ in Newcastle.

Venue

The Boardroom
Fusebox Design
Newcastle

Time: 12noon to 2.00pm

Security Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

With Nigel Mills, group managing director of Mills Group and Matthew James, managing director of UK Biometrics

The Private Dining Room
Jesmond Dene House
Newcastle

Members-only

In September 2006 the government revised their estimated cost of fraud in the UK from £16bn annually to £40bn.

The issue of security in business has never been more important as fraudsters devise ever more sophisticated means of stealing money and goods. Clever scams aren't the only problem however, with the threat of physical violence to staff and damage to premises an equally important challenge.

One man more familiar than most with these types of problems is Nigel Mills, managing director of Whitley Bay-based Mills Group.

In this, the first focus dinner of 2007, Nigel will talk about the various security issues facing his retail business and how Mills have dealt with the challenge of these threats, which include EPOS fraud, credit card fraud, civil recovery, whistle blowing, loss prevention and internal fraud aided by external influences.

The problems appear even tougher given Mills' geographic spread, with 45 convenience stores and 31 CTNs (Confectionery, Tobacconist & Newsagents) across the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands and South Wales. The security operation is clearly a highly focused one for the £100m turnover group.

These issues are in addition to community shops made more vulnerable by demand for late opening. Shops like Mills have to contend with a serious incident of armed robbery with guns, knives, hammers or machetes at least once a fortnight. The company has responded by investing in CCTV for every branch, extra lighting inside and out, state-of-the-art alarms linked directly to the police, portable panic buttons and headsets for staff, secure counters, strict policies on the amount of cash kept in store and high pitched ‘mosquito’ sounds outside branches to deter youths from hanging around.

Nigel says: “It all helps to ensure that we’re not seen as an easy touch. We go out of our way to protect our staff and to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to attack our stores. Violent crime is a huge social problem. It’s a challenge in its own right and something that Tesco and Sainsbury’s are also having to face up to.”

Joining Nigel for this dinner is Matthew James, managing director of UK Biometrics, the dynamic, fast growing Killingworth firm whose biometric fingerprint locks, safes and access control products are shaping the future innovation in security.

"Wherever there are keys, security cards and personal identification numbers they will be replaced eventually by biometric technology," comments Matthew.

UK Biometrics has recently begun an expansion plan via regional franchises and aims to cement its position as the market leader in the industry and turn over £15million a year by 2008.

Demand for this dinner is expected to be high so if you would like to attend please reserve your place as early as possible.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

From Safeway To Superhighway

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to have Alastair Waite, CEO of Onyx Internet in Middlesbrough speak at this, the first of our focus dinners in the Tees Valley. We are ramping up our activities in the Southern part of the region as our membership in this area grows, so there will be more such events to look forward to throughout the year.

Kindly chaired by Paul Campbell from the Amazing Group, this dinner will take place in the restaurant at Chapters Hotel, Stokesley, which of course is owned by another Forum member, Steven Bell.

About our speaker...

Since moving from accountancy to technology many years ago, Alastair Waite is now CEO of the Onyx Group.

Alastair is a qualified accountant (but now fully cured!) and started work at Safeway as a management accountant in 1978 in the North East and then at their Head Office in London. Following Safeway, Alastair moved back to the region and spent 8 years as finance director at Altec Engineering in Bowburn, a company that he now owns. Alastair’s next move was to Bede plc, before moving to Onyx in 1999.

Alastair led the MBO at Onyx Internet in December 2001 and has remained an influential force in the growth of the company ever since, becoming the CEO in 1999 and steering the company through the successful launch of DataBanx in 2004, the acquisition of Askaris in 2005 and the acquisition of Business Continuity Centres and Interv8 in 2006. He was also instrumental in the group restructure completed in May of last year, which saw the Onyx Group take the first step towards a planned flotation on the AIM within the next three years.

Alastair has been involved in buying companies, selling companies, setting up overseas companies and joint ventures, raising finance and there have been many highs and lows during a long and varied career.

Alastair has helped many Teesside University graduates start up companies and freely gives up time to help develop business plans and ideas as well as helping to raise funds.

Alastair is 46, North East born and bred, married with 4 children (21, 18, 7 and 3) and lives in Osmotherley, North Yorkshire.

...and not forgetting the chairman

Paul Campbell returned to his native North East in 2002 after spending several years as a television producer and then a spell running his own company in London, Liberty Bell Productions.

After returning to Newcastle Paul formed The Amazing Group, an educational technology company whose products and brands include Amazing Grades, Amazing Tunes and Amazing Me. The group has also developed Cancer Club UK - which will help people with cancer to help each other.

This is a first for the Forum in the Tees Valley and we would be delighted to welcome members from all parts of the region as well as those from the area itself.

Venue: The Private Dining Room, Chapters Hotel, Stokesley

This is a members-only focus dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at approximately 7.00pm so guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

To reserve your place please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net.

Young Entrepreneurs Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Join us for the first Young Entrepreneurs focus dinner of 2007, where we will hear the incredible story and potential of UK Biometrics from its founder and managing director, Matthew James.

Matthew's career began as a club promoter, a period when he invented 'Ghost DJ', a web based music system for pubs and nightclubs. He then formed UK Biometrics from an initial interest in the technology which began a decade before.

He said: "I couldn't get my head around the fact that we are all unique yet we weren't using these unique aspects such as our fingerprints, our irises and vein patterns and hand geometry in the security market. Wherever there are keys, security cards and personal identification numbers they will be replaced eventually by biometric technology."

He began putting together a team back in 2000 and launched the limited company in 2004, developing various products such as time and attendance systems and biometric locks along the way.

Other products in the firm's portfolio include fingerprint safes and proximity readers, whilst they have also developed the world's first fingerprint club membership system and installed the first fingerprint access system to a children's nursery.

Having now refined the technology and built up the firm's profile and client base, Matthew has recently embarked on an ambitious but realistic growth plan aimed at transforming UK Biometrics into a £15m turnover business, via 29 regional franchises, by 2008.

He recently spoke at a senior Entrepreneurs' Forum dinner, alongside Nigel Mills of Mills Group, about the future of the security market and we're sure this dinner will be equally fascinating.

Venue: Mal 1, Malmaison, Newcastle

6.30pm - 9.00pm

This event is for members-only and is charged at £25 + VAT per person.

To register please e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net or call 0870 850 2233.

So you want to be an entrepreneur?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Ambitious students with a dream to build their own business will get a rare chance to learn how to transform their ideas into the North East’s successful enterprises of the future.

Some of the region’s best known and high-achieving entrepreneurs are coming together for the benefit of recent graduates and final year students.

The event called “So you want to be an entrepreneur?”, run by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and Universities For The North East, will expose young people to an afternoon packed with advice and real life experiences from people who themselves have created businesses often from only an idea.

Free coach travel will be provided from Sunderland, Durham, Teesside, Newcastle and Northumbria Universities. Students will also be offered lunch at the conference at the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton on March 14.

A line-up of top speakers will inspire the students about how they started in business and give first hand accounts of how to overcome some of the challenges up-coming entrepreneurs can expect to face.

Paul Callaghan, a founder member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and chairman of the Leighton Group, will open the event, which is sponsored by Northern Rock and One NorthEast.

He said: “This is the age of the entrepreneur, a time when the North East is producing some fantastically exciting businesses on which the future of our region will be built. But I also sense a feeling that people consider entrepreneurs to be a breed apart, that they are different and have something other people don’t have.

“We need our talented students to realise that entrepreneurs are everywhere and that anyone can be one if they have the ideas and the motivation. In giving students the opportunity to meet and talk to some of our most successful business owners, we will break down any barriers and show that anyone can have a go.

“We hope parents and lecturers will encourage students to come along and make the most of this chance to chat informally with some of the region’s best known entrepreneurs, to take advantage of the networking opportunities and to leave better informed and motivated.”

Keynote speaker at the event will be Caroline Plumb, managing director of FreshMinds, the award-winning research and recruitment consultancy.
Caroline, 28, co-founded FreshMinds seven years ago after working in several high-growth startups.
She spoke alongside Bill Gates at the UK Treasury’s Enterprise Conference in 2004 and was a speaker with some of the world’s most inspiring business leaders at this last year’s Institute of Directors Convention.

Caroline is a board member of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship and the Employers’ Advisory Group of the Higher Education Academy. She also sits on the Business Advisory Forum of Said Business School, Oxford, and is an ambassador of the UK’s yearly ‘start talking ideas’ enterprise campaign.

She has won numerous awards for enterprise and has been twice nominated by Management Today as one of the UK's 35 Women to Watch under 35. She holds a first class degree in engineering, economics and management from Oxford University.

Caroline will be followed by a panel of North East entrepreneurs, including last year’s Forum Young Entrepreneur of the Year Tarek Nseir, Kari Owers of O Communications and Josh March of Ethnic Style, who will speak openly about what it takes to succeed in business and the steps students should take to launch a sustainable company.

The event is the fourth graduate event run by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum. It follows last November’s ‘So you want to work in an entrepreneurial business?’ conference and two Entrepreneurs Uncovered events.

So you want to be an entrepreneur? is at the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton on March 14 starting at 1pm. Places are free but students must register first by calling 0191-230 5742 or by visiting www.soyouwanttobeanentrepreneur.com

Booked free transport?

Durham students from Durham Students Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham at 12.15pm
OR
Newcastle and Northumbria students from City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle at 12.30pm.
OR
Sunderland students from National Glass Centre car park, Liberty Way, Sunderland at 12.15pm.
OR
Teesside students from the Dickens Inn, Southfield Road, Middlesbrough at 12.00.

PLEASE BE READY TO LEAVE AT THE TIMES STATED ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU!

If you have any questions or need further instructions, on or before Wednesday, please phone Kate on
07841 656 193 or 0191 230 5742 or email k.partridge@bridgeclubnorth.com.

Be The Best You Can

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Houghton House
Doxford International Business Park
Sunderland

Creating IMPACT with Nigel Risner

We are delighted to welcome Nigel Risner back to the North East. Nigel has proven a tremendously popular speaker and workshop host at previous Forum events.

Join us for Be The Best You Can to hear Nigel's critical strategies which can be duplicated to create substantial breakthroughs in the way you view, operate and experience your business.

If you would like to take your business to the next level, and if you want to work ON your business instead of just IN your business, then you need to attend this event.

The only motivational speaker in Europe to have been awarded Speaker of the Year from The Academy of Chief Executives (formerly The Executive Committee) Nigel is a respected author, television presenter and a prolific speaker.

I.M.P.A.C.T is Nigel's easy to understand model which, when all 6 principles are applied, will allow you to live your life the way you want to.

I = In the room

Do you live your life in the present or past tense? Find out how to focus so that the internal commentator within you doesn't take over.

M = Model from the best

Where do you set your sights and who do you follow? It's time to challenge your role models or dreams and ask if they are serving you well.

P = Passion

The key to success is letting passion drive everything you do. If your life is stifling creativity and leaving you depressed and bored you can never hope to enjoy success. It's time to change the way you look at things you have to do and find ways to inject some passion into your life.

A = Action

The only way to make your life better is to do something about it. The world is full of people procrastinating - even though they have great ideas - your job is to listen, but know when to start moving forward. The challenge is simple; are you going to do anything or are you going to keep doing nothing? Know your expectations, set your goals and think about expertise, execution, endurance and evaluations.

C = Comic relief

With humour you can command enormous achievements from the team of people you work and live with. If you smile, they will. It's pretty simple - nobody loves a grump.

Think about communication with humour, taking stock of your lot, learn to love mistakes and learn to laugh.

T - Trust

The hardest thing to do and yet it's actually the easiest. Without trust you are nowhere. We all need other people to make our lives successful - letting go will help you get there quicker.

More about the man himself....

Nigel was one of the youngest CEOs of a financial services company in the City of London at the age of 26. Unlike other speakers or consultants, he has the ability to translate - with electrifying effect - that hands on experience into a coherent, compelling and exciting philosophy. This has made him one of Europe’s leading speakers and a powerful professional coach to some of the world’s leading business executives.

Today he conducts more than 150 seminars and speeches a year for an enormous variety of companies and organisations in Britain and overseas, including HSBC, Red Bull, The Institute of Directors and Royal Bank of Scotland. When he isn’t travelling Nigel lives with his wife and two children in Hertfordshire.

Nigel is an accomplished author with many successful books, CD collections and instructional guides to his credit. His books “You had me at Hello” – the new rules for better networking – and “It’s a zoo around here” – the new rules for better communication – have sold in their thousands.

Book now to secure your place for this event by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

The event will commence at approximately 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

Founders Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

For founder-members only.

The Monboucher Room
Beamish Hall Hotel
Beamish
Co. Durham

We are honoured to have a very special guest speaker join us in the exquisite Monboucher room at Beamish Hall Hotel in County Durham. William Hague MP will address founder members and guests.

About our speaker...

William Hague was born in Rotherham on 26 March 1961. He was educated at Wath-on-Dearne Comprehensive School in Rotherham, Magdalen College, Oxford and INSEAD Business School, France. Whilst at Oxford, he was President of the Union and of the University Conservative Association.

William was elected as Member of Parliament for Richmond, Yorkshire at the 1989 by-election. He has held several posts in Government including Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Norman Lamont MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990-93; Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the DSS from 1993-94; and Minister of State, DSS (with responsibility for Social Security and Disabled People) from 1994-95. He joined the Cabinet in 1995 as Secretary of State for Wales.

In June 1997 he was elected Leader of the Conservative Party and in December 1997 married Ffion Jenkins. He served as Leader until June 2001. During this period William was elected Chairman of the International Democrat Union, the global alliance of Conservative, Christian Democrat and like-minded parties of the centre and centre right and he is currently the Assistant Chairman.

In December 2005 William was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary and Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet.

Before entering the House of Commons he worked for Shell UK and spent five years working for the management consultants McKinsey and Co. William is currently an adviser to the JCB Group, a consultant to Dunalastair Estates, a non-executive director of both AES Engineering and AMT Sybex and a member of the Political Council of Terra Firma Capital Partners.

His first book, a biography of William Pitt the Younger, was published in September 2004 and won the title “History Book of the Year” at the National Book Awards in April 2005. His next book, a biography of William Wilberforce, is due to be published in June 2007.

William enjoys reading, walking in the Yorkshire Dales, cross-country skiing and judo. He is learning to play the piano.

This event is free for founder members to attend and costs £55 + VAT for other Forum members. To book please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net.

Entrepreneurs Panel: Keeping Your Customer Satisfied

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

We all know that retaining existing customers is more efficient and profitable than recruiting new ones. To succeed in doing this however, delivering the right experience to your customer to keep them satisfied is critical.

Join us to hear from a panel of entrepreneurs for whom "keeping customers satisfied" is central to the success of their businesses.

Our second Entrepreneurs Panel of 2007 sees Sage Chief Executive and Forum Chairman Paul Walker join fellow panellists Steven Bell, Georgie Cameron and Derek Curtis. Jeff Grout from JG Consulting will again be facilitating the discussion, using the vast experience he has gained from interviewing many well known business leaders.

More about our panellists.....

Paul Walker, Chief Executive of Sage plc

Paul joined what was then a UK-based business in 1984, as financial controller and one of only seven members of staff. He became Finance Director in 1987, and two years later the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange, providing an important stimulus for growth.

He was appointed Chief Executive of the Sage Group plc in 1994, and has since led the organisation during a period of sustained expansion. Growth has been driven by the acquisition of companies in the United States, France and Germany and more recently in the Asian markets. In addition to extending its range of accounting and payroll software, Sage offers new customer-facing products and services including CRM and e-commerce. Its solutions are also increasingly industry-tailored.

Paul was appointed as a non-executive director of Diageo plc in June 2002 and is also Chair of the Newcastle Science City Partnership and the Entrepreneurs' Forum.

Prior to Sage, Paul began his career as a chartered accountant and auditor with the international accountants Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young). He graduated in Economics from York University.

Steven Bell, Chairman of Newman Scott and owner of Chapters Hotel & Restaurant and clothing retailer House

Steven began his career in the family retail business - Bell's Stores - when he left school aged sixteen, at a time when his father operated two branches.

He became MD of the company aged just 25 and grew turnover to in excess of £70 million and 55 stores, before selling the firm to J Sainsbury plc in 2004 for £22.6 million. During his tenure at Bells, the company won numerous awards for customer service, IT/logistics and training. They were the second retailer in Europe to use radio frequency paperless business technology from the front to the back of their logistical operations. Bell's won many national awards, including being voted 'Top Multiple Retailer' in the Convenience Tracking Programme by staff, suppliers and customers. They were also placed 59th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies To Work For and were winners of Modern Apprentice of the Year, beating British Gas and BMW amongst others.

During the Bell's Stores years Steven and Les also acquired shopfitting business Newman Scott out of receivership, helping the team to turn the business around and working on prestigious projects such as Hugo Boss' flagship store in London. Turnover at Newman Scott has now reached £15 million plus.

Since leaving his role within Sainsbury in May 2005 after the sale of Bells, Steven has acquired Chapters Hotel and Restaurant in Stokesley and with his brother Peter bought fashion retailer The House, which has branches in Yarm, Northallerton, Leeds and Harrogate. Sales have since risen from £150k to £1million at Chapters and The House now has a turnover of £3m+ from its four branches, having grown from the single outlet originally acquired.

Georgie Cameron, Managing Director of Admiral PR & Marketing

Georgie founded strategic PR and marketing consultancy Admiral in 1999. Originally based in Northumberland, the company moved to offices in Newcastle’s city centre in 2004. Within the last two years Admiral has grown from two to twelve staff and turnover and profit has quadrupled.

Prior to moving to the North East, Georgie’s career in communications began with McCann-Erickson in the Middle East, where she worked on many big-brand accounts such as KLM, BMW and Coca Cola. After relocating back to the UK, she later ran the public relations for software giant Sage in the UK.

Derek Curtis - Managing Director of BondCRM

Derek founded CRM software specialists BondCRM in 2001. He has been directly involved in CRM software for over 9 years, working for a vendor in the South of England prior to BondCRM. Derek was also involved in the rollout of early customer service systems for a high street bank in the late 80's and early 90's having worked in banking for over 15 years.

He also is passionate about customer service, which has seen BondCRM achieve entry to the Sage Circle of Excellence for 2 years running. The award is based on independent research into the extent to which customers would be prepared to recommend their Sage Business Partner to friends and colleagues.

Based in Sunderland, the company implements business software solutions for companies of all sizes throughout the North East and beyond. His staff share his passion for customer service and the Sage products they sell, which has led to a very low turnover in staff in 5 years.

Places at this event are limited so please book as soon as possible to secure your place.

Venue: Sage plc, North Park, Newcastle upon Tyne

Arrival Time: 6.30pm

Approx Close: 9.00pm

The event will commence at approximately 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

Reserve your place now by calling 0870 850 2233 or by e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Anyone For Tenants?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Property themed focus dinners are always popular with Forum members and we are therefore delighted to have the managing director from one of the region's fastest growing property companies join us to share his story.

Ian Baggett is the man behind the success of the Adderstone Group, one of the most dynamic property businesses in the North East of England. In little more than a decade Ian has built the business from a balance sheet of zero, to one with a £30 million development portfolio and more than £100 million of assets under management. The main trading company, Adderstone Group Ltd, turned over £26m last year posting £2.8m profit.

The Group had its origins in Ian’s student days when, as an undergraduate at Durham University, Ian wrote a dissertation on ‘Student accommodation in and around Durham City’. This doubled up as a business plan and enabled him to raise a £13,000 loan to purchase a terraced house in a mining village just south of Durham, Bowburn, for £15,000. With the help of his parents and particularly his father, a wood-work teacher, Ian renovated the property over the summer holidays and within four years had purchased and refurbished a further four houses.

This four year period also saw Ian complete a short commission in the Royal Navy, a PhD and even a short spell as a professional tennis player! In 1997, Ian left the Navy to concentrate his efforts on his growing business. Following a year of professional training with local chartered surveyors Sanderson Weatherall, Ian formed Adderstone Properties Ltd with the sole aim of building a £10m residential investment portfolio within five years.

Through carefully selected developments, initial aggressive gearing and by adding value through active management, Ian in fact far exceeded his original objective, securing a residential investment portfolio valued at closer to £15m, with a further £5m in commercial investments in the same five year time frame.

However by 2002, yields within the residential investment sector had begun to contract. In a bid to adapt to shifting market conditions and grow the company whilst maintaining a competitive edge, Ian recognised that the key to expansion was through diversification into other property related arenas.

The highly successful Adderstone Group was born out of this process: a thriving, forward thinking business established in a range of synergetic, property led markets. These include Property Development, Investment, Construction, Property Management and Property Trading.

Today, the Adderstone Group is one of the region’s most successful new property businesses.

Funding For Growth

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Forum members are invited to a special event being held at Northgate plc in Darlington on Monday 23rd April from 6.30pm.

Funding For Growth is an opportunity to gain some new insights into various funding options, through the eyes of a panel of speakers who will share their stories.

Venue: Northgate plc, Norflex House, Darlington.

Time: 6.30pm - 9.00pm.

The event is also an opportunity for members to introduce a fellow entrepreneur to the Forum - giving them an opportunity to sample the event, find out more about the Forum and meet some of the board. The focus is primarily aimed at increasing our exposure in the South of the region, but of course we are more than happy to see new faces who can add to the existing dynamic mix from anywhere in the North East.

The event is free to attend for members and any guests who may be interested in membership.

More about our speakers.....

Ged Murray - Group Finance Director, Northgate plc

Gerard Murray qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen in 1987 and joined Reg Vardy plc in 1988. He was appointed Group Finance Director in 1991 and later in 2001 became Chief Executive. He joined Northgate plc, the UK's and Spain's leading commercial vehicle rental company, in January 2003 as Group Finance Director.

Northgate plc is the leading light commercial vehicle rental business in both the UK and Spain and has been operating in the sector since 1981. They now employ over 3,000 across the group and in 2006 had a turnover in excess of £370m.

The business in the UK and Ireland comprises 20 hire companies operating from 87 sites with a fleet of over 65,300 vehicles. In addition, they sell former rental vehicles to both retail and trade customers and offer an increasing range of services and products to help customers manage their fleets effectively e.g. vehicle monitoring and parts procurement.

In Spain the company operates through two separate brands – Fualsa and Record. With 35 branches and a combined fleet of over 51,000 vehicles they are the market leaders in light commercial vehicle rental in Spain. Vehicle sales is again an important part of the business.

Northgate primarily serve business customers operating in a wide range of industries, of which construction and distribution are the two largest. Other major sectors include local authorities, public utilities and retailers.

Brian Jobling - Managing Director, Eutechnyx

Brian Jobling is Managing Director of Eutechnyx Limited, the award winning videogame developer based on Tyneside.

The company, which employs over 70 graduates at its modern offices near the Metro Centre is a Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and Deloitte and Touche Fast 50 Company, an Investor in People and also a Gold Award winner for Outstanding Practice for a Medium Sized Enterprise. Its recent driving product was nominated for a BAFTA.

Brian himself was awarded Ernst & Young - Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Northern Region. The company has recently completed three blockbuster products for US publishers, The Fast and the Furious, based upon the hit movie of the same name, Pimp my Ride, the license for the successful MTV Show and Cartoon Network Racing, featuring the characters and famous voices from the Turner News Network Cartoon Channel. The Fast and The Furious and Pimp my Ride have both achieved great chart success and are currently both riding high in the UK Videogame Charts.

Brian joined the video games industry from school, starting his own company at the age of 17. Eutechnyx now has a multi-million dollar turnover and exports its expertise all over the world. Under Brian’s leadership, the company has recently become international, opening development studios in Hong Kong and Chengdu (mainland China) and with further ambitious plans for a United States office in the near future. As MD, Brian has responsibility for overall strategic direction of the company with particular interest in programming, technology and finance.

Bernie Callaghan - Director, Leighton

Bernie is a Director of Leighton, the Sunderland-based technology and communications group. Leighton operates in over 45 countries on 6 continents and in 10 languages at the cutting edge of new technology and currently has four companies based in the North East that lead the UK in their respective markets:

   -   4Projects (The UK's market leader in the provision of on-line Project Management software)
   -   Communicator Corp (Developers of award-winning on-demand digital marketing and communications software)
   -   Leighton (The North East’s foremost digital agency with a world-wide portfolio of clients)
   -   Business Education Publishers (A long-established publishing company)

Among the Group’s clients are British Airways, Microsoft, the Australian Government, John Lewis Partnership and Toshiba.

All of the Leighton Group companies were founded and grown by the directors. In 2001 Leighton was a Technology Fastest 50 company. In 2004 Leighton won the Wearside Business of the Year award. The group is now the largest privately-held technology group in the region.

Bernie has a first degree in Economics from Liverpool University and an MBA from the University of Durham and is the Chairman of Governors at New College Durham. He has extensive experience in Marketing and International Business Development.

Steve Nelson - Finance Director, Leighton

Steve is a graduate Chartered Accountant, who qualified with Arthur Andersen and Price Waterhouse. Since 1994, Steve has been employed in various financial roles within the IT sector and has a strong mix of traditional financial skills, commercial acumen and corporate finance experience, much of which was gained at Sage, where he was initially Group Financial Controller and later Corporate Development Manager.

Steve vacated his previous role as Finance Director of QSP Group to join Leighton in the spring of 2001.

His commercial experience, combined with his extensive knowledge of the IT industry, makes Steve a valuable member of the Leighton board.

As Finance Director with additional responsibility for commercial management, legal & contractual matters, HR & internal IT, Steve has been a key influence in:

the growth of 4Projects in the last 5 years to its market-leading position as a provider of project management solutions to the construction industry the growth of the Communicator Corporation, from inception in 2003 to its current position as a profitable, leading provider of digital marketing solutions the growth in Leighton Media as the North of England’s premier internet design and development agency Steve is also a founding private sector member of the North East International Trade Forum.

To register for this event please call the Entrepreneurs' Forum on 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

The event is free for members and for guests who are interested in joining the Entrepreneurs' Forum. Other guests of members are charged at £15 + VAT per person and non-members are charged at £35 + VAT per person.

Cool Cats Charity Ball - it's time to partaaay!

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

SOLD OUT!

This years' annual Entrepreneurs' Forum Ball, in aid of the Grace House North East Children's Hospice Appeal will be by far the grooviest charity bash of the year and definitely the place to be seen.

The "Cool Cats Ball" is our fourth for the Forum, taking place on 13th Octoberm and the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead is where it's at.

In true 60's tradition literally "anything goes" and with a sixties style to suit everyone from pop art to psychedelia, the Rolling Stones to Herman and the Hermits there's also no excuse not to don your glad rags and dance the night away.

For one night only, live 60's style entertainment from experienced musicians who have travelled the world will thrill and enthral you.

The past three Entrepreneurs' Forum charity events have raised in excess of £150,000 for deserving charities and we really need our members help to raise even more this year.

Dress Code – groovy baby!

Business Breakthrough Programme Briefing

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The Entrepreneurs' Forum has brought together some of the finest minds in the UK to offer an innovative and unique Business Breakthrough Programme. Beginning Thursday 19th April at 4.00pm, we'd like to invite you to join us at a Free Briefing Session at John Buddle Work Village, Buddle Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 8AW.

The session will cover:

- Developing Effective Management Teams
- Converting Plans to Achievements
- Leadership Effectiveness
- Finding & Keeping The Best People

Then, for those of you who are really up for it, we have just 16 places on an incredible Two Day Boot Camp to be held at Longhirst Hall near Morpeth on the 11th and 12th May (convening on the evening of the 10th), that will be followed by Six One Day Sessions spread out over the following 6 months.

There'll be nothing abstract or theoretical about the Business Breakthrough Programme - this is all about you working on your business and giving you the time between sessions to make a real impact where it matters. The power of the programme will be in developing you as a person as well as your business.

The value of the Business Breakthrough Programme will be immense, the real cost considerable, but the Entrepreneurs' Forum is delighted to be able to offer a significant subsidy to the lucky 16. Places will be made available on a strictly first come, first served basis, but first - register for the Free Briefing Session by emailing your details to info@entrepreneursforum.net or print out and return the registration form at the bottom of the page. A map to John Buddle Work Village is also available to download from the Contact Us section.

In association with: Andy Hanselman - Andy Hanselman Consulting, Alan Holmes - The Wood Holmes Group and Professor David Johnson - Counsel to Business.

Exit Strategies - Maximising the Value of Your Business

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Members-only focus dinner.

Combining a unique venue and a fascinating theme, the next Entrepreneurs’ Forum Focus Dinner will appeal to anyone with an eye on the future. Maximising the value of your business when the time comes to move on is the key to a successful exit strategy and the headlines are still fresh from Sir Peter Vardy’s immensely successful sale of Reg Vardy plc to Pendragon plc last year.

Reg Vardy established his first business selling fruit and vegetables from a hand cart in 1923. A motor retail business was established shortly after the Second World War and, in 1982, Reg’s son Peter bought out his brothers when the business was worth £420,000. He went on to lead it through floatation on the London Stock Exchange at 90p a share, several rights issues and huge expansion. With 100 dealerships, a turnover nudging £2bn and 6,000 colleagues, the business became the subject of a bidding war between rival motor dealer groups Pendragon and Lookers in late 2005. Pendragon eventually prevailed, paying £9 a share (£506m in total) for the company and securing the future of dealerships and colleagues alike as part of what is now Europe’s largest motor retail group.

Any entrepreneur needs to plan their next step, as making the decision to exit your business can be the start of a long and complex process. This dinner will cover the range of possible exit routes, appointing the right advisers, how to manage the process and to perhaps consider what may lie ahead. The right decisions made early will ensure that the business is not only valuable enough to be of interest, but strong and stable enough to withstand the inevitable uncertainty which accompanies an exit. Firm foundations and strong teams will ensure that the business maintains that value as it enters its next phase.

Sir Peter will host the event at the King’s Academy in Middlesbrough on Tuesday 1st May at 6.30pm, giving members not only the opportunity to enjoy a thought-provoking dinner but also to taste a little of the enthusiasm which is developing for business and enterprise within some of the region’s schools. The King’s Academy is the second school to be sponsored by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, Sir Peter’s educational charity, following on from the Emmanuel College in Gateshead and subsequently joined by Trinity Academy in Doncaster. All three schools have made substantial positive impacts on their local communities and, as plans for further Academies are developed, they represent an example of investing in education as a possible post-exit strategy.

Venue

The King's Academy
Stainton Way
Coulby Newham
Middlesbrough

Time

6.30pm - 9.30pm

Cost and Booking Details

To register for this event please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner.

Mentoring Workshop

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Join us at the second Entrepreneurs’ Forum Mentoring Workshop to be held on the morning of Wednesday 25 April in the Conference Suite at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

Get The Best From Mentoring

The Forum’s Mentoring Programme is fast becoming a flagship activity and over 50% of members are already enrolled. This workshop is a hugely valuable way of ensuring that you get the best out of any mentoring relationship, whether as mentor or mentee. The workshop comprises two sessions and will cover the fundamentals of mentoring and being mentored, including the differences between mentoring and coaching, ground rules, preparation and the mentoring process itself.

Mentor Session 9am – 10.30am

The first session, for existing and potential mentors, will begin with coffee and registration at 8.45am for a 9am start. The session will conclude at 10.30am.

Mentee Session 10.30am – 12.30pm

The second session, for existing and potential mentees will also begin with coffee and registration, this time at 10.15am for a 10.30am start. The session will conclude at 12.30pm.

Places Are Limited!

To register for a place on either or both sessions, please complete this form and return it to the Forum by fax, post or by email to info@entrepreneursforum.net. If you are unable to attend this workshop but still wish to register on the Programme, or to update your mentor/mentee information, please also feel free to fill in the form in the Attachments section below and return it.

Recruiting Excellence

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Getting The Skills Right For The Job.

"Our people are our greatest asset" is an often used phrase in business. Recruiting the right people is undoubtedly extremely important and we are therefore delighted to welcome a leading expert in the field to share his considerable experience with Forum members and guests.

In his Recruiting Excellence masterclass Jeff Grout will explore the many facets that make up the process of attracting, selecting and retaining the right people for your business.

Jeff was, until 2000, UK Managing Director of Robert Half International, the largest specialist recruitment consultancy in the world. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he joined Robert Half International as a Recruiter at the age of 28, after an eclectic career as a van driver, passport office administrator, cleaner, world traveller and local government town planner.

He remained with Robert Half International for almost 21 years and built up the UK operation from two offices and 12 staff into a business with a domestic turnover of £65 million, 18 offices and over 350 staff.

His accumulated expertise in all aspects of recruitment means that he is often in demand as a commentator, columnist and speaker. He has appeared on television and has participated in numerous radio programmes. Jeff collaborated with the BBC in producing an interview training video and has run seminars for a number of leading companies, including Marks & Spencer, Lloyds Bank, British Airways, Merrill Lynch, Guinness and Lever Brothers.

Recruiting Excellence

In this session Jeff highlights the key considerations when it comes to bringing new staff on board, including resourcing methods and the recruitment process.

Jeff's considerable experience in this field is in evidence as he talks about identifying what you really need for your business, selecting and utilising the most effective channels to reach the talent pool, "winning the attraction game" and how to get that final selection right.

More about Jeff....

Jeff is co-author of the book The Adventure Capitalists, which is based on public interviews with 12 leading entrepreneurs and aims to offer an insight into the ingredients of business success. The sequel entitled My Brilliant Career features the subjects of subsequent public interviews with high achievers from the fields of business, sport and the media.

He has written the complete insider's guide to the job market entitled Kickstart your Career, which was published in February 2002 and a book on the strategies and tactics for successful recruitment entitled Recruiting Excellence published in May 2002.

Jeff is now an independent business consultant focussing on people management, team building, peak performance, recruitment and retention issues. He holds a number of corporate advisory and executive coaching appointments and also runs various management training workshops on effective selection and client relationship marketing. Jeff is also Business Manager for the former England Rugby Coach, Clive Woodward.

He has spoken to audiences in the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands. Jeff will also be a familiar face to many Forum members and guests, having chaired several events in the past.

Venue: Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm

See the video highlights from Jeff's Recruiting Excellence presentation below.

Stay up to date with Entrepreneurs' Forum events by registering for e-invites.

Business Breakthrough Programme Boot Camp

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100

A six month stimulating, participative and practical programme aimed at helping business leaders maximise their own performance, and that of their people and their business.

10th - 12th May 2007.

Venue: Longhirst Hall

The Programme comprises:

Six 1-day ‘real’ workshops to help you deal with key strategic business and personal development issues.
A 2-day ‘Breakthrough Boot Camp’ to get you focused on maximising your leadership and business performance.
On-going mentoring support in your own business with experienced business improvement experts.
Comprehensive training materials, workbooks, assessments and toolkits to support your learning.
Facilitated ‘action learning’ groups to help you transfer your learning into real results.
Ongoing telephone and website support throughout the programme.
Access to further training and support where needed.

This programme is now fully subscribed. Further programmes will be announced shortly. Expressions of interest should be emailed to info@entrepreneursforum.net

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 1

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Creating A Revolutionary Business.

In today's onward market place, and ever increasing customer choice, it's becoming more and more difficult to get your business ahead of the competition and to stay there. You will discover how market leaders create competitive advantage, differentiate themselves from others, and �revolutionise' their market place by getting everyone involved in the process. You'll develop processes to increase innovation throughout the business and help your people generate ideas and make real business improvements. You'll also learn more about the Heartmath techniques to help increase the chances of making change work.

The main focus is on changing and improving � not just doing.

This session covers:
· Creating competitive advantage
· Setting business improvement objectives
· Managing the change process
· Making Innovation work
· Introducing continuous improvement processes
· Generating ideas and getting the team to contribute

Venue: Marriott Metrocentre Hotel

Please note this event is only open to those who have signed up to the entire Business Breakthrough Programme.

For more information about the Business Breakthrough Programme download the PDF file below. Right-click the link and download to your computer before opening.

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 2

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Maximising Management Control.

The session covers:
· Monitoring business performance
· What Gets Measured, Gets Managed
· Establishing key performance indicators
· Giving and getting more from relationships
· Collecting, analysing, utilising and maximising management information

Venue: Marriott Sunderland Hotel

Please note this event is only open to those who have signed up to the entire Business Breakthrough Programme.

For more information about the Business Breakthrough Programme download the PDF file below. Right-click the link and download to your computer before opening.

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 3

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Maximising Profitability.

Turnover is Vanity, Profit is Sanity! Winning companies focus on profit rather than chasing turnover. This session will help you create a profit focus throughout your business, and seriously improve your bottom line. By applying a proactive approach, which we call the Routes To Profitability, you will develop your own Profit Improvement Plan. This is not about creative accounting, nor is it a lesson in finance – in fact, there is very little to do with accounting. It’s about proven processes to get everyone profit focused, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of what you do, and take steps to revolutionise your profits.

The session covers:
· The Routes To Profitability
· Creating a Profit focus
· Getting everyone to think ‘profit’
. Creating More Leads - Establishing an effective business generation system
· Grow your network
· Profit improvement planning

Venue: Marriott Durham Royal County Hotel

Please note this event is only open to those who have signed up to the entire Business Breakthrough Programme.

For more information about the Business Breakthrough Programme download the PDF file below. Right-click the link and download to your computer before opening.

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 4

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Maximising Customer Relationships.

Successful businesses create a customer focus throughout the organisation. They are easy to do business with, everyone understands their role in giving their customers what they want, and there is a consistent approach. You will find out how winning businesses create a passion for customers at every level, how they build a team of people ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for their customers. The best businesses don't just meet customer expectations - they exceed them! You will find out how your business measures up in terms of �delighted customers' and generate practical ideas to seriously improve the level of service you provide. This session will help you develop a proactive approach to creating more customers, and developing more opportunities with existing ones. Topics covered include identifying and choosing targets, establishing an effective business generation system, and leveraging relationships to create more opportunities, increased referrals, and repeat business.

The session covers:
· Giving and getting more from relationships
· Creating a customer focus throughout the business
· Removing the barriers to customer care
· Creating �devoted' customers
· Leveraging opportunities
· Maximising Customer Relationships

Venue: Marriott Sunderland Hotel

Please note this event is only open to those who have signed up to the entire Business Breakthrough Programme.

For more information about the Business Breakthrough Programme download the PDF file below. Right-click the link and download to your computer before opening.

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 5

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Maximising People Performance.

This session covers:
· Introducing a performance management system
· Delegating tasks and playing to strengths
· Motivational techniques that work
· Creating the culture you want
· Valuing our values
· Dealing With ‘problem performers’

Venue: Gosforth Park Marriott Hotel

Please note this event is only open to those who have signed up to the entire Business Breakthrough Programme.

For more information about the Business Breakthrough Programme download the PDF file below. Right-click the link and download to your computer before opening.

Business Breakthrough Programme Session 6

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Moving Forward.

This final session is also an opportunity to review, reflect and plan for the future.You will feedback on your progress, problems, successes and learning. You will also create time to look ahead and prioritise your future development. It’s an ideal opportunity to take stock as individual leaders, and to agree actions to continue moving your business forward.

Venue: Marriott Durham Royal County Hotel

Women Business Leaders Lunch

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

What is it really like to be a woman in business today? For many women there is no established culture, or ways of working, in the business world. Many women fit themselves into traditional male roles, limiting their potential by not fully bringing all of the strengths they have to offer by being women.

Join us for the second of our Women Business Leaders Lunches, with Juliette Lee. As an entertaining and thought provoking speaker, Juliette's presentations take motivation and enthusiasm to new levels. Even the busiest and most successful business people can't help but take a fresh look within.

Juliette is a member of the Professional Speakers Association and Vice President of the North East Chapter. As well as her public engagements she is an accredited coach, having trained at the acclaimed Coach Training Institute in San Francisco. She runs Juliette Lee Ltd., a company offering professional 1-1 coaching and bespoke corporate programmes on change, communication and motivation. Her client base encompasses both the public and private sector and includes the NHS, HSBC and Dow Chemicals.

In How Alive Is Your Business? How Alive Are You? Juliette draws upon 10 years corporate experience in the highly male dominated chemical industry to discuss the issues facing women in business today, including:

- Should I hide my sexuality in order to succeed?
- Can I have children and a demanding career?
- Do I need to act more like a man to succeed?

This session also aims to discuss the issues facing women in business today; to develop personal clarity, enabling decisions facing female leaders to be made more easily, to explore the importance of "feminine" values in the workplace and to identify personal next steps.

Women need to value what they bring to the workplace first and foremost. Without a solid belief in themselves as women and the inner strength that comes with it, women will struggle to reach leading positions in business. Valuing our femininity and bringing all that that means to the workplace is vital in the 21st century.

The event begins at 12noon so guests are advised to arrive by 11.45am.

Venue: The Boardroom, The Office Company, Metropolitan House, Longrigg Road, Gateshead

This is a members-only event and is charged at £35 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not-for-profit organisation, cancellations made within 48 hours of the event will be charged in full.

If you would like to register for this event please call 0870 850 2233 or e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net

Making the Most of Moisture: The Ebac Story

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Members-only focus dinner.

An engaging character and a unique story come together as the theme of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s next Focus Dinner.

A draughtsman by trade, John Elliott MBE DL was born near Bishop Auckland in 1943. Entering into self-employment in the early 1970s his company, Ebac, was formed in 1972. Turnover hit £1m for the first time seven years on in 1979 – a long time in John’s opinion, but a period which he says allowed him to learn valuable lessons from inevitable mistakes.

A year later in 1980, John developed the UK’s first mass-produced domestic dehumidifier, which effectively created the British market for the product type. With a commitment to innovation and quality, Ebac has been able to expand its facilities in the North East, whilst developing a global sales reach and a reputation for excellence.

John’s part in this success was formally recognised in 1986 when he was awarded an MBE for Services to Small Business. More recently, he has featured in the hit Channel Four series ‘The Secret Millionaire’ and has led the successful campaign against a Regional Assembly for the North East.

As the company looks to the future with its thriving water-cooler business and entry into the domestic refrigeration market, John is spearheading a review of structure and strategy to ensure continued sustainable growth.

John will host this Focus Dinner at the Durham Marriott Royal County Hotel on Tuesday 5th June at 6.30pm, giving members the opportunity to hear his fascinating story and learn about the climate for building successful businesses in the region in the 21st Century.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner.

Venue: The Neville Room, Durham Marriott Royal County Hotel, Durham

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

To register for this event please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Young Entrepreneurs Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Wanna Be In My Tribe?

We are delighted that John Lawler, founder and managing director of Newcastle-based Madventurer is joining us for the next in our series of focus dinners for young entrepreneurs.

The seeds of Madventurer were sown when John first experienced Africa as a teacher in Ghana during his gap year. In recognition of his contribution to the village in which he taught, John was installed as Ngoryi-Fia (Chief of Development) and renamed Torgbui Mottey I, which translates as Chief Pioneering Pathfinder through the Forest.

The following year John took seventeen of his fellow students from Newcastle University back to Ghana to take part in development work. After further visits to Ghana, Madventurer was established and the company has since expanded to offer year-round projects, and adventures throughout Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

The company had humble beginnings, initially promoting trips from a small office in Newcastle. In the early days the office closed down during the summer as John headed overseas to lead the projects and expeditions.

In his first year he had a turnover of around £80k, operated in Kenya and Ghana and took around 50 people to help build and renovate schools, and teach summer classes.

John now leads a team of 6 people from ‘Mad HQ’, just up the street from the original office. He also has 10 full time managers overseas and employs up to 30 seasonal ‘crew’ operating in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Peru, Guatemala, India, Thailand and Fiji. Trips run throughout the year and the company now takes around 700 people out to projects each year.

Projects now include teaching, healthcare, journalism, professional work experience placements, and coaching sports such as football, rugby, hockey, netball, cricket and basketball. Follow-on Adventures now include Trekking to Machu Picchu, Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, Rafting the Nile, Overlanding across Africa, Mad Dash to Timbuktu and a surf safari around the Fiji Islands.

Building projects achieved include 55 new classrooms, 2 bakeries, 4 chicken coops, 5 bridges, 7 new Pre-Schools, 40 toilet blocks and pit latrines, 3 miles of storm drains, 8 permanent houses and 20 fishing boats, 6 playgrounds, 1 HIV Clinic, 5 renovated orphanages, 1 Fish farm and guinea pig shed. They have also dug and laid 10 miles of water pipeline.

The company regularly donates to its own charitable ‘Mad Foundation’ to provide materials, and when people finish a trip they join the ‘Mad Tribe’ to keep in touch with one another, help raise money for the Foundation and meet yearly at the annual Mad World Ball to undergo rituals and to make Elders in the tribe, all led by the Chief!

John believes in taking regular constructive fun ‘gaps’ from work, and his own personal challenges over recent years have included driving a Land Rover from Newcastle to Ghana, learning to Skydive, travelling to Antarctica with Robert Swan the Polar Explorer, to help build the first Education Base there, and he is currently training to be a Pilot.

John expects the next 12 months to be an exciting time at Madventurer, when the next phase of expansion of the business begins. In September this year, Madventurer will be launching an extended range of experiences to its existing student and career sabbatical markets, but also building on the launch of its recent ‘Gaps for Grumpies’ for the 50+ market.

They are also about to launch Corporate Social Responsibility opportunities for businesses in the North East, where they can support overseas development projects all over the world at a series of levels.

John will talk about the highs and lows of his business and personal adventures to date, from testing out the company’s crisis management procedures through his own adventures that have gone wrong, to almost losing everything by growing the business too quickly.

Venue: Supe, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle.

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

This dinner is by invitation only.

Above & Beyond: SME Conference

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Above & Beyond: Punch Above Your Weight - Go Beyond The Average

Entrepreneurs' Forum SME Conference

It’s official. Small is the new big.

How often do you find yourself struggling to make those around you share your vision and ambition. Even when your self-belief in your own ability is unshakable, it’s possible to lack the confidence to bring others with you.

While you see the bigger picture, your less empathetic associates (you know who we mean!) remain preoccupied by the inevitable hiccups you face along the journey.

ABOVE and BEYOND is all about stretching yourself and capitalising on your positive attitude.

So go punch ABOVE your weight and go BEYOND the average this autumn.

To register click here, email conference@entrepreneursforum.net or call 0845 094 1347

Venue: The Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead

Time: 10.00am - 4.30pm

Cost: £75 + VAT for Forum members and £95 + VAT for non-members

Guest Speakers

Jeff Grout
Jeff Grout was, until 2000, UK Managing Director of Robert Half International, the largest specialist recruitment consultancy in the world. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he joined Robert Half International as a Recruiter at the age of 28, after an eclectic career as a van driver, passport office administrator, cleaner, world traveller and local government town planner.

He remained with Robert Half International for almost 21 years and built up the UK operation from two offices and 12 staff into a business with a domestic turnover of £65 million, 18 offices and over 350 staff.

His accumulated expertise in all aspects of recruitment means that he is often in demand as a commentator, columnist and speaker. He has appeared on television and has participated in numerous radio programmes. Jeff collaborated with the BBC in producing an interview training video and has run seminars for a number of leading companies, including Marks & Spencer, Lloyds Bank, British Airways, Merrill Lynch, Guinness and Lever Brothers.

He is co-author of the book The Adventure Capitalists, which is based on public interviews with 12 leading entrepreneurs and aims to offer an insight into the ingredients of business success. The sequel entitled My Brilliant Career features the subjects of subsequent public interviews with high achievers from the fields of business, sport and the media.
He has written the complete insider's guide to the job market entitled Kickstart your Career, which was published in February 2002 and a book on the strategies and tactics for successful recruitment entitled Recruiting Excellence published in May 2002. He is currently conducting research for his next book on the psychology of peak performance entitled Mind Games: The Making of Champions.

Jeff is now an independent business consultant focussing on people management, team building, peak performance, recruitment and retention issues. He holds a number of corporate advisory and executive coaching appointments and also runs various management training workshops on effective selection and client relationship marketing. Jeff is also Business Manager for the England Rugby Coach, Clive Woodward.

Jeff has spoken to audiences in the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Rachel Elnaugh
Rachel Elnaugh is one of Britain's highest profile female entrepreneurs.

Having started her working life as an office junior, at the age of 24 she created the market leading experiences brand Red Letter Days on a shoestring budget from the front room of her home. Red Letter Days went on to generate over £100million in turnover in the 16 years that she ran it, and in doing so pioneered the UK's £250 million experiences sector. This earned her an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002, as well as being short listed for the 2001 Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award and the Growing Business Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002.

Then, in early 2005, Rachel shot to fame as one of the original Dragons in BBCTV's BAFTA nominated cult business show Dragons' Den.

After the well-publicised crash of Red Letter Days in 2005, which followed the ill-advised expansion of the business three years earlier, Rachel stepped away from business life but is now involved in a number of new business projects.

Rachel acts as mentor and consultant to a number of small businesses and launched her own unique Entrepreneurial Profiling system at the Business Start Up Show at London's Excel in April this year.

Rachel is also a non-executive director of the Aberdeen based Enterprise North East Trust which handles the Business Gateway contract for Scottish Enterprise.

Paul Stobart
Paul Stobart was appointed Managing Director of Sage UK and Eire in May 2003 following the retirement of Graham Wylie.

Paul has worked for Sage since 1996 in a variety of roles, including Business Development Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Sage Group plc. In his most recent role, he oversaw service and operational issues in the American, French and German operations.

Paul read law at Oxford before qualifying as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in London in 1983. He worked in investment banking for Hill Samuel and chaired the European business of Interbrand plc, an international branding and marketing services company. While at Interbrand, he was instrumental in developing techniques for valuing brands, a practice that has since become well established as a means of monitoring the effectiveness of marketing investment in many of the world’s leading brands.

Paul freely admits that it’s a rare privilege being a marketing man with an accounting background. He says: “It means that marketing departments can’t get away with unrealistic budget requests, but it also means that finance can’t demand cuts in spend that will harm the business. It's all about getting the balance right.”

Michelle Mone
Michelle Mone is the founder and co-owner of MJM International, a multi-million pound lingerie company.

MJM has developed a range of lingerie brands which have attracted the attention of international celebrities and the general public alike.

Due to illness in the family, Michelle left school aged 15 with no qualifications. She spent a number of years successfully modelling in Glasgow and then went on to work for Labatts Brewers in her home town. By the age of 22, Michelle was running Labatt’s Scottish Sales & Marketing team. Two years on however, just after Michelle had her second, she was made redundant when the Labatts UK operation was taken over by Whitbread.
In October 1996, whilst attending a dinner dance with her husband Michael, Michelle was wearing a very uncomfortable cleavage enhancing bra. This was when she decided that she could invent a bra that was more comfortable, better looking and would create more cleavage. In November 1996, Michelle started MJM International Ltd with her husband Michael.

Following three years of research and development, testing many different methods the Ultimo bra was created. In August 1999 Ultimo was launched at Selfridges, London. It is still known as the biggest ever bra launch in the UK. Selfridges sold 6 weeks stock of Ultimo within 24 hours of the launch.
The business has gone from strength to strength and in 2005, Michelle presented BBC’s Mind Your Own business, advising business owners on what they are doing right and where they are going wrong and offering straightforward suggestions on how to improve their business.
Michelle Mone has built a hugely successful career on an incedidibly simple concept giving today’s woman what they want. What began with the Ultimo bra now extends to a number of very successful lingerie brands including Ultimo, Young Attitude, Michelle for George and Per Amore.

Matt Bolton
Matt, born to a couple of mad scientists and the grandson of an inventor, grew up in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire which is the most central point in the British Isles if you ever needed to know!
Matt’s passions were always music and acting and this led him to study for a BA Honours in Film, TV &Theatre. He then headed straight to Manchester to work for a film production company making TV and cinema commercials and pop videos.
In 1999 radio killed the video start as he moved to EMAP Radio working as a copy writer and producer, creating advertising campaigns for local and national clients. Matt them seized the opportunity to work in radio marketing, moving to Key 103 in Manchester and then taking the role of Marketing Director at Radio Aire in Leeds. During this time, Matt was responsible for the marketing, events and PR for 2 radio stations as well as looking at trade marketing projects across Big City, the northern network of radio stations. In this time with EMAP, Matt worked with brands such as Amstel, ASDA, 02 and Heat magazine.
He attended the ?What if! Productive Creativity course and got the ?What if! Bug and now works as a senior trainer in the ?What if! Learning team. Matt has helped embed creativity into organisations all over the world.

Al Gosling
Al Gosling, CEO, Extreme Group and Founder of the Extreme Sports Channel,
developed a passion for extreme sports during his early teens and following a number of
jobs went on to set up a business that would rapidly grow into the Extreme Group. School
was never a focus for Al and being partially dyslexic he never achieved anything of note,
but very early on he became an entrepreneur, starting various business ventures which
included managing two bands and selling boardshorts and surfwear from the back of his
Renault 5, whilst studying for exams.

Following a two-year spell in the Bahamas working for a marine research company as their pilot, dive master and yacht captain, Al returned to the UK in 1995. Aged 24 and unable to find a job that interested him, he set up Extreme with the goal of establishing the world’s leading extreme sports media company. Running on a shoestring budget, from an office in a converted barn more akin to a mountain hut or surf-shack than the headquarters of a fast growing media business, Al and the team rapidly agreed a number of deals with producers and broadcasters to sell and distribute extreme and action sports television programmes all over the world. In April 1998 Al believed there was an opportunity to take the programming library that had been built and create the world's first TV channel dedicated to extreme sports. The goal was to launch a 24/7 Extreme Sports Channel, the TV channel broadcasting action sports worldwide, via satellite, to an under-served audience.

Working with a number of the best production companies who covered the culture, the
events, the fashion, the music, the lifestyle and of course the sports: skateboarding,
surfing, snowboarding, BMX, Moto-X etc, the Extreme Sports Channel was initially
broadcast from Amsterdam on 1st May 1999. The channel's coverage grew very rapidly
and today it is now broadcasting to more than 38 million homes across 55 countries in 12
languages, including SKY in the UK, Canal Satellite in France and Canal Plus in
Scandinavia. www.extreme.com

Progressive - Entrepreneurs' Forum 5th Anniversary Business Conference

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The Annual Conference is the centrepiece of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum events calendar.

This, our 5th Annual Conference is a true celebration of entrepreneurial achievement with a world-class line-up of speakers and shares a key principle of all Entrepreneurs’ Forum events which is the sharing of experiential knowledge and experience between entrepreneurs and the Forum. It provides an opportunity for members, colleagues and other business leaders from the region and beyond to step away from their day-to-day commitments and be inspired by others who have experienced similar challenges

We’ve all come a long way in the last five years, learning from our mistakes but more importantly celebrating and building on success. However, our ambition remains relentless as we strive to turn our vision into reality.

PROGRES5IVE features a fantastic line-up, including 5 of the country’s most successful business leaders and speakers.

Speakers
Harvey Goldsmith CBE
Angus Thirlwell
Guy Browning
Elle MacPherson
Jon Culshaw
Harvey Goldsmith CBE

Music Impresario, entrepreneur, Co-Live Aid / 8 organiser

Harvey Goldsmith began his career as a promoter in 1966 and by the end of the '60s had created such events as the Crystal Palace Garden Parties and the 14 hour Technicolor Dream. A decade later the concerts had moved to the largest Stadiums - establishing Wembley Stadium as a major destination for the top artists of the world and helping London to become the Number One City for popular concerts.

In 1985 the pipe-dream of Live Aid was turned into a £140 million fundraising venture within ten weeks by Harvey Goldsmith and Bob Geldof, uniting the world with music as never before. This larger than life character has been noted as being both inspirational and outrageous, organising possibly the biggest show on earth with 10 Live 8 concerts in 2005,

During his 35 year career in the music business Harvey has been associated with nearly every major artist in the world. He is Europe's leading major event producer and is one of the few promoters who are able to work with Classical as well as Rock and Pop.

Angus Thirlwell
Co-founder & CEO of Hotel Chocolat

With his grandmother’s chain of high class patisserie stores and his father’s ice cream business, Angus has speciality food retailing hard-wired into his genes. A childhood spent in the Caribbean, home to some of the world’s best cocoa, kindled a love for cocoa and this region - which would later lead to the purchase of a cocoa estate there. A further influence was the two years spent living and working in France where his reverence for real food was further developed.

Angus founded Hotel Chocolat 14 years ago with business partner Peter Harris and it has grown organically into the UK’s leading super premium chocolate brand. Angus is the creative force within the business with a hands-on approach to the development of new recipes and concepts, where he works with a talented team of specialists. He still insists on tasting every chocolate batch!

Although he has been trained in chocolatier skills, this British-owned phenomenon is brazenly committed to real authentic chocolate. Angus maintains that a creative mind and a passion for recipe integrity are more important, citing Hotel Chocolat’s current mantra of ‘Less Sugar, More Cocoa’.

Recently awarded 2007 Emerging Retailer of the Year by the influential Retail Week, their passion for tasty results have seen Hotel Chocolat’s annual sales rise to £40m, a growth of 800% since 2000.

Guy Browning
Director, Smokehouse

The David Attenborough of the Business Jungle, cult columnist and author of Office Politics, the indecently funny Guy Browning blows fresh air into the dustiest corners - his long standing How To column in The Guardian applies advanced business techniques to everyday life.

Constant innovation is the only way to remain on top. Avoiding fancy academic theories and mind-numbing jargon, conference host Guy shows how to see through others’ eyes, breaking down a problem into its constituent parts and find a solution which remains true to your beliefs and experience. The application goes beyond marketing; it helps any group tackle virtually any business issue.

Elle MacPherson
Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Actress and Supermodel

Despite being known throughout the western world as The Body, the real story of Elle is Business first, Body second. There is much more to Elle than her ravishing good looks and modelling career, she also has a reputation as a shrewd businesswoman. Her Australian lingerie business, Elle Macpherson Intimates, is worth around $10 million and she is on record as saying that she prefers the marketing and business side of fashion to its fluffy, frock-tastic face!

In 1989 she saw an opportunity to create a line of lingerie baring her name and in 1990, Elle Macpherson Intimates was launched in Australia and NZ. In 2000 it took off in the UK and more recently the Gulf States, Canada and USA. Today Elle Macpherson Intimates is considered one of the most highly recognisable fashion lingerie brands in all markets. 2005 saw the launch of Elle Macpherson The Body bath and body collection in the UK. More recently, Elle was appointed on the Board of Directors of Hot Tuna Surf overseeing design, management and strategy.

Jon Culshaw
After dinner entertainment comes from one of the UK’s premier comedy impressionists, the impressionable Jon Culshaw. Jon rose to fame as an impressionist in 1998 whilst working for London’s Capital Radio. Taking part in an on-air wind up, Jon telephoned Number 10 Downing Street and convinced the switchboard operators that he was William Hague and requested to speak to the Prime Minister. He was eventually put through to Tony Blair and had a lengthy conversation with him!

Jon is now recognised from his appearances on the BBC’s Dead Ringers, ITV’s 2DTV and The Impressionable Jon Culshaw. He has a catalogue of an estimated 350 impressions, including previous Entrepreneurs’ Forum speakers William Hague, Rory Bremner and Ian Hislop.

5 Good Reasons
A not-to-be-missed event,you shouldn’t need more than one, but in case you do here are 5 unshakable reasons for booking your place at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s 5th Annual Conference.

Be inspired by the experiences and wisdom of 5 exceptional speakers who’ve been through it themselves
Take the opportunity to meet and share ideas with like-minded entrepreneurs - we can guarantee that there will be someone out there in pretty much the same position as you.
Escape the daily grind to work on your business rather than in it. It could give you the space to explore ideas that will take your business to the next level.
Enjoy the time to reflect on your own achievements and maybe introduce a colleague to this fantastic community of entrepreneurial talent.

Help us celebrate 5 incredible and enjoyable (thanks to you) years in business

To register call us on 0870 850 2233 or email conference@entrepreneursforum.net

Make Your Business Sizzle This Summer

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Join us at Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park on July 17th for the final Forum event of this Summer Term and learn how you can make the most of the high days and holidays to come.

July and August can be some of the most challenging months of the year for business people.

For many, these are the peak trading months when the pressure to fulfil demand can exert tremendous pressure on cashflow, processes and resource. For others, these are the dog-days when it seems as though every customer has fled to far-flung shores and taken their business with them. And, for the rest of us, it's that time when we actually re-introduce ourselves to our families and head off for a well-earned break.

We're delighted to welcome Andy Hanselman back to the North East to help us make the most of the challenges and opportunities that the time of year brings us, with an event covering:

Revolutionising your Business � Tips and techniques to maximise the �downtime', getting everyone involved in improving the business.

Rejuvenating Yourself � Time to reflect on key issues and to take your leadership to the next level.

Leaving your business in the hands of others � the dos and don'ts.

Staying in control from a distance � getting the balance right for you, your colleagues and your family.

Revolutionary Reads � The best books to read on that beach.

So, whether it's time to get away, or whether it's business �as usual' this Summer, why not come along to this ideas-filled event?

We'll round things off with a Summer Supper � safely indoors if we're enjoying traditional British Summer weather.

Time: 18.30 - 20.30pm

Venue: Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

This event is free for members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full. The event will begin at approximately 6.30pm. Reserve your place by clicking on the button below.

To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

If you do not currently receive e-invites to Entrepreneurs' Forum events sign up here.

How do we measure success financially and non financially and what are the growth indicators?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

If this is a question that constantly challenges your business, then this event is for you..........

We are delighted to introduce our first panel event of the autumn calendar and equally delighted to state that the calibre of both the facilitator and the panel members is pure business thoroughbred:-

Panel Members

Sir Peter Vardy (Founder of The Vardy Group of Companies, Dave Charlton (CEO of The Officers Club), David Stonehouse (CEO of TSG) , Dianne Sharpe (MD of Mechetronics) and Mark Hatton (Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young)

Panel Event Facilitator

Jeff Grout – renowned speaker, author, columnist and our members most requested facilitator!

The Event Topic

The term KPI has become one of the most over-used and little understood terms in business development and management. They should not only be used to monitor and boost business performance, but equally complement your businesses overall targets and relate to its core activities, as a result, they will differ depending on the business.

How KPI’s are used varies from business to business, for example:-

Financial Performance Indicators measure profitability, accounts receivable, day’s sales outstanding, outstanding debts

HR Key Performance Indicators measure staff turnover, recruitment quality, training day’s execution, fill vacancy, time

Against the growing background of noise created by a welter of such KPI concepts, the true value of the core KPI becomes lost. With this in mind, our first autumn panel event brings together a strong group from a range of business sectors, to cut through the jargon, and share their experience of identifying ways to define and measure KPIs, if they are to be useful to your business needs.

About our panellists...

Sir Peter’s business career started when he left school at 16 and joined his father in a small motor dealership in Houghton-le-Spring. He took over running the business when his father died in 1976 and bought out his brothers in 1982 and began to build what became one of the most successful motor retail companies in the UK.

The business grew to a £2 billion turn over company with profits of £45m, was based in 100 locations with 6,000 staff. After a fierce bidding war, it was sold at the beginning of 2006 for £506m to Pendragon plc. Since he sold the business, Sir Peter has established new businesses with his two sons, Richard and Peter, in property and motor retailing respectively.

He was knighted for Services to Business and Education in the North of England as well as receiving numerous business and industry accolades, including North East Businessman of the Year in 1988. Sir Peter has sponsored various schools and charities, establishing The Vardy Foundation Charitable Trust in 1989 which since then has donated millions of pounds to many worthy causes both in the UK and abroad, reaching out as far as South Africa and Bolivia.

Dave Charlton - Convincing his brother to invest his redundancy cheque into setting up their own business, Dave Charlton’s entrepreneurial adventure started in 1979, unfortunately when recession hit in the early 90’s his first business Fiori, an upmarket clothing retailer, went into receivership, when the bank withdraw his overdraft facility.

Exemplifying the Entrepreneurs’ dictum of if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again Dave Charlton took off on a family holiday to Florida. Taking inspiration from an outlet mall the Officers Club was founded in 1992 and has enjoyed over 15 years success and been credited for originating the massive “70% off “ discounts now so common to the high street.

Prior to setting up his businesses, Dave was an accountant with KPMG and spent several years in the clothing industry working for Jackson’s the Tailor, now part of the massive Arcadia Group.

With the discount fashion market becoming oversaturated, Dave is reinventing The Officers Club, moving into on-line retailing and embarking on a process of change, raising both the quality and price to stay at the forefront of his business.

David Stonehouse, is CEO of Technology Services Group Ltd, specialists in IT services and solutions. On board from the company’s inception in 2003, David has led the group to make 22 acquisitions around the UK and offers a local service delivery to a national customer base.

The business has grown to turnover £30m and employ 400 between Aberdeen and Southampton.

A qualified accountant, David was partner with Price Waterhouse Coopers from 1989 to 1995. A stint as Financial Director with Duncan Bannatyne’s Quality Care Homes Plc followed, before David joined the world of sport, working six years between Northern East football rivals Sunderland and Newcastle United.

David is also Chairman of both UNW (Chartered Accountants) and Datatrial (IT and data management) and sits as Non-executive of NEL, venture capitalists.

Dianne Sharp –Mechetronics are a UK based global supplier of solenoids and solenoid valves to global businesses such as Hewlett Packard, NCR, Jaguar, GE, Pitney Bowes and Mars. Blending history and experience with a young, dynamic team focused on customer service is what differentiates Mechetronics from its rivals. With local support and service in not only the major industrial markets like Europe and the USA but also the emerging markets such as China and India, Mechetronics provide local impact to some of the world’s largest corporations.

Dianne, who has been with the business for 8 years, was made Managing Director 3 years ago. Originally trained as an accountant with an MBA from Durham University, Dianne has 17 years business experience from Nissan to Tyne Tees TV to biotechnology. Whether as an accountant an Ops director or MD measuring and interpreting business performance measures has been a fundamental part of her working life.

Mark Hatton – The professional services sector in the North East is growing at a rapid pace and continues to make a vital contribution to the region’s economic growth. Mark Hatton is one of the intrapreneurs behind this ground swell and leads one of the biggest brand names - Ernst & Young.

Mark has 22 years experience as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, 11 of which have been as an Audit Partner. He has a senior role in the Newcastle office, contributing to a number of assignments covering acquisitions, disposals, restructuring, investigation, forecasting and financing.

Mark has extensive experience of working with Ernst & Young’s offices across the world on delivering a well coordinated, clearly communicated and high quality audit service to global clients.

This high profile panel is guaranteed to be of interest to all ambitious owner/managers and we urge you to book as soon as possible as numbers are limited.

Venue: The Boardroom, Ernst & Young, City Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne

The event will commence at 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 plus VAT for members guests and £35 plus VAT for non-members.

What Do Leaders Really Do?

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The Forum welcomes back to the North East, respected advisor, commentator, columnist and speaker Jeff Grout who will get under the skin of what makes a great leader tick, focusing on the basics of the best-known management theories, to see how they fit with the practical reality of leadership.

Co-author of Mind Games, The Adventure Capitalists, My Brilliant Career and Jeff’s latest book, What do Leaders Really Do, providing insights into the characteristics of career success, based on public interviews with high achievers from the fields of sport, business media and the stage. Leadership insights have been drawn from those in the front line of business such as Charles Dunstone, Terrence Conran, David Lloyd, Anita Roddick and Adam Crozier.

Eschewing management models and leadership theory Jeff Grout will examine the practical realities of leadership. How do leaders really spend their time? Are they preoccupied with strategy? Are they focussed on the present or the future? How do they motivate their people and get ‘buy in’? How do they prepare their organisation for change?

He will discuss the everyday working lives of well-known and respected leaders in a variety of fields - business, sport and the armed forces – in order to identify the elements that encourage people to follow where they lead.

Jeff will identify the core skills and behaviour displayed by those leaders. He will examine how they deal with people – the steps they take to establish trust and understanding, the importance of communication and the approaches used to inspire top performance. Jeff will also discuss how leaders create and articulate a clear vision for their organisation and how they effectively lead change.

Jeff’s presentation style is straight-forward, accessible and rich with vivid anecdotes. The session is relevant to anyone who finds themselves thrown into a leadership role. It will also appeal to those who are allergic to management theory or frustrated by its apparent dissociation from real life.

Venue: Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

The event will commence at 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 plus VAT for members guests and £35 plus VAT for non-members.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Re-inventing the customer experience - anyone can do it

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Members only focus dinner chaired by Steven Bell, founder of Bell Stores and Chairman of Newman Scott.

Every business delivers a customer experience every day, but is it consistent, thought out and planned to develop maximum loyalty? Customer Experience is the next big battle-ground and forward thinking organisations know that the way in which they manage and interact with their customers will help them to win.

So what do you need to deliver the optimal customer experience?

Author Jonathan M Tisch wrote that “Chocolates on the pillow aren’t enough”, and with more options than ever for the consumer, customer service and taking a fresh look at how you relate to your customers is paramount, because that’s how you keep your customers from going to a competitor.
Forum board member Tom Maxfield of Tom’s Companies shares his experiences at this focus dinner, on how to breed loyalty and goodwill and how important your staff as ambassadors for your business, are in consistently delivering excellent service.
Through Tom’s accumulated expertise panning years in sales and marketing, to the hotel and restaurant industry, this business leader will give examples of his own experiences, making the point that these can be applied successfully to any business in today’s market.

More about Tom..
Tom is Chairman and Chief Executive of Tom’s Companies, a group of up-market properties in the North East and Cumbria including two hotels, two restaurants and an oriental spa.

He has a degree in modern languages and speaks Spanish, French and Italian as well as a smattering of Outer Mongolian! He was Sales Director of the Sage Group Plc from 1984 to 1997 and was responsible for defining and implementing the company’s UK reseller strategy during a period of enormous growth.

Since 1997 he has been involved in transforming award winning Seaham Hall, from a derelict building into a luxury hotel and has created the Serenity Spa and Serenity in the City. The Samling, overlooking Lake Windermere, has been developed as a luxury hotel as well as an exclusive use venue and Fisherman’s Lodge restaurant continues to provide elegant dining in the heart of Newcastle.

Venue: Chapters Restaurant, Stokesley.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Innovation never rests

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

A first for our autumn calendar, Forum Board Member, Keith Miller invites you ON-SITE for a unique opportunity to see firsthand the revolutionary processes that keep Miller UK at the forefront of their highly competitive industry.

“I have been fortunate enough to have had the benefit of a tour of Miller UK’s impressive production facility on more than one occasion. Not only is the work been carried out fascinating but, the methods used to improve the quality and efficiency of production, as well as the buy in of the production team to this process are truly impressive. If you want to make your business more efficient then this visit is an absolute must “ Simon Heptinstall, Sales & Operations Director, Storey Carpets

You would be forgiven for thinking that Miller UK is dominated by its manufacturing environment, though you could not be further from the truth! Their innovative design techniques, research & development workshop and the serious business of design registration and patent applications are all part of an exceptionally fine tuned business.

Miller was founded in 1978 as a mobile welding and repair service for quarries, mines and open cast coal sites. Today Miller is primarily a manufacturer, employing over 450 people in the UK and operating out of its main site in Cramlington, in the North East of England as well as its Joint Venture casting facility in Northern China (where a further 500 staff are employed)

Miller UK is recognised as a market leader in the development of quick couplers, buckets and attachments. This has only been achieved by the consistent investment in its current product, as well as the development of new products. In an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace, this investment and constantly striving for excellence is what differentiates Miller from its rivals.

Streamlining production and moving into Europe, Miller’s have benefited from mentors and advisors along the way. With this support, they embarked upon a world class manufacturing programme and have since implemented a comprehensive training programme throughout the business, tailored to the construction culture.

More about Keith....
Keith Miller is Group Chairman of Miller UK. The business, housed in a state of the art 150,000 ft2 premises, has grown to a £40m turnover company with 1000 staff worldwide.

Speaking of the advice taken from Sir John Harvey-Jones in the early 90s – Keith is keen to do what he can to support other business owners.

“When I started out in business my philosophy was to work hard, play hard and give something back. I’ve always been inquisitive, always wanted to learn more and emulate the success of others. The Forum allows people to do that and I’m delighted to be opening my business and sharing our experience and best practice”

The event will commence at 10.00am. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members' guests.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

From Newcastle to Dubai - The Forum goes global...

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Join us for a private audience with the head of the world’s fastest growing intercontinental airline

Welcome from Sir Peter Vardy.

Speaker, Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline

The Forum is truly delighted to offer its Founder Members the rare opportunity to hear from one of the airline industry’s most respected leaders. Tim Clark, the high profile President of Emirates Airline will join us for an informal breakfast meeting and share his experience of building Emirates from a small operation in the 1980’s into a virtual empire.

We have worked assiduously with Emirates as they fly out of Newcastle for the first time and are delighted to have managed to secure time with Tim in his busy schedule.

Tim, an economics graduate from London University and fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society has been in the civil aviation business since 1972 when he joined British Caledonian.

In 1975 he moved to Gulf Air in Bahrain and subsequently to Dubai in 1985, where he became a member of the founding team of Emirates as Head of Airline Planning. Tim is now the President of Emirates Airline and Managing Director of Sri Lankan Airlines, the latter post resulted from the acquisition of a 40% stake in Sri Lankan Airline by Emirates during April 1998.

Emirates Airline will offer scheduled long-haul flights out of Newcastle. From 1 September 2007 the airline will begin daily direct services, using their A330 aircraft.

Newcastle airport has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with the CAA recently naming it as the fastest growing regional airport in the UK. The Airport handled 5.43 million passengers in 2006.

Venue: Cafe 21 Private Dining, Newcastle

This event is a Forum Members-only breakfast. Please note that places are limited.

The event will close at 9.30am, following a Question & Answer session. Questions for Tim can be sent in advance of the event to the e mail below.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Having the X-Factor

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Focus dinner with Tim Price Managing Director of Executel

In today’s ever changing business environment, effective communication is key to every organisation.

Tim is Managing Director of Executel Ltd, the North East’s premier supplier of cutting-edge communication solutions and services, specialising in IP (Internet Protocol) telephony, LAN/WAN extensions, Low Cost Routing (LCR) and line rentals. With an extensive portfolio of over 2,000 contracted Clients, including the BALTIC, Sage Gateshead, Durham County Council, TSG, One Northeast & Jacques Vert. The firm, established in 1997, is due to celebrate their 10^th anniversary this October.

Despite its now auspicious status, Executel started off small but was successful from the outset. Sales increased from £650,000 in the first year to £1.6m by the end of the second year and £2.2m in the third. Proving that thinking big isn’t sufficient to achieving success, Tim Price will discuss that the belief in having something different and being the best, coupled with hard graft and sheer determination, can be applied to any business in today’s market.

More about Tim..

On leaving school in 1978, Tim became an Apprentice Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC, after which he moved to Carlisle United and then Oldham Athletic eventually realising that he was hopeless when asked to play against Ray Wilkins of Manchester United who ran him ragged!

Tim’s father had a small building business which he joined in 1982 and although this was the shortest career Tim has had to date, he learned about ‘real’ people and it was a fabulous grounding.

In 1984 Tim joined local office equipment company, NEP Group, where he stayed until 1997 progressing through Sales to Product Sales Manager, Branch Manager, Trouble-shooter and finally Sales Director.

Tim started Executel in October 1997 with his friend and business partner, Dave Simpson (they had been together right through the NEP days). They had no customers and no income, just graft, determination and belief that they were different and the best. In September 2003, Tim completed a management buyout and since then has doubled the business revenue. Executel currently has sales of £7.5m per annum and is the leading business to business communications providers in the North East.

This members-only dinner is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm, guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Learn to Love Mondays Graduate Conference and Recruitment Fair

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

With VERY SPECIAL guest speaker – Sir Bob Geldof

Artworks Galleries, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne

Even by the ambitious standards we set ourselves at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, we’ve exceeded our own expectations in securing Sir Bob Geldof for our forthcoming Graduate Conference and Recruitment Fair!

This event will be a unique opportunity for students and businesses to be inspired by a genuine pioneer – both in world politics and also in his five successful business ventures.

He has inspired the Western world to think globally in the fight against poverty and this autumn Sir Bob Geldof is set to inspire the next generation of North East entrepreneurs.

Sir Bob will speak for 75 minutes, including taking questions from our members and the final year and graduate students from the region’s five universities.

This day of inspirational stories will also include Ben Way of The Rainmakers, who recently appeared on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaires and is soon to be announced as a Young Gun of 2007 by Growing Business.

If you don’t want to get stuck in a rat race, then this event is for you! Spaces will go fast, to avoid disappointment book early.

To book space in the Recruitment Fair click here, or if you are interested in our unique sponsorship opportunities for this event, please contact us on 0870 850 2233.

Talking Straight About The Economy

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Focus dinner with Adam Chester, Senior Economist Bank of Scotland

Chaired by Paul Callaghan, Chairman Leighton Group and Business Link North East

Managing your money in the current economic climate is a challenge for every business, irrespective of size or style, but do we really have all the facts?

In an area riddled with conjecture, where so many ‘experts’ are not talking straight, Adam Chester has the singular knack for doing just that, in a jargon free, open minded and honest style. He will discuss how even a basic knowledge of global economics can open up a world of opportunity regardless of geography.

More about Adam....

Adam started his career at the Bank of England as a financial markets economist. He later moved to the Monetary Policy section, where he was responsible for helping to compile and analyse the UK monetary aggregates.

In 1992, Adam joined the investment bank Yamaichi International as an international bond strategist. After five years with Yamaichi, Adam joined the Halifax Group Treasury in August 1997. He was appointed Chief Economist in 1999 and Chief Economist/Head of Research of HBOS Treasury Services in October 2001. He and his team provide financial market and economic-related research on the major economies, especially in the UK.

Adam is a Council member of the Society of Business Economists (SBE) and Managing Editor of the economics journal The Business Economist.

His job involves extensive contact with the media. He has written articles for various national newspapers and regularly appears in the financial press and on television.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm, guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue

Cafe 21 Private Dining

Trinity Gardens

Newcastle

Time: 6.30 - 9.30pm

Taking on China - developing new markets

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Focus dinner with Dianne Sharp, Managing Director of Mechetronics

Mechetronics Managing Director Dianne Sharp, will share the experience of going global – blending track record and experience with a young, dynamic team focused on delivering first-class customer service. These are the elements which differentiate Mechetronics from its rivals.

Offering local support and service in major industrial markets from Europe to the USA and also the rapidly emerging markets of China and India, is what sets Mechetronics apart in the solenoid world

In addition to engineers in India, China and the UK, Mechetronics has local solenoid inventory management in France, Germany, Italy, China, India, USA and of course the UK!

Dianne will also share her passion in recruiting the right people, her company’s biggest asset, believing you don’t just talk the talk, but have to walk the walk.

This members-only dinner is a must for anyone thinking of developing overseas.

More about Dianne ...

Originally founded in London in 1918, Mechetronics are a UK based global supplier of solenoids and solenoid valves to global businesses such as Hewlett Packard, NCR, Jaguar, GE, Pitney Bowes and Mars. With local support and service in not only the major industrial markets like Europe and the USA but also the emerging markets such as China and India, Mechetronics provide local impact to some of the world’s largest corporations.

Dianne, a panellist at a recent Forum event, has been with the business for 8 years and was made Managing Director 3 years ago. Originally trained as an accountant with an MBA from Durham University, Dianne has 17 years business experience from Nissan to Tyne Tees TV to biotechnology. Whether as an accountant an Ops director or MD measuring and interpreting business performance measures has been a fundamental part of her working life.

This event will be chaired by Keith Miller, Group Chairman of Miller UK

Venue

Judges Hotel Private Dining Room

Kirklevington Hall

Kirklevington

Yarm

Cleveland

TS15 9LW

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm, guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Life's A Pitch: Pitfalls, Pressures and Personalities

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Creative Communications & Marketing Conference

an association with NEPA

Tuesday 30th October 2007 from 10.00am to 4.30pm

The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle

Cost: £55 + VAT per person

To register click here, call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Having successfully organised conferences covering the general issues faced by entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneurs' Forum are now turning their attention to specific sectors – the first being the creative communications and marketing industry.

Our role and the aim of the conference will be to catalyse an ongoing discussion, with key players – large and small – within the creative communications industry identifying the issues and setting the agenda.

The creative communications and marketing sector is becoming increasingly competitive and it’s essential to avoid cannibalisation by harnessing and capitalising on the talent within the region and identifying more and more ‘export’ opportunities. Equally, it’s critical to enhance both the perceived and actual value of the combined disciplines in your industry.

At our first creative conference, we want to find out the things you want to see happen, in order that our economy can maximise opportunities and contribute to helping the economy in the region grow and prosper.

The conference will be split into 2 key topics: Principles and Practice

The Principles
Our wide range of speakers will inspire you during the morning, led by MT Rainey – arguably the revolutionary within the industry, when she famously and very successful championed the move away from commission income to agencies charging for ideas and intellectual property.

Founder of Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe in 1993, which is now a top 5 UK advertising agency with clients ranging from Virgin, Marks & Spencer, Times Newspapers, Land Rover and the COI.

MR retired as chair in 2005 to start up the new social enterprise www.horsesmouth.co.uk, a social networking site for universal online mentoring.

MT is a regular speaker on communications and media industry issues in the UK and all over the world.

She is an Honorary Member of the Account Planning Group and a Visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow Business School. She is a Trustee of Timebank and Demos and a Non-Executive Director of WH Smith Plc and Viapost. MT is a recent Chair of the Marketing Group of Great Britain, and a member of The University of The Arts’ Advisory Board.

Wayne Hemmingway
Wayne Hemmingway is co-founder of fashion label Red or Dead and Hemingway Design. In 1999 after selling Red or Dead, he set up his own fashion consultancy, Hemingway Design.

He has also joined forces with building firm Wimpey to work on various housing projects specialising in affordable and social design.

Wayne received an MBE in June 06 Queens Birthday List, is a Professor in the Built Environment of Northumbria University and a Doctor of Design at Wolverhampton.

He is a writer for architectural and housing publications as well as judge of international design competitions and a TV design commentator.

Jim Lusty
Jim was born, raised, and educated in West Sussex, before graduating in property and law from Reading University in 1994.
After a year of travelling the globe, Jim cashed in his suntan and sandals for the racy world of surveying and an expensive pinstripe suit. Before long the suit was back in the wardrobe and Jim was off to the more glamorous world of alcohol and United Distillers. He found himself in Nottingham and Edinburgh for the next three years working in NPD and setting up a leisure and sponsorship team, focused on penetrating the youth culture. Eventually the country boy succumbed to London's hedonistic glitz and the following 4 years were spent at Bass Brewers. Here he account managed London's leisure scene and specialised in developing partnerships with leading edge bars through the lending arm of the company.
?What If! is the world's largest independent innovation company, working with clients who genuinely want to innovate and grow. They help them release the creative potential of their people, products and brands.
Jim joined ?What If! on April Fool’s day 2002 and now runs the UK learning team training on all of their courses from foundation through to practitioners. Jim is also a keynote speaker and has travelled the globe delighting audiences including BBC, Unilever, Hasbro, Nike, Kimberley-Clark and Sara Lee...and he's still loving what he does.

The Practice
The afternoon will be filled with fast-paced practical sessions. It will be an opportunity to hear from other practitioners who will share their perspectives and experience on key issues facing agencies and clients.

Many of the sessions will be centred around real-life case studies, covering a wide variety of topics including:

Re-branding – from the inside out;
Value of a Brand
Managing risk – how not to do it, the legal perspective and implementing lessons learnt;
Developing a niche – and exporting it around the UK
Successful collaboration – building mutual benefit, the agency and client perspective;
Intellectual property – what are we really selling;
IPA
Creative Thinking
Procurement – don’t waste your time;
Building relationships – sowing the seeds and harvesting the rewards;
Top line impact – where it really counts

Our Aims ......
Engage with the creative industries across the North East to support them in developing opportunities and contribution to the regional economy

Harness the knowledge within the sector to create competitive advantage

Create a voice for our talented creative industries and enhance perceived value

Share best practice to empower the creative sector

So we invite you to sit back, be inspired, look at the world differently and then think deeply about what you can do collectively and most importantly within your own businesses.

Other Guest Speakers on the day include:-
Rod Connors
Stuart Robson
Nick James
Si Bales
Tarek Nseir
Ward Hadaway

Thanks to our sponsors Business Link North East, Somethinkelse and Push Creative

The Godfather of Art - focus dinner with The "Don" Smith

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Members-only focus dinner, with Don Smith

Venue: Opus Art, Gosforth, Newcastle

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Staff responsibility amidst the legacy of 9:11. A passion for art, the production of all things beautiful. The need to earn respect. Drive and Determination. The corrupting influence of venture capitalists.

These are some of the ingredients and attributes etched in Don Smith’s portfolio.

However, when the commercial world wobbled with the attacks on New York’s Twin Towers, Don’s business was taken from under him and whilst those haunting images are engraved in all our minds, his passion and drive is what makes Mr. Smith the true Don. He admits to being good in a growing business and being a master at sorting out chaos!

At our exclusive focus dinner, this true godfather will share his experiences ranging from his time in the merchant navy to going global with art. Offering you a truly unique insight into the often bizarre yet lucrative world of art and big business deals, including his relationships with Hirst & Hockney, to the clutter and noise of the hospitality industry, Don will explain how sympathetic understanding plays a great part in the production of something beautiful.

More about Don..

After rolling up his sleeves and getting stuck in, first as an engineer in the merchant navy, then in the dirty world of Britain’s heavily unionised printing industry, Don Smith deserves the calm and sophistication he now enjoys at his art gallery in Newcastle.

Don has returned home to the region and transformed an unloved, empty church hall off Gosforth High Street into a cool gallery and bistro known as Opus, from where he sells direct to clients and runs his on-line art business.

It marks a new beginning for Don after a rollercoaster of a life in business that started when he realised working for other people wasn’t him.

He left the printing industry to join global images supplier Getty Images. As group MD of the Tony Stone Images division, Don oversaw the growth of the premier brand with 600 staff and offices in 32 different countries. He was then appointed MD of the London-based Hulton Archive, one of the world’s biggest collections of historic photographs and illustrations.

Having already made a success of his first business venture – a domestic cleaning company call Merry Maids, started in the North East in 1994, and a follow-up commercial cleaning business called Service Master – he decided to indulge in his passion for art and start dealing on-line.

With venture capitalist he raised £22m worth of investment to launch Eyestorm Media, which grew into one of the world’s premier art retailers selling exclusive limited editions from 120 contemporary artists. Nevertheless, his experience of VC was not a good one.

Eyestorm had galleries in New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles as well as successfully selling large ticket work on-line.

Then came September 11. The £2m Don had secured from Deutsche Bank was pulled and he was unable to get the funding he needed elsewhere. The business was taken out from under him.

A glutton for punishment, he sold some assets, raised £1m and bought the business back. So, ready to move out of London with a heap of valuable art, where do you go? Hebburn, of course.

He rebuilt the on-line art selling under eyestorm.com, bought out a competitor, Brit Art, and entered into a collaboration combining art and football through which he brought footballing icon Pele to the North East in 2004.

Later he sold most of his shares in Eyestorm and made his first foray into another world that fits well with art – food – by opening Art House restaurant in Alnwick

As well as building Opus, Don now 47 has plans for an art club where guests would go for dinner and be surrounded by art with a changing programme of events, and he’d like a second North East restaurant.

Being warned that he was mad to start a gallery in the region has only served to drive him on even more.

As well as securing the world of celebrity artists that runs into many thousands of pounds, Opus Underground accesses urban artwork of up to £1,500 that appeals to younger collectors while Opus Interiors offers designer pieces to complement art purchases.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm so guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

To register call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Going The Distance - From Technology To Hospitality SOLD OUT!!

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is privileged to extend an invitation to you, to attend this members-only focus dinner with one of the region’s most successful businessmen. Graham will share his experiences ranging from the growth of Sage Group plc, a trio of victories at Cheltenham, golf handicaps and his move into the property market.

A local boy with a passion for horse racing that’s paid off, Graham Wylie left Newcastle University in 1980 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computing Science and Statistics. A year later he was co-founder of a company called Sage, selling accountancy software. When he retired from the company 21 years later Sage had a global valuation approaching 3.3 billion and was the only technology stock in the FTSE 100 index.

Following the phenomenal success of Sage, Graham could be forgiven for taking his millions and disappearing off into the sunset. But this ideas man did just the opposite. During this exclusive dinner Graham will share why when you leave a big business, you cannot stop completely and what it’s been like going back to the beginning, to start a small business and grow it, relishing the challenge.

At 48 Graham, who was awarded the CBE for his services to industry has a lot of business in him yet. In the autumn of 2003 the miner’s son was back in business starting up Technology Services Group. Today, TSG employ 420 staff as they spread rapidly across the country.

More about Graham..

Born in Scotland before moving South of the border to Whitley Bay, Graham won a place in Newcastle University and to make ends meet took a summer job. A local firm hired him with a small government grant intended to help small businesses take advantage of new technologies. Graham wrote a piece of software to help with their records, a programme now called SAGE. His talent led him to local businessman David Goldman and with Graham as a founder member Sage was born, in 1981. Sage UK became market leader in the accounts and payroll software market, with almost one in three of all UK businesses using a Sage product in 2003.

Sage was floated on the stock market in 1989 and the company began to develop into an international business, Graham became Managing Director of Sage UK.

Having retired from the company in 2003, Graham spotted a gap between the service Sage offered and the service offered by IT support companies. So in October 2003, with the initial acquisition of Newcastle-based IT company Joynsons, TSG was founded to offer IT solutions in hardware, software and support to small and medium sized businesses.

This was followed by a further twenty acquisitions totalling about £25m, establishing four more TSG divisions in the North, Midlands, South and Scotland.

Through a process of target acquisitions the company have grown from their initial base in the North East to a national organisation with locations across the UK, but still offering a unique local service.

Since 2004, Graham has also been involved in developing Close House Estate into a luxury hotel and golf course, Close House Country Club opened for business in March 2005.

Graham’s contribution to the North East region has been acknowledged by the award of honorary doctorates, by both the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumbria University, and the freedom of the city of Newcastle. In 2003, Graham was honoured by the Queen, with the award of a CBE.

Away from their businesses, Graham and his wife Andrea now take regular time out to enjoy their love of jump and flat racing, having purchased their first horse, Lord Transcend five years ago.

This dinner will be chaired by Simon Heptinstall, Sales & Operations Director of Storey Carpets and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member.

Venue: Close House Country Club & Hotel, Heddon on the Wall, Newcastle

Time: 6.30 pm

From D1 - G8: An insight into the world of serial global entrepreneurs

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Members-only Focus Dinner

Time 6.30pm

Cafe 21 Private Dining Room, Trinity Gardens, Newcastle

Focus dinner with Karl E Watkin MBE, global serial entrepreneur

Chaired by Lorna Moran, Chief Executive, NRG plc and Vice Chair of the Forum

You’d be forgiven for thinking "What can I learn from a bloke in a pub who confesses to being crap at 97% of business?!" However, he has been hugely successful with the other 3%, building significant interests in China, climate change and sustainable technologies.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is delighted to have founder of D1 Oils plc and global serial entrepreneur Karl Watkin for one night only.

More about Karl ...

A former miner's son born and brought up in the North East (Wallsend and Morpeth), he began his working life in Newcastle as a nightclub bouncer and market stall holder and is still based in the region.

His first major business was The Crabtree Group plc, which was based on Team Valley and which he floated with Luke Johnson, Chairman of Channel 4 (and still a business partner and friend), for £20m in 1993.

He founded UK Land Estates Ltd with Chris Whitfield, conceived and floated J2C plc, the UK’s first B2B internet business, and Dermasalve Sciences Plc. He has built and floated 8 companies on The London market and currently has 3 under preparation. He was North East Businessman Of The Year in 1992 and took advantage of the profile to create The Manufacturing Challenge and tackle head-on the UK Government's attitude to manufacturing businesses. He wrote and directed two BBC2 Television programmes on the problems of UK manufacturing and two Government White papers on competitiveness. In 1992 at the age of 36 he received an MBE for services to exports. He wrote a business comment page for The Journal for 5 years.

He founded D1 Oils plc, a UK-based global producer of biofuels, and developed both the alternative feedstock strategy of Jatropha and the team to deliver it. He persuaded Lord Oxburgh (ex Chairman of Shell) to take over as Chairman in January of this year, having recently concluded a major global joint venture with BP. Then at a meeting of world leaders held in New York in September, his strategy for the commercialisation of Jatropha received endorsements from many present, including Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Al Gore. He is Chairman of The United Nations Bioenergy Advisory Board and a member of The Clinton Global Initiative.

He led the high profile and extremely successful campaign to free The Nat West 3, created a global brand and more than 250,000 jobs for the rural poor all over the world, regularly meets with world leaders such as Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Al Gore and counts Sir Bob Geldof as one of his many illustrious friends.

Karl is Chairman of Green Atlantic Partners (GAP), a global network of outstanding entrepreneurs focussed on assisting businesses and technologies from, and in, emerging markets to develop. Currently he is working on several major projects in China with the Chinese government and will be a member of the forthcoming G8 meetings to be held in Bali and Accra.

Karl is 51, has been married to Jill for 30 years and has three children. On the rare occassions when he isn't travelling he lives with his family in Northumberland. For many years he was an extremely high profile advocate for and vocal supporter of the North East and is a major contributor to North East charities.

This event is a must for aspiring entrepreneurs and those who simply want to hear the ‘how I made it’ story from a truly serial entrepreneur.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm so guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Business Breakthrough II: Boot Camp...SOLD OUT

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

28th - 30th November

Venue: Derwent Manor Hotel, Castleside

Beginning with a welcome dinner on the evening of the 28th November, this two-day residential is aimed at helping you ‘take stock’. You’ll identify your key business challenges, focus on the future and focus on ways to ‘Breakthrough’ and move your business forward.

You’ll learn how to work ON your business, not IN it, and you’ll also discover the difference between management and leadership, as well as finding out how you measure up! The result will be a set of tools to help you fulfil your role as a strategic leader, and move your business forward.

You’ll spend time analysing your business and leadership performance, identifying ‘Breakthrough’ areas for improvement. The ‘21st Century Entrepreneur’ assessment tool will help you identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses, and combining this with a series of business audits, you’ll identify the key issues for success in your business.

We call this part of the course the ‘Boot Camp’, but we promise that there are no zip-wires or river crossings. This is a comfortable Boot Camp, deep in the countryside and the ideal environment to really get some perspective on your business.

An integral element of the ‘Boot Camp’ will be the chance to share ideas, problems and experiences with like minded business leaders. By exploring the issues together through a formal ‘learning group’ you will benefit from the knowledge of ‘many’.

The ‘Boot Camp’ culminates in you developing and sharing your own ‘Business Breakthrough Improvement Plan’ which will provide the focus for the next six months. This helps ensure that you and your business gets the most out of the Business Breakthrough Programme.

The Boot Camp covers:

• Achieving business results and the role of the leader
• Working strategically and planning for the future
• Creating a vision for your business and setting goals and targets
• Bringing your personal vision and business vision closer together
• Looking to the future - Identifying Opportunities and Threats
• Assessing your own leadership style as a ‘21st Century Entrepreneur’ and
identifying steps for improvement
• Identifying ‘Breakthrough’ issues to move your business forward
• ‘Breakthrough Planning’ – Developing a business improvement action plan

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. The components are not bookable separately. The price includes accommodation and full board for the two-day, two-night Boot Camp and lunch and refreshments on each of the six one-day sessions.

To register for Business Breakthrough please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Business Breakthrough II: Session 1

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Maximising Management Control.

Venue: Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County

This session helps individuals maximise leadership and business performance by maximising management information. You will be introduced to the process of collecting, analysing, communicating and maximising information. You will look at establishing key performance indicators and key ratios, along with processes to improve reporting and communication methods. You’ll also get chance to assess your own communication style and identify ways to increase your effectiveness. The aim is to develop a common shared process for helping you maximise information in your business.

The session covers:

• Maximising information in your business - what do you really need?
• What Gets Measured, Gets Managed - Monitoring business performance
• Establishing key performance indicators
• Giving and getting more from relationships
• Improving communication throughout the business

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Business Breakthrough II: Session 2

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Creating A Revolutionary Business.

Venue: Sunderland Marriott Hotel

In today’s onward market place, and ever increasing customer choice, it’s becoming more and more difficult to get your business ahead of the competition and to stay there. You will discover how market leaders create competitive advantage, differentiate themselves from others, and ‘revolutionise’ their market place by getting everyone involved in the process. You’ll develop processes to increase innovation throughout the business and help your people generate ideas and make real business improvements.

The main focus is on changing and improving – not just doing.

This session covers:

• Creating competitive advantage
• Thinking in 3D - Developing a business that’s ‘Dramatically and Demonstrably
Different’
• Getting everyone focused on competitiveness
• Developing a better understanding of your market place
• Identifying your approach to innovation and continuous improvement
• Creating real business improvements

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Business Breakthrough II: Session 3

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Maximising Profitability.

Venue: Newcastle Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park.

Turnover is Vanity, Profit is Sanity! Winning companies focus on profit rather than chase turnover. This session will help you create a profit focus throughout your business, and seriously improve your bottom line. By applying a proactive approach, which we call the Routes To Profitability, you will develop your own Profit Improvement Plan. This is not about creative accounting, nor is it a lesson in finance – in fact, there is very little to do with accounting. It’s about proven processes to get everyone profit focused, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of what you do, and take steps to revolutionise your profits.

The session covers:

• The Routes To Profitability
• Creating a Profit focus - Getting everyone to think ‘profit’
. Creating More Leads - Establishing an effective business generation system
• Maximising your personal effectiveness
. Profit improvement planning

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Business Breakthrough II: Session 4

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Maximising Customer Relationships.

Venue: Sunderland Marriott Hotel.

Successful businesses create a customer focus throughout the organisation. They are easy to do business with, everyone understands their role in giving their customers what they want, and there is a consistent approach. You will find out how winning businesses create a passion for customers at every level, how they build a team of people ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for their customers. The best businesses don’t just meet customer expectations - they exceed them! You will find out how your business measures up in terms of ‘delighted customers’ and generate practical ideas to seriously improve the level of service you provide. This session will help you develop a proactive approach to creating more customers, and developing more opportunities with existing ones.

The session covers:
• Giving and getting more from relationships
• Removing the barriers to customer care - Creating a customer focus throughout
the business
• Creating ‘devoted’ customers
• Leveraging network opportunities
• Maximising Customer Relationships

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Business Breakthrough II: Session 5

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Maximising People Performance.

Venue: Newcastle Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park.

Developing a committed, motivated and effective team of people is the prime role of the leader. Winning leaders do this by creating other leaders not followers. You will discover motivation and reward strategies that work. You will learn how to empower and engage your team and identify the steps you need to take to get the best from your people. Culture is often seen as the ‘soft side’ of the business, but in reality, it’s often the hardest! The best leaders provide clear guidance on the behaviours they want and establish a culture that reinforces and supports this. You will learn how they ‘Champion their Champions’ and ‘Challenge their Challengers’. You will develop techniques to help deal with ‘problem performers’ in the business and lean how to reward the behaviours you want.

This session covers:

• Introducing a performance management system
• Recruiting, retaining and motivating people
• Creating the culture you want
• Valuing your values
• The ‘shadowside’ of leadership - understanding your impact on culture
• Dealing with ‘problem performers’

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

Business Breakthrough II: Session 6

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Moving Forward.

Venue: Durham Marriott Royal County Hotel.

This final session in the Business Breakthrough Programme is also an opportunity to review, reflect and plan for the future. You will feedback on your progress, problems, successes and learning. You will also create time to look ahead and prioritise your future development. It’s an ideal opportunity to stake stock as individual leaders, and to agree actions to continue moving your business forward.

Places on BB2 are £500+VAT for the whole course. This session is only open to those registered on the entire programme. Lunch and refreshments are included.

The Long & Winding Road - Emerging Talent focus dinner with Chris Peacock

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Members-only Focus Dinner.

Ten years ago Chris Peacock, fresh out of university with a year’s work experience under his belt was minding his own business sky-diving above America, when he got a call from his father with news that someone had offered to buy their family business.

Before the call Chris’s only thought was to become British National sky-diving champion. He had no intention of joining the business, Peacocks Medical Group.

But something told him he could not let the company go and within a week he was on a plane home.

During the early days of business, you may feel like you are free-falling. Now with his feet firmly on the ground, Chris will draw on his accumulated expertise, giving examples of his own experiences, which can be applied to young and growing businesses.

This dinner will be chaired by Martin Jones, Managing Director of Freedom Direct and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member.

More about Chris..

The last 10 years with the changes imposed by the NHS and Chris’s arrival have been the most tumultuous in the company’s history. But they have also been a catalyst for its years of greatest success.

Established 100 years earlier by his great-grandfather in Collingwood Street, Newcastle, Peacocks began manufacturing cutlery but moved into surgical instruments during the Great War.

Soldiers returning home needed devices to get back on their feet after shrapnel injuries and, later in the Second World War, disabilities caused by bombs.

JC Peacock & Son soon became a leading manufacturer of orthotic devices and the business was handed to successive generations as it grew.

The company operates in a highly competitive market with little IP or patent protection and with only one customer – the NHS, which a decade ago decided to slash its budgets and the number of suppliers it uses.

Peacocks went rapidly from a comfortable, self-financed, family business to very quickly finding themselves in a loss-making position. The two differentiators on which it can compete – service levels and the quality of its products have consequently proved crucial in its success, as has adopting more efficient operational and flexible working practices.

The time was right to restructure in a way that was more formal, less family, and to put some succession planning in place. “There was a guarantee that I would be given the company as far as inheritance goes but there was no guarantee that I would become MD,” he says.

Nevertheless, Chris is now Group MD and his father is Chairman.

The business has grown outside the region by selling its services and manufacturing skills to hospitals beyond its North East hub, leading to rapid expansion. Turnover has increased from £4m in 2000 to almost £10m today.

Peacocks’ aim is to increase its 10 per cent market share by winning more work in the UK from a market believed to be worth £100m, including an imminent North East contract worth £2.5m.

Exciting times beckon too with a link that is developing to take Peacocks products into China.

With plans to replicate this year’s 25 per cent growth towards a significantly larger business in the future, Chris’s story is one of family, fighting for survival and of discovering an unexpected love and talent for business.

To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue: Blackfriars meeting rooms, Friars Street, Newcastle , NE1 4XN

Time: 6.30pm arrival - 9.30pm finish

If taking risks is so damn productive, why are we so risk averse as a species? - open event with Caspar Berry

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The future is uncertain - in business, poker and life. But decisions have to be made, and risks have to be taken. Sometimes small and manageable, sometimes big and scary. Sometimes racing certainties end in failure. Elsewhere, business empires are apparently wagered on the turn of a card.

So what is the difference between a gamble and a calculated risk? And what makes human beings largely risk averse or risk embracing?

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum invites you to explore the art and science of making good decisions and taking calculated risks. Looking at the risk takers from poker, business and life, we will examine why embracing risk, in a calculated way is good; why it ensures genetic survival and why the most enduring and successful people and organisations take calculated risks every day.

Finally, we ask ourselves what is our attitude towards risk and what stops us from treading in the footsteps of the people who have shaped our world; people who failed repeatedly on the journey to achieve extraordinary success. We see how people like this did not eradicate their fear of failure; far from it. They use it as the most powerful weapon in their armoury to conquer mediocrity and guarantee outstanding results.

This unique session chaired by Simon Heptinstall, Sales & Operations Director of Storey Carpets and Entrepreneurs’ forum board member, will explore radical themes and new ideas about business and life success; superbly presented by Caspar Berry (we know, we’ve seen him in action! )

More about Caspar...

Caspar started life as an actor in Byker Grove, went via Cambridge University to write screenplays for Film Four and Columbia TriStar, before embarking on his own personal risk strategy, becoming a professional poker player living and working in Las Vegas.

Since coming back to England in 2002, Caspar has co-founded Twenty First Century Media and built it into the fastest growing audio visual media company in the North of England. It was whilst still at the helm of Twenty First Century Media that he began his career as a consultant, working with organisations such as BP, Nestle, Nationwide, AXA, Barclays, Cisco, Citigroup, The Metropolitan Police and The Shaw Trust, relating the themes or risk in poker to the decisions we take every day in our business and personal lives.

He is a poker expert for Poker Night Live and Sky Vegas, writes a regular column for Flush Magazine and was the poker advisor on the latest James Bond film, Casio Royale.

This event will commence at 6.30pm. It is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members’ guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue: Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

Time: 6.30 – 9.00 pm

MBO Stakes and the Art of Raising Finance

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

This dinner, our last of 2007, will be chaired by Paul Campbell, Chief Executive of The Amazing Group and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member.

Possibly the greatest untapped resource in any organisation lies in its employees. These days, "giving 100 percent" is not enough to get ahead; you need to become more effective in unlocking your staff's potential strengths, creativity, and resourcefulness. The best companies have the best people, and the top people are those who think and act faster and better than others.

A student of Harvard Business School, Stephen spent his early career working in educational administration and attended numerous management development programs - his strong beliefs since then remain unaltered.

In the past five years The Longhirst Group, which trades under the “Develop” brand, has expanded rapidly and is now aiming for £50m turnover by 2010.

Breathing life into the commercial operations of the now defunct Northumberland TEC, Stephen led a successful but highly complex management buyout in 2000, taking two years to complete. During this period he raised more than £20m for acquisitions and property developments.

The deal was finalised on Christmas Eve 2002, with £2.5m of equity and loan stock going into the venture.

As well as Longhirst Hall, the company has a further training centre at Rutland Water and is in negotiations to add another three centres. It currently employs 225 staff and turns over £13m.

Develop Training is one of the leading UK providers of technical skills training within the utility and regulated business sector and is the preferred supplier for many household names including National Grid Transco, Anglian Water, United Utilities, Ministry of Defence, Midland Mainline and British Airports Authority.

With extensive practical training facilities around the UK, Develop believes that the environment is critical to effective learning.

More about Stephen .........

Graduating from University College London with a Bachelor’s degree in Science and Economics, Stephen spent the first fifteen years of his career in public sector education posts, ending up as Assistant Director of Education for his local Northumberland County Council. He also had three years experience of training and education, working as UK Business Manager for technology company International Computers Ltd, helping to establish a presence in schools and colleges.

As a result of his marketing strategy ICL moved from a position where they had no presence in the education market to being second within three years.

Before becoming Chief Executive of Northumberland Training and Enterprise Council Group, a job that didn’t exist at the time, Stephen had to write the business plan and establish the company. After the TEC received the contract from the Government, he was made Chief Executive.

Instigated under the TEC banner the first big commercial undertaking was the building of a management training and conference centre at Longhirst Hall, a derelict stately mansion house close to Newcastle upon Tyne. Stephen and his team were maverick in their approach, raising commercial bank loans to build a business school, library, social infrastructure and student housing. As a consequence, the number of people achieving qualifications rose dramatically.

Steering the growth of this fascinating business has been a source of great satisfaction for Stephen who, during this exclusive members-only focus dinner, will discuss his MBO experience, the art of raising cash and how getting the right intermediaries is vital. Plus sharing his views on why many managers take the plunge and mount a management buyout and why the greatest untapped resource in any organisation lies in its employees.

Venue: Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Women Business Leaders Christmas Lunch

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Do Women make the best 21^st Century leaders? with Sheila Stokes-White

The Entrepreneurs' Forum are delighted to invite you to our final event of what has been an exceptionally inspiring 2007 programme. If you have missed the previous ones then please make a special effort to attend the third in our series of Women Business Leaders Lunches.

These enlightening and thought provoking lunches are built around the current business climate and we have worked harder than ever to pack an agenda that will focus your attention, stimulate great discussion and then take pleasure in a light hearted finale! Plus have you back in your business by 2.30pm !!

In a socially informal environment Sheila Stokes White will draw upon over 30 years experience of the world of leadership to talk about women’s rules of engagement and how we can all use our individual skill sets to make a real impact on our businesses.

During a festive Christmas lunch, this interactive and informative session will consider the curious paradox between woman’s real leadership abilities including their emotional intelligence and multi-tasking facilities and other people’s perception of them.

More about Sheila........

As Managing Director of Strategic Solutions Ltd, an organisation development company, Sheila works with leaders and chief officers of many organisations offering high quality, tailor made solutions which focus on creating transformational change.

Sheila’s interesting life provides the material for many wry observations and has included working in a woman’s prison, living in Italy and working in partnership with the European Commission and the Council of Europe. She came to the North East as a chief officer with the probation service and oversaw the acquisitions and opening of a new training headquarters and the design of a new people development portfolio.

Sheila’s primary work for each business is on developing leadership programmes which are tailor made for the client. She has a tremendous ability to inspire and motivate others, harnessing commitment, passion and drive in those with who she works.

Having crossed the divide from working in the public sector to be becoming an entrepreneur, Sheila would argue that leadership skills are vital to all sectors, that the creation of other leaders is a key leadership skill and that an inclusive and enabling leadership style is often what singles out the most successful organisations. These are often where women leaders are to be found.

Outside of her business, Sheila is Vice Chair of an NHS Trust and has been a non executive director for five years, serving on the Audit and Remuneration committees.

Festive Bra Fitting and Advice from Sadie the bra Lady and Glamorous Christmas flowers for the home from Cinnamon Rose

With so much hype from TV stars such as Trinny & Susanna, wearing the correct undergarments is very topical at the moment. Sadie is in great demand from magazine editors, radio and TV and we are truly grateful that she is committing some of her precious time to come and give a short talk over lunch.

According to statistics 80% of woman in the UK are wearing the wrong size bra. Could you be one of them?! Sadie will offer you the opportunity to not only be fitted by her, but also tips on the best look and style to make you WOW this Christmas.

An ill-fitting bra can cause neck and back ache and cause breasts to sag. There are hundreds of styles of bras on the market today to suit every body shape, in a wide range of exciting materials and colours all claiming to give you “wonder” cleavage or “invisible” coverage but unless you have recently had a professional fitting you too could make up part of that statistic.

Martine Gray of Cinnamon Rose will give you a fresh approach to designing beautiful arrangements of your own.

She will demonstrate how to make a beautiful fragrant wreath and corsages to make your home the perfect Christmas hideaway this festive season.

Venue: Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle

Time: 12.30 - 2.30 pm

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Financial Stability Focus dinner with Rachel Lomax, Deputy Governor of Bank of England

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

As one exceptionally inspiring year of events ends, so another begins, bringing with it an array of inspirational speakers to unselfishly share their wisdom and learning with our members.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum are exceptionally fortunate to offer our members this fantastic event to open 2008 by seizing the opportunity of having the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England in the region, enabling you to hear from the incredible and well respected Rachel Lomax.

Drawing on her extensive experiences, Rachel will describe the Bank's view of the current economic situation, the factors which will affect its judgments in the coming months and the fallout from the financial crisis which has unfolded in recent months.

Rachel is also particularly interested to hear from our guests, about the current business environment and the issues facing business at the current time. Events such as this form part of the process by which the Bank gathers the information to inform its interest rate setting process.

Rachel Lomax became Deputy Governor of the Bank of England on 1 July 2003. In addition to her membership of the Monetary Policy Committee, she has specific responsibility within the Bank for Monetary Policy, including monetary assessment and money market operations.

This dinner which we anticipate will book up fast, will be chaired by Paul Callaghan Chairman of Leighton Group and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member.

More about Rachel..

Graduating from Girton College Cambridge in 1966, Rachel went on to obtain an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1968.

With a career that has spanned both the private and public face of finance and banking, before joining the Bank, Rachel was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport. Between 1999 and 2002 she held the same position at the Department for Work and Pensions (previously the Department of Social Security) and from 1996 to 1999, at the Welsh Office. She was a Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President of the World Bank in Washington in 1995-6.

Her earlier career was spent at HM Treasury, which she joined in 1968 where she worked on a wide range of macroeconomic, monetary and financial issues. Rachel was Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Nigel Lawson, in the mid 1980s, and Deputy Chief Economic Adviser in the early 1990s. She was Head of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat at the UK Cabinet Office in 1994.

Rachel also resides on the Board of the Royal National Theatre, Chair of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and is also on the Court of Governors of the LSE.

Rachel has two grown up sons and three granddaughters, to keep the little spare time she has extremely busy!

This is a members-only dinner. Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.nettt

Venue: Cafe 21 Private Dining, Trinity Gardens, Newcastle

Time : 6.30 pm

Next Generation - Zero Emission On-Site Visit Open Event

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

On-site open event with Roy Stanley, Chairman of the Board The Tanfield Group Plc.

“Take time out to visit someone else’s business, even if it’s not in your sector and you could well take some of their practices or principles away with you, a worthy half day spent working on your own business” – Keith Miller, Group Chairman Miller UK

Join us for the second of our hugely popular ON-SITE events. The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is privileged to offer our members the opportunity to visit a dynamic business in an exciting and rapidly expanding industry. Giving you an exclusive behind the scenes look at the world’s largest manufacturer of road-going commercial electric vehicles.

With a "can-do" attitude that has become ingrained in Tanfield and still permeates every layer of the company today, Roy and his senior management team will take you through their company ethos, passion and cutting edge technologies, used to replace diesel powered commercial vehicles with climate friendly battery powered vans and trucks. Drawing on the strong philosophy of the business, which sets them apart in the world class arena of technologies innovation.

With increasing fuel prices and an urgent demand for the reduction of CO2 emissions, there is an ongoing requirement for innovative solutions to tackle these issues.

The Tanfield Group Plc, founded in 1996, are doing just that. They are a progressive, innovative manufacturing company which operates in two of the world’s most exciting growth markets – zero emission electric vehicles and aerial work platforms.

With shrewd business acquisitions and innovation driving excellent organic growth, Tanfield’s strong management team has executed a strategy to become a world leader in both of these fields. The group has grown rapidly in the last few years, becoming a strong local employer.

Providing peace of mind to early adopters of this technology, the hope for these one-hundred percent battery operated vehicles, is to save an estimated 760,000kg in carbon dioxide exhaust emissions each year.

The company operates two highly successful OEM trading divisions: Smith Electric Vehicles and UpRight Powered Accessably supported by Tanfield’s superb engineering resource.

UpRight is the UK’s biggest manufacturer of self-propelled aerial work platforms and globally is one of the industry’s best-loved brands.

Founded in 1920, Smith Electric Vehicles is the world’s most established manufacturer of battery powered vehicles – and easily the world’s largest manufacturer of road-going commercial electric vehicles. Since its acquisition by The Tanfield Group Plc, Smith has become a world leader in new technology electric vans and trucks, placing it at the forefront of an exciting and rapidly expanding industry. Smith has an unrivalled UK-wide service and support network, which already maintains over 5,000 vehicles for major fleet operators. As well as a facility in Fresno, CA to manufacture US-specific vehicles for North America. This will be followed by a larger factory capable of 10,000 vehicles a year, expected to open in 2010.

Launched in early 2007 in Europe, the Smith Newton is already in fleets for household names such as Starbucks, DHL and TK Maxx, along with British institutions like the Royal Mail and retailer Marks & Spencer.

More about Roy.....

A former school teacher, Roy Stanley is the visionary entrepreneur who founded The Tanfield Group.

He built a strong Board of Directors and senior management team and has overseen every facet of Tanfield’s incredibly fast growth, following its AIM listing in December 2003.

Roy also played a lead role in identifying and developing the Vigo Centre as a world class manufacturing facility for Tanfield.

He moved from Chief Executive to Chairman in September 2006, in order to more fully concentrate on his other varied and successful business interests.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

The event is free to members and costs £15 + VAT for members guests.

Mile High Turbulence -Martin Jones Focus Dinner

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Members only Focus Dinner with Martin Jones – Founder of Freedom Direct and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member.

This event will be chaired by Steven Bell, ex Bells Stores and Chairman of Newman Scott.

Join us for the first of the Forum’s 2008 focus dinners in the Tees Valley region.

Freedom Direct, with Martin Jones at the helm has been transformed into one of the UK’s largest online travel companies with a business now virtually all web based, a natural and necessary development caused by changes in the travel industry.

Indeed, where natural and manmade disasters can stop the phones ringing overnight only the lean, fast adapting companies survive in this unforgiving industry. Success in the travel business has not come easy and Martin has had to learn the hard way to be able to navigate around the challenges.

During this Chatham House dinner and having survived to tell the tale, this down to earth young businessman will share his experiences of the unknown; drawing on hard lessons learnt in business, finance and people management (of which Martin is first to say he hasn’t always got it right)

This dinner will also give you an opportunity to extend a warm welcome to the Forum’s newest addition to their Board, Steven Bell, who is chairing the event for us.

More about Martin......

While a fear of flying keeps Martin Jones’ feet firmly on the ground, the industry he has dedicated himself to is not for the fainthearted.

After graduating in business IT at the University of Central Lancashire, Martin started working for his parents’ company, Lincoln Travel, at weekends and during his gap year.

He’d moved from helping out with administration to being fairly heavily involved in the business by the time his parents came to sell it 12 months later.

Initial plans for him to retain equity in the business with the new owners didn’t come off, so in 1997, he took the decision to set up Freedom Direct on his own at the age of 24, placing him in direct competition with the new owners but on an extremely small scale.

With small borrowings on the back of his parents’ business, Freedom has been a cash-generating operation from the start.

The key to the business’s success in the early days was acting as booking agent for all the big tour operators including Thomson, Airtours and First Choice by advertising holidays on Teletext, with customer enquiries handled by telephone.

The first few years were exciting, seeing them opening offices, taking on staff, making plenty of money, the sun was shining. Freedom recorded turnover of £5 million which continued to double each year for the next four years.

By then the company was heavily overstaffed and, at the same time, Martin took his eye off the ball.

From 2001-2003 the business failed to make the profit it should have done on the level of turnover. Then came September 11.

Out to lunch, Martin heard the devastating news. By the time he got back to the office the phones had just stopped ringing. Always the optimist, he was confident the business could ride the storm, unaware of the enormity of the event. But even Martin couldn’t be prepared for what it all meant.

Assuming the downturn would be short-lived and worrying about keeping his entire team employed, he kept thinking things would get better. They didn’t and not reducing operating costs by a third within a month of the disaster proved a salutary lesson for Martin.

Eventually he succumbed, making friends redundant as he economised, but managing to increase turnover to £36m with 20 per cent fewer staff.

The company downsized from 12,000 sq ft to 7,000 sq ft of office space, and has gone from 165 staff to 120 in its Newcastle HQ and call centre. As a result, turnover has rocketed to £60m, and should reach £100 million in 2008.

The success of the web strategy recently inspired Martin to set up other online ventures; Taxi Transfers, which transfers holidaymakers to and from the airport overseas now has a turnover of £2m and the latest additions, www.resortexcursions.co.uk and package deals at www.hotsunsholidays.co.uk are showing great potential.

From starting out not really knowing how to sell a holiday, Martin has built up one of the most successful online travel companies in the UK, although he’s the first to admit a lot of lessons have been learned along the way.

“You can’t stand still in this industry. There is so much change going on in the travel business that to survive you have to be ready to change. You can take plenty of advice but at the end of the day you have to trust your own judgement.”

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue: Chapters Restaurant, 27 High Street, Stokesley, TS9 5AD

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Driving Business Forward - Entrepreneurs' Forum invites you to go ON-SITE

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

On-Site Event with Brian Jobling – Managing Director Eutechnyx

Eutechnyx is one of the leaders in UK games development, specialising in driving games.

Taking time out to visit someone else’s business, even if not specifically in your sector can be an invaluable few hours well spent out of your own business, to learn from someone with extensive experience and business wisdom.

What level of commitment does it take to be one of the top 3 companies in the world in your chosen discipline?

Just how do you get your company from being “big in Houghton” to “big in Hollywood?”

Brian Jobling, Managing Director of Eutechnyx, has signed deals worth in excess of $25 Million in the last 6 months, within an industry notorious for having the toughest of tough business models.

In this rare on-site visit to a game development studio, Brian and his team will take you through the mindset necessary for international success. From establishing studios in Asia, to striking mega deals with Americans.

Expect to experience great games, company-wide passion and mind expanding business models.

More about Brian…

Brian Jobling started Eutechnyx at the age of 18, over 21 years ago.

The company, which employs over 150 graduates at its offices in Gateshead, Hong Kong, Pittsburgh & Chengdu, is a Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and Deloitte and Touche Fast 50 Company. As well as holding the UK record for achieving Investor in People status, Eutechnyx has won the IiP Outstanding Practice award for the North East. Their now infamous product, Big Mutha Truckers, won a Royal Television Society award and was also BAFTA nominated.

Brian himself was awarded Ernst & Young - Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Northern Region.

Eutechnyx’ products include chart blockbusters The Fast and the Furious, MTV’s Pimp My Ride, Cartoon Network Racing, Formula 1 and James Bond 007 Racing.

Their latest game, the eagerly awaited Ferrari Challenge on PlayStation 3, is currently enjoying much critical acclaim, with the leading game publication IGN describing it as “Porno for Petrol Heads”

As MD, Brian is responsible for overall strategic direction of the company with particular interest in programming, technology and finance.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

This event is for entrepreneurs in new and emerging businesses, regardless of their age.

Venue: Eutechnyx Ltd, Metro Centre East Business Park, Waterside Drive, Gateshead, NE11 9HU

Timings: 10am prompt, followed by light lunch, concluding at 1.30pm

Storey From The Exit Lounge

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Open event with Simon Heptinstall, former Chief Executive of Storey Carpets.

We invite you to spend an evening in the company of Entrepreneurs’ Forum board member Simon Heptinstall, an individual who holds the values of vision, commitment and passion to succeed, as his characteristics.

Until their recent company acquisition / takeover by Carpetright Plc, this third generation family business was presided over by Simon as the Chief Executive of Britain’s Best Carpet Retailer.

During the first of our open events for 2008, Simon will share with our members and member’s guests, the real STOREYS STORY ranging from people, personalities, property wranglings, new concepts, handling difficult trading conditions with a tough economy on the horizon and why, after months of sleepless nights he made the agonising decision to sell to his biggest competitors.

Drawing on his emotions and the practicalities of tough management, this charismatic leader will not only explain the processes needed to make a business successful, but also the challenges and mistakes experienced during his journey – board room struggles, problems with shareholders, staff, training and the importance of brand recognition, culminating with his aspirations for the future, as he moves into a new chapter for both his business and personal life.

Not bad for a man who started out wanting to be a scientist!

This event will be introduced and facilitated by Tom Maxfield, Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member and founder of Tom’s Companies.

Further information on Storey Carpets.......

The family company’s roots go back to 1921, Simon’s grandfather Paul Mathew, a draughtsman in the Sunderland shipyards was wounded in action during the First World War. After his release from a German POW camp he was nursed back to health by Jennie Storey, a nurse also from the North-East. The couple married and returned to the region, opening a hardware store in Sunderland’s Roker Avenue, selling new and reconditioned goods, such as furniture and washing mangles.

The 1950’s saw Paul’s son Dennis leaving his teaching profession to join the business. It was Dennis (who at the age of 78 remained as Company Chairman) who first introduced carpets at discount prices and who expanded the business. During 1987 Dennis’ son Simon, having just completed a degree in Biology and an MBA in Business Administration, joined Storeys.

Simon had been working for Storeys ever since he was a teenager, helping out during school and university holidays, but was never pushed into the family firm. However, it was the decision that he wasn’t cut for academia that led to the company staying in Heptinstall hands rather than being sold in the late 1980’s – a shrewd move that meant that the UK’s first discount carpet retailer survived the share-crash of 1989 and was ripe for expansion. And expand it did, but first it had to pull through the recession of the early nineties, by selling off its non-core furniture business.

Overnight the company went from making a loss, to a company with cash in the bank, a turnaround achieved without the loss of a single job.

The focus on carpets that followed included store expansion/refurbishment, people development and the creation of new brands such as Walter Wall Carpets and Woodland Floors. All of which lead to Storeys being voted the Best Flooring Retailer in the country for 4 years running.

As the needs of customers changed over the years, then so to did Storeys strategy. Led by Simon, the company underwent radical change, taking an altogether more fashion led approach to bring more stylish flooring solutions to customers.

By 2004, Storeys were employing more than three hundred and eighty people and turning over £30.5 million with a ten year profit record. Then the market turned! Storeys were by then committed to an expansion programme out of the region and invested heavily in restructuring logistics and efficiency improvements. The expansion soon became bogged down in some of the worst retail trading conditions for decades and by the summer of 2006, Simon and his senior team could see a tough road ahead through a very difficult market. Then the phone rang.

To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue: Houghton House, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland

Time: 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Dressed For Success

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Members-only Focus Dinner with Steve Cochrane, founder of the fashion phenomenon that is Psyche.

Join the Entrepreneurs’ Forum for an exclusive dinner at Psyche Bistro in Middlesbrough, and feast yourself on a glimpse of the commerce behind the catwalk. We are delighted that Steve Cochrane, founder of the fashion phenomenon that is Psyche, has agreed to host this showcase event and he’ll be joined by Forum Board Member and retail guru, Dave Charlton of The Officers Club.

The irrepressible Steve Cochrane has firmly established himself as a legendary retailer not only here in the North East, but also on a national and international stage. It’s a rare gift to be able to spot style trends and a yet rarer one to actually lead them, but Steve’s passion for excellence has reaped him countless rewards from press and peers alike.

Psyche was winner of ‘Designer Retailer of The Year’ in 1995, UK Footwear Awards in 1998, 2000 and 2004 and then scooped the ultimate accolade of ‘Independent Retailer of The Year for Britain & Ireland’, also in 2004. In 2005 FHM Magazine and its panel of top fashion industry judges voted Psyche 'The best fashion retailer in the North East' in the first heat, before they went on to win the overall Retailer of the Year award for the UK.

Steve has not just rested on his product range selection skills. His ability to envision a ‘different way’ has always marked out the quality of his merchandising in-store – and his enthusiasm to adopt new technology that saw him partnering to establish Europe’s largest online footwear retailer in 2000.

Never has his tenacity been more evident than when, spotting an opportunity that many would have shied away from, Steve took on the redevelopment of the massive Middlesbrough landmark that had previously been the Upton ’s Department Store. In one giant leap, he moved his boutique-style shops into this vast palace of style, confounding critics, wowing customers and single-handedly regenerating a whole area of the town centre as other businesses flocked to feed on the spiralling footfall.

Steve has himself been praised and awarded "The Tees Valley Business Executive of the Year" and his acknowledgement of the huge ability of his team has seen Psyche personnel invited to and advising on both Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Singapore fashion weeks as well as speaking at London Fashion Week.

Psyche has also come to the attention of the BBC, who spent over a year filming in store to produce a 4 x 1 hour series about Psyche called "The Secret Life of The Shop".

During this members-only focus dinner, Steve will talk about how Psyche was established in 1982 as a new wave /punk shop and then how, as fashion retail developed, it was one of the first stores in the country to stock brands which are now well-known, such as Gucci, Prada, Dries Van Noten, Helmut Lang, Dolce & Gabbana, Nicole Fahri & Paul Smith.

Steve will share his desire to identify and support numerous smaller & emerging new designers and also the philosophy of 'Kaisen' - the Japanese practice of constant improvement.

He’ll also take us through the highs and lows of his business life, and explain what keeps him motivated to keep pushing forward – including his plans for in-store collagenics and Botox clinics, Psyche bridal, 4D baby scanning, homewares, art gallery, an 8,000 sq ft top floor restaurant and a 50 bed boutique hotel.

This is a not-to-be missed event for which places are strictly limited. Please don’t delay in registering.

Venue: Psyche Bistro, 175 – 187 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 4AG

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm therefore guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

If you would like to attend or would like further information about any of our events, please call us on 0870 850 2233.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Harness Technologies Conference

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The North East’s reputation for shipbuilding and heavy engineering once made it the envy of the world. Now, it is our success in technology that has replaced the old industries and restored our status on the global stage.

Innovators bursting with ideas are writing our future history and showing that once again this region can be a world leader.

The North East boasts world class natural scientists, chemists, physicists and engineers and some of the country’s most exciting bio-technology companies are based here.

We have world leading digital, electronic and gaming companies and IT innovators that are the envy of other regions. We are rich in ideas and loaded with talent. But as with any sector, we have to ask are we truly maximising our potential? Are we providing the support, the funding and the infrastructure for ideas to be turned into commercial realities and for our new technology businesses to achieve long term, sustainable success?

Having hosted outstanding conferences covering the general issues faced by entrepreneurs over the past five years, the Entrepreneurs’ Forum is now turning its attention to specific sectors.

First we focused on the creative communications sector, with our very successful conference in November of last year and now we are turning the spotlight on the technologies industry.

Our Harness Technology Conference on February 27 in Sedgefield, County Durham, will bring together entrepreneurial businesses and academics involved in science, technology and engineering.

Entrepreneurs’ Forum members all agree on one thing: the best way to develop your business is to talk to those around you and listen to their experiences.

Writer, former BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter and Durham University graduate Judith Hann will introduce our outstanding line-up of speakers.

Our keynote speaker is Trevor Baylis, inventor of the clockwork radio, bestselling author of “Clock This” and founder of the Academy of Invention.

SPEAKERS

Trevor Baylis

Inventor of the clockwork radio, bestselling author of “Clock This” and founder of the Academy of Invention, Trevor Baylis is a charismatic and passionate advocate of invention and creativity.

Trevor was awarded the BBC Design Award for the Freeplay radio and he is frequently invited to participate in both radio and TV programmes.

He now runs Trevor Baylis Brands plc, a company dedicated to helping inventors to develop and protect their ideas and to find a route to market.

Judith Hann

Judith Hann is one of Britain's leading science journalists and broadcasters and is known to millions for the 20 years she spent presenting BBC's ‘Tomorrow's World’ as well as other programmes on technology, health, food and the environment.

She is in great demand by decision makers eager to benefit from her views on new technologies and futurology.

With her husband, the television news specialist John Exelby, Judith runs a media training and presentation skills centre teaching people how to make the most of themselves and companies how to make the most of the media.

Roy Stanley
The Tanfield Group plc

Roy Stanley is a visionary entrepreneur who founded The Tanfield Group in 1996.

Under his guidance and leadership, Tanfield grew from an engineering company with ten employees into the world’s leading manufacturer of zero emission commercial electric vehicles and aerial work platforms. Tanfield now employs over 1,200 people worldwide, with manufacturing capability in Kansas, California, New Zealand and the UK, plus sales and distribution subsidiaries in Japan and Australia. Sales have grown from £12m in 2004 to over £40m in 2006 and are estimated to exceed £100m this year.

Will Dracup

He's taken his company founded in 1989 and made it a fantastic global success mixing digital imaging innovations with all the - 'omics' fields. Started off in a shed, quite literally (!), with funding coming from various credit cards!

Nonlinear Dynamics helps scientists sort data and put it to good use. The company is a worldwide provider of bioinformatics solutions to the life-sciences industries. Its Progenesis Discovery Informatics platform is used by contract research organizations and biotech and pharmaceutical companies researching the uses of proteins to treat diseases.

Dr James Bellini

Dr Bellini is an expert in technology and the future outlook for business within the context of the Internet, virtual markets and related developments in e-culture and business re-invention.

After gaining a Masters from Cambridge University, a PhD from the London School of Economics and a spell as a university teacher, he was the first British member of the renowned futurology think-tank, the Hudson Institute, founded by Dr Herman Kahn in the USA.

A leading futurologist and business trend spotter, James focuses on key management challenges related to issues of collaborative commerce, new business ‘eco-systems’, future consumer trends and transaction data business strategy for future growth; social, technological and economic trends.

Registration

If you would like to attend Harness the delegate rate is £55 + VAT per person. To register please call 0870 850 2233 or email info@entrepreneursforum.net.

Sponsors

Harness is sponsored by NorthStar Equity Investors and Newcastle Science City.

Marion Bernard, chief executive of NorthStar Equity Investors commented: “The North East, with its leading universities, cutting edge research and growing knowledge-based economy is a rich source of deals and groundbreaking technologies.

“There are strong links between the theme of the Harness conference and North Star Equity Investors. We are delighted to be involved as lead sponsor with our two funds– the North East Proof of Concept Fund and the North East Co Investment Fund – both set up with ONE NorthEast AND ERDF support, to help growing businesses in the region.”

Full Bodied with Rich Pickings � Open Event with Tim How, Chief Executive of Majestic Wine Plc

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Staying true to the underlying philosophy of The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, that entrepreneurs learn from fellow entrepreneurs, we are privileged to invite you to hear first hand from a man who has travelled up the food chain to become head of the largest wine warehouse chain in the UK.

Just like a fine wine, Majestic CEO Tim How packs a powerful punch. Coming from an environment in which high standards of customer service are the norm, Tim cites Majestic’s team of people as quite simply the best trained in the business. However, whilst offering unparalleled customer service is a key ingredient for any successful business, during this exclusive open event Tim will delve deeper and take us on a journey around the world of fine wines, giving an insight into the sale of wines and the foundations he laid at boardroom level for growth.

Drawing on his years of experience, Tim will give our members and guests a distinctive flavour of the wine industry, describing what has made Majestic such a successful, award-winning company, recognised by International Wine Challenge and Decanter Wine Awards. He will also talk about the changes the business has undergone, including vigorous expansion, flotation and the move into e-commerce and booze cruise sales, as well as how picking the highest quality of staff can be as important to the success of a company as picking the highest quality grape for your wine.

What better way to develop your business than to listen to the experience of others and by talking to those around you.

More about Tim............

Tim How, aged 57, is Chief Executive of Majestic Wine Plc, the largest wine warehouse chain within the UK with 144 stores and a further 3 in northern France. He has overseen the company’s growth from 38 stores in 1992 and the flotation on AIM in 1996.

Tim began his career in 1972 with Rugby Cement, having read natural sciences at Churchill College, Cambridge. From 1977 to 1979 he did a masters degree at the London Business School before joining Polaroid as Marketing Manager.

Prior to Majestic Tim was Managing Director of the frozen food retailer Bejam Group Plc.

He is currently non-executive chairman of Framlington AIM VCT plc.

The Majestic story started in 1980 with the first wine warehouse in London. Today they are the UK's largest wine warehouse chain approaching 150 stores, as well as 3 stores under the Wine & Beer World banner in the channel ports of France and boast an annual turnover of over £190 million.

Formed initially with just a single store in London's Wood Green, the peculiar licensing laws at the time meant that they could open all day only by selling a minimum of 12 bottles with each purchase.

During the 1980s the company grew to a chain of some 30 stores. The most significant step came in 1991 though, when the current management team acquired the business and started the vigorous and exciting developments which continue to this day.

Under the leadership of Tim, Majestic became a public company in 1996, floating on the Alternative Investment Market. Since then they have gone from strength to strength.

Diversifying into fine wines on-line, Majestic.co.uk was launched in April 2000, using a business model that is different to many 'bricks and clicks' retailers. Almost all online orders are passed to and delivered by customers' local stores.

This event will be introduced and facilitated by Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board Member Simon Heptinstall.

This evening will commence at 6.30pm. A light supper will be served at approximately 8.15 pm.

Attendance at this event is included in the Entrepreneurs Forum annual membership fee and costs £15 + VAT for members’ guests. Non-members are charged at £35.00 + VAT per person. Please note that as we are a not for profit organisation cancellations received within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

Venue: Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 3DQ

Time: 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

If you wish to attend or would like further information about any of our events, please call us on 0870 850 2233

What drives a serial entrepreneur? Open Event with Sir Tom Hunter

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

In association with Entrepreneurs' Forum SoYouWantToBeAnEntrepreneur Graduate conference

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum brings you yet another inspirational event, with yet another incredible speaker.

We are privileged to welcome guest speaker Sir Tom Hunter, one of the best-known entrepreneurs in the country, worth in excess of £1.1 billion. Since he sold Sports Division for £290m, a business he developed from start-up, Tom has led a large number of philanthropic ventures in entrepreneurship and education.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from and meet one of the UK’s most highly respected serial entrepreneurs.

What better way to invest half a day of your time.

In addition, during the afternoon you will also hear from successful regional entrepreneurs, Stephen Bales (Platform One), Satish Shewhorak (moShine Animation Studio), Sarah Taylor (U Digger Media) and Dr. Craig Rose ( S.E.A. Consultants)

This afternoon of inspirational achievements will be facilitated by fellow entrepreneur Caspar Berry, founder of 21^st Century Media, author and former professional poker player.

The event also offers you the opportunity to mix with and inspire the next generation of business leaders in the North East.

Attendance at the conference is included in the Entrepreneurs Forum annual membership fee and costs £25 + VAT for members’ guests and non members.

Venue: The Hilton Newcastle Gateshead

Time: 11.30am - 4.30pm

Lunch and refreshments are included - please let us know of any special dietary requirements when booking.

To register for this event please email info@entrepreneursforum.net or call us on 0870 850 2233.

Chairman's Dinner with special guest Ian Hislop

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A trio of inspirational speakers........

Welcome – Paul Walker – CEO of The Sage Group Plc and Chairman Entrepreneurs’ Forum

Ian Shott – International Business Leader, Founder and CEO of Excelsyn Group

Ian Hislop – Award Winning Virtuoso of Satire and The Man Behind The Eye

Join Entrepreneurs' Forum Chairman Paul Walker and fellow Board Directors for what promises to be an unmissable evening, carefully crafted to generate great converstion, oustanding speakers and above all set a positive tone for 2008.

Focusing on our businesses will be very much in the forefront of all our minds, as we contemplate challenges and set our goals for 2008.

This dinner is an excellent example, of the unparalleled standards constantly delivered by the Entrepreneurs' Forum team and for many, provides an enjoyable escape from your business and more importantly an opportunity to meet like minded people in a convivial environment where social and business conversations come together perfectly.

In keeping with the underlying philosophy of the Forum that entrepreneurs learn from fellow entrepreneurs, our keynote business speaker, Ian Shott, has most definitely been there and done that.

Ian is an experienced international business leader, with a proven track record of growing and transforming technology-based businesses to deliver exceptional results through superior team performance. We are both delighted and privileged to have this extraordinary local entrepreneur share his experiences with us.

Our after dinner speaker needs little introduction and Ian Hislop’s celebrated reputation as a speaker, notorious for his anecdotal gems and satirical views of the world of business and entertainment, guarantees an amusing end to an enjoyable evening.

This hugely popular event is likely to sell out fast, so don’t delay in registering, make a date with the Forum in your 2008 calendar now.

More about our inspirational guest speakers ....

Leading from the Front, Ian Shott, Founder and CEO of Excelsyn Group

With an ability to deal with high levels of uncertainty and ambiguity, Ian built up a business by buying struggling companies and injecting them with a new lease of life. From a zero start with Excelsyn three years ago he completed a turnover of £12m at the end of the second financial year as a group and anticipates profitable sales in excess of £16m this financial year.

Understanding and facing up to your own weaknesses is probably one of the most important lessons in business that Ian has learnt, coupled with the criticality of finding the right people to drive the business forward as quickly as possible.

Heralding an effective global network of contacts, customers and support as the single most important thing that helped his business succeed, this entrepreneur will share lessons learnt over a period of business years, globalisation, consolidation and a maturing life cycle - citing creating wealth via innovative and sustainable growth as his business start up philosophy.

Excelsyn focus exclusively on the pharmaceutical industry and provide products, solutions and services in the fields of molecular development, engineering technology and management consulting.

The Man behind the eye, after Dinner with Ian Hislop

As editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop is the most sued man in English legal history, although he is not involved in as many libel actions as he once was!

Ian Hislop has edited Private Eye (a magazine dedicated to mocking the political world) since 1986, taking over the helm from Richard Ingrams and steering it to even greater commercial and satirical success.

As the celebrity King of satire, he is also known to millions as team captain on Have I Got News For You, (he is the only person to have appeared on every show) which has won numerous awards, including a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment.

Ian has made countless television and radio appearances as a panelist, essayist and presenter. Credits range from Newsnight Review, Question Time and University Challenge (‘The Professionals’), to series on the history of tax, the Victorians and Middle England. He has also taken part in Who Do You Think You Are? and presented The Lost Generation.

As a writer, Ian progressed from Spitting Image to sketches for Harry Enfield and television plays for Maureen Lipman and Dawn French. He also co-wrote the family sitcom, My Dad’s The Prime Minister and writes regularly for The Spectator, The Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Mail on Sunday.

Ian Hislop was honored to receive the British Society of Magazine Editor’s highest award, The Editor’s Editor.

During dinner, he will reveal all to our audience, including tips on exporting and the joys of litigation!

Members can register for this event by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue:

McCoys Rooftop at The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Gateshead Quays
South Shore Road
Gateshead
NE8 3BA

Time :

7.00pm Drinks reception

Stateside, Thameside.... Tyneside- Members-only Focus Dinner with Paul Campbell - Founder and CEO of The Amazing Group

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Join us for an evening of stimulating business conversation and hear first hand from Paul Campbell a Forum Board member, the importance of having Big Hairy Audacious Goals and not being afraid to admit to ludicrous ambition. Including how he had to come home to the North East, in order to discover REAL ambition.

Launched after a three-year investment programme, The Amazing Group of Companies was formed in 2004, to create content in digital media, in partnership with subject specialists from schools, colleges, universities and specialist training providers. Last year, a new division was launched creating entertainment content and seeking to reinvent the music industry.

During this Chatham House dinner, this Amazingly ambitious family man will draw upon his years in both the worlds of business and entertainment, to share experiences ranging from how to develop a brand strategy from a standing start, the importance of having a clear vision and how hiring people better than you are and getting out of their way, is the beginning of wisdom.

With Paul at the helm, the people behind Amazing have had big careers in media, software and education.

With a passion for the North East, it’s Paul’s belief in building a global brand that drives him on.

More about Paul..................

Entrepreneur Paul Campbell was born and brought up in North Shields and educated at RGS Newcastle and Oxford.

Starting his career as a tea boy at BBC Radio Newcastle Paul went on to become the youngest ever BBC producer. Paul then spent the first ten years of his career in broadcasting, producing programmes for the BBC and Channel 4, before founding his first business, Bell Media in 1989, which produced digital content in all media for blue-chip clients from offices in London, New York and Newcastle.

Paul relocated from London back to the North East in 2002 and co-founded Liberty Bell Productions, the producer of “Grumpy Old Men” for BBC2, before going on to establish The Amazing Group.

Outside of Amazing, Paul sits as a Director of the North East e-Learning Foundation; a member of the Advisory Board of Newcastle University Business School; Governor of RGS Newcastle and is a qualified ski instructor.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Venue: Norman Shaw Room, Jesmond Dene House, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle, NE2 2EY

Timing: 6.30pm for 6.45pm

The Bear Essentials of Business Growth - members only focus dinner with Graham Forrest CEO of Northern Bear Plc

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Join The Entrepreneurs’ Forum at this exclusive gathering to learn about the extraordinary success story that is Northern Bear plc. Self-effacing Chief Executive Graham Forrest has led the company since 2006, having served previously as FD and CEO of four separate publicly-listed companies. During this dinner, Graham will share his knowledge of IPOs and business mentoring, describe his passion for raising funds for acquisition and explain his unique and empowering management style. He’ll also bring to life the incredible growth strategy that has seen annual turnover of £12m in December 2006 leap to a projected £50m in 2008.

Northern Bear plc is a holding company for a number of businesses providing materials and services to the construction sector. Customers include some of the biggest names in the industry – Persimmon, Bellway and Laing O’Rourke, as well as a number of local authorities. It has based its expansion on the acquisition of what it calls ‘mature, North East owner-managed businesses’ in the building services and materials sectors, which have shown that they can consistently deliver profitability and generate cash.

The company’s business model aims to keep an acquisition’s existing management team on board – to retain the formula which has already proved successful. The businesses within the group operate with a high degree of autonomy and run their own administrative and accounting functions. The group’s head office controls strategy, policy, overall financial planning and consolidates the group’s companies’ accounts.

In early 2005 the founders – Executive Chairman Jon Pither and Graham – developed a strategy which they believed would enable them to become preferred buyers for their acquisition targets.

During 2005 and 2006 they progressed this strategy by creating four holding companies which acquired four building services businesses in preparation for the launch of Northern Bear, which was incorporated in April 2006 and on 30 November 2006 the company was re-registered as a public limited company.

In December 2006 Northern Bear completed the acquisition of Isoler, Roof Truss, Floor Joist, Springs Roofing, Wensley Roofing and Prosafe Consultants and of the holding companies. On 19 December 2006 Northern Bear plc started dealing ordinary shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. A total of 2,751,133 ordinary shares were issued at an issue price of 88p.

They continued their acquisition strategy during 2007, by buying MGM, Chirmarn, Hastie and Jennings.

There are now 10 trading subsidiaries in the group, which together employ over 350 people in the North East region with the aim of becoming one of the main suppliers of specialist services to the building and construction industry in the region.

Awards have been coming thick and fast too. MGM’s barn conversion at Kirkharle Courtyard in Northumberland has won the award for the best conversion in the North-East at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Rural Building Awards, run in association with Knight Frank. Wensley Roofing has added to its excellent record for health and safety with a third Gold Award from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

Graham, a qualified Chartered Accountant and graduate of Durham University will also outline his plans for the future of the Group and how he brings his particular brand of enthusiasm to the money markets. This has allowed his operational MDs to drive the existing businesses forward and provide the resources to bring more companies into the Northern Bear fold. This scalable model is possible in any industry and we look forward to Graham elaborating on this during dinner.

This is a not-to-be missed event for which places are strictly limited. Please don’t delay in registering.

This event will be chaired by Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board member and Chairman of Leighton Group, Paul Callaghan.

Venue: Cafe 21, Trinity Gardens, Newcastle

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

THE TRADERS' � Still Independent after all these Years

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

There has been a change of venue for this event, which will now be the Cuthbert Suite, Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle Quayside.

Join us for a unique look inside the world of retailer Collectables through the eyes of father and son team Philip and David Lewis.

Collectables is a true North East success story of exceptional growth in a tough retail market that has expanded into wholesale and property investment. It’s also a family business.

Today, Collectables is the leading giftware and lifestyle retailer in the North of England, with 9 stores varying from 1,000 to 22,000 sq ft in size, 3 distribution outlets and a growing on-line trading arm. However, business wasn’t always so glittering.

In the relaxed surroundings of Jesmond Dene House, Philip and David Lewis will share with our members and member's guests, both the highs and the lows of running a business,sharing practical experience and tips for company owners and advisers.

For both father and son, the entrepreneurial instinct was there from childhood. Drawing on over 50 years of business experience, this exceptionally down to earth duo have succeeded where others have failed but what’s more, they continue to have the utmost respect for each other and a great working relationship.

During this event, they will give an open and frank account around succession planning and how having the drive, determination, commitment and self belief can turn a small investment into a business empire. They will also talk about what it’s really like to have the right mix of work/life balance when expanding your business, handling major acquisitions and launching new product ranges.Despite many early setbacks, ranging from the miner’s strike in the early 1980’s to a devastating fire they have kept smiling through it all and made sure fun is as much a part of the business as finance.

With each division now turning over healthy multi-million pound figures, the group is undergoing another big challenge – a restructure that will see the retail, property and wholesale arms operating as separate divisions.

This event is a story of expansionism, opportunism and adventure backed up by experience and a crucial understanding of numbers and is a must for anyone with an affiliation to business planning and a willingness to take risks.

More about Philip and David ....

Working with the family started much earlier for Philip, inspired by his uncles who were business people, he persuaded his parents to buy a newsagents in Leyland, Lancashire, which Philip ran. Later his brother joined him and at 19 Philip persuaded his parents to buy a bigger second business, the mortgage on which he promised to pay. By the time he was 31 he had five shops, a wife and a son, David, and bought out his first competitor.

Getting up at 4.30am seven days a week with just a week’s holiday in a year began to take its toll, so soon after he sold the business. He didn’t rest for long.

Finding another property coincided with the retail market being opened up for off-licences; previously some shops were licensed to sell only beer whereas tonics could be bought at chemists. Philip spotting a niche in the market also just pre-empted the arrival of lager from the continent, and everything fell into place. By the time Philip was 36, Lewis’s Wine Stores numbered 26.

When a multi-national retailer was looking to expand, Lewis’s domination of the Preston area presented the ideal opportunity and eventually they offered Philip £290,000 for the business. By comparison his smart family bungalow had cost £6,000 (circa 1976).

Ever the serial entrepreneur Philip was not content to stop there. He had the experience and the money; he just needed to find a new area. Reps had told him that the North East lacked good off-licences like Lewis’s so in 1976 Philip made his first trip across the Pennines and immediately found a future home for wife Barbara and David, then six.

Over the next eight years they opened 86 shops, mainly off-licences and wine shops but also tobacconists, card and book shops. They built up a management team and worked on skills training and stock and cash controls.

Then, in 1982 Britain’s miners walked out. The fallout from the miner’s strike forced their bank to pull the plug culminating in the closure of his stores. Finding himself jobless and with only £100 made from a car boot sale, Philip decided to rent a barrow in the infamous Metro Centre, selling small gift items and inexpensive toys.

Taking advantage of a start up opportunity with his wife doing the paperwork and 16 year old son David expressing an interest in joining the business, Philip moved from the barrow into a small outlet - Collectables was born.

David, who’d inherited his father’s dyslexia, left school at 16 and immediately announced he, was joining the business, following in his father’s footsteps.

He recalls first being aware of business aged three and for his tenth birthday asked for shares. Cruelly, the young boy also became a victim of the miners’ strike because, being in Philip’s name, the shares were swallowed up as the bank seized all assets.

With David firmly in place, three years ago they established a wholesale business, bringing in a Managing Director who had previously managed Wedgwood in the United States.

The size of the business – retail now turns over £10m with a further £5m from property and wholesale – means restructuring it into three divisions is a logical step.

Philip, 67, is Chairman of the group and of Collectables; David, 37, is Managing Director of Collectables and chairman of Xystos, the UK’s fastest growing giftware and collectables distributor.

This event will be introduced and facilitated by Nigel Mills, Entrepreneurs’ Forum founder member and Group Managing Director of Mills Group Plc.

Venue: Cuthbert Suite, Copthorne Hotel, The Close, Quayside, Newcastle, NE1 3RT

Time: 6.30 - 9.30 pm

This event is free for Entrepreneurs' Forum members to attend and costs £15+VAT for members guests. Non-members are charged at £35+VAT. Please note that as we are a not-for-profit organisation, cancellations within 24 hours of the event will be charged in full.

To register for this event please email info@entrepreneursforum.net or call us on 0870 850 2233.

Parklife - Members Only Focus Dinner with John Waterworth, CEO of Parkdean Holidays

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Join us for an evening of lively discussion as we delve inside the world of Parkdean Holidays, a business that has grown rapid over the last 8 years and whose phenomenal success this region is exceptionally proud of.

In the relaxed surroundings of Jesmond Dene House, John Waterworth, a CEO with great character, will share with our members his buy and build strategy, how using the correct digital and web design services made a cutting edge difference for the business and why capitalising on some of the most picturesque locations in the British Isles has made Parkdean Holidays the award winning family holiday business is it today.

This event will be chaired by Martin Jones, Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board Member and Managing Director of Freedom Direct the UK’s largest online travel company.

More about John.........

John has over 20 years experience in the leisure industry, including spells with Warner Holidays and Butlins and he progressed into the role of Operation Director at Parkdean Leisure prior to its sale to Rank in 1998.

Following a management buyout of Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales in 1999 for £20.5m, the new Parkdean Holidays was formed. The business has grown via acquisition and investment in its estate, including listing on AIM in 2002 and being taken private by management and Alchemy partners in a deal valuing the group at £225m in March 2006.

Since then a further £30m has been invested in expanding and improving the Group’s holiday parks and last July the £83m acquisition of Weststar Holidays was completed. Parkdean now has 24 parks around the UK, turned over £115m in the last financial year and employs 1800 staff, including 140 based at their Gosforth HQ.

With more holidaymakers choosing to stay in the UK, this quality business has expansion high on its agenda. John’s plans over the next two years are to add further parks to the group, growing via acquisition and to increasing the estate to 40 parks.

The evening will conclude with lively discussion and debate under Chatham House rules of confidentiality around topics raised by the speaker and the group.

Places for this dinner are in great demand; to avoid disappointment, register today.

Venue: Norman Shaw Room, Jesmond Dene House, Jesmond, Newcastle

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm therefore guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

If you wish to attend or would like further information about any of our events, please call us on 0870 850 2233

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net

Lifestyle Design � members-only focus dinner with Steven Bell Chairman of Newman Scott and Entrepreneurs' Forum board member

info@theroundhouse.co.uk — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Members-only focus dinner with Steven Bell, Chairman of Newman Scott and Entrepreneurs' Forum board member.

You can’t beat hearing from world class business leaders, whether they’re national figures or North East success stories. Sharing their advice, passion and knowledge and mixing with fellow entrepreneurs is tremendously inspiring, whether you’re well established or you’re just starting out.

We invite you to experience an evening of convivial conversation and a truly awesome culinary experience during our members-only focus dinner with Steven Bell.

Steven will share with us the success story of Bells Stores; he’ll also take us through his entrepreneurial journey and the reasons for selling Bells, a chain of 54 high quality convenience stores – to J Sainsbury plc for £22.6m in 2004. He will also reveal the exciting times at Sainsbury during the 18 months he stayed on as Chief Executive, including Justin King’s arrival and the subsequent departure of the whole board within months.

During the Bells Stores years Steven also acquired shop fitting business Newman Scott out of receivership, helping the team to turn the business around and working on prestigious projects such as Hugo Boss' flagship store in London. Turnover at Newman Scott has now reached £15 million plus.

Not content with running just one successful business however, the serial entrepreneur in him came to the fore as he has since diversified into the fashion, hotel and restaurant industries.

This event will be chaired by Keith Miller, Chairman of Miller International Ltd and Entrepreneurs’ Forum Board Member.

More about Steven................

Steven grew up in an entrepreneurial family business. His father Les started out as a milkman in the 1950s and, along with his eldest son Gary, Les grew this into the largest independent door step delivery business before selling out to Northern Dairies. The family then started and later sold a milk bottling business in Consett, which was also acquired by Northern Dairies, as well as an ethnic food manufacturing business which at one point had six factories and boasted Asda, Morrisons and Safeway as customers. Gary still has a national chilled foods delivery business, Fresh Fayre, which is ranked in the top 3 of the market.

These were interesting times as the businesses helped each other – but also caused each other some problems.

Steven, who started on the milk rounds, recalls “as soon as you can walk and talk you start work in a family business.” Working with the family, at a time when his father operated two branches he began his career with Bells Stores after his last school exam, working full time before his 16^th birthday.

He has also always enjoyed the retail side.

Steven became MD of the company aged just 25 and grew turnover to in excess of £70 million from 54 stores, before the sale to Sainsbury. During his tenure at Bells, the company won numerous awards for customer service, IT/logistics and training. They were the second retailer in Europe to use radio frequency paperless business technology from the front to the back of their logistical operations.

Bells were awarded many national accolades, including being voted 'Top Multiple Retailer' in the Convenience Tracking Programme by staff, suppliers and customers. They were also placed 59th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies To Work For and were winners of Modern Apprentice of the Year, beating off stiff competition from British Gas and BMW amongst others.

Since leaving his role within Sainsbury in May 2005, Steven has acquired Chapters Hotel and Restaurant in Stokesley and with his brother Peter bought fashion retailer The House, which has branches in Yarm, Northallerton, Leeds and Harrogate. Sales have since risen from £150k to £1million at Chapters and The House now has a turnover of £3m+ from its four branches, having grown from the single outlet originally acquired.

Steven still has a 75% stake in Newman Scott, which is now ranked in the upper tier of the top 100 UK shop fitters. The firm has built an impressive client base, including Adidas, Hugo Boss, Beaverbrooks, Zara, Miss Sixty and several other blue chip clients

Venue:

Judges Hotel & Restaurant

Kirklevington

Yarm

Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £55 + VAT per person. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 48 hours of the dinner. The dinner will commence at 6.45pm therefore guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Members can register by calling 0870 850 2233 or e-mailing info@entrepreneursforum.net