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A packed week of inspirational events for entrepreneurs was hosted by Startup Guernsey from 13th-17th November with seven events and workshops taking place attracting over 250 attendees. It is the seventh year that Startup Guernsey has organised events in Guernsey to celebrate this special week and the 10th anniversary of Global Entrepreneurship Week itself, an initiative which has helped over 50 million people unleash their ideas and share one global entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The week kicked off with a speed-networking session on 13th November hosted by theBestof Guernsey which was a great opportunity for local businesses to connect. There were also a number of practical workshops available including a WordPress workshop with AB Design teaching people how to build and manage their own websites. As well as covering the basics of WordPress, the workshop showed people how to install plugins and offered a few little tricks that are helpful when building a website in WordPress.
Martine Ellis, Guernsey’s only Google certified trainer from the Learning Company ran a workshop on G Suite. By the end of the session, learners were able to navigate G Suite confidently, understood the advantages of using the range of Google apps and had a practical plan in place for implementing G Suite into their businesses.
Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, from Islandmums.com and Afaafa hosted a vision-boarding workshop. She explained how vision boards can be used to clarify the future for a business idea, seek guidance for a project or provide framework on priorities for the next phase in life. Olympic athletes have been using this technique for decades, while psychologists report that visualisation activates the same brain patterns as when we actually do the work of attaining those wishes. By visualising the future, you help increase the chances of making it a reality. This not only provoked some excellent discussions and ideas but also helped participants formulate a clearer vision for their businesses going forward.
The flagship event for Startup Guernsey during the week was a Food Entrepreneurs evening with speakers sharing their startup stories. Local entrepreneurs included Primrose Matheson from Primrose Kitchen, James Le Gallez from Aperitif and Charlotte Dickson from Guernsey Oysters as well as representatives from The Community Kitchen, Men’s Shed and Makerspace. It was an inspiring evening and a good opportunity for food entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges and opportunities running their food and drink businesses in Guernsey and the UK. What was clear was their ability to be passionate about their product, while mastering cash flow, production, and marketing.
On the final day, Stefanie Haigh from All Things Social hosted a Social Media Café. After a quick series of introductions, the group discussed the latest trends in social, what they all struggle with as well as issues or questions about their company's social media presence or strategy.
Startup Guernsey was delighted to be a partner for FInVention 2017 which also ran during Global Entrepreneurship Week and demonstrated the Island’s commitment to digital technologies and FinTech. As well as 20 business pitches from Guernsey, Jersey, the UK and Sweden and 2 local student pitches, FinVention this year boasted two names in global FinTech. These included Ryan Radloff, Principal of CoinShares, who spoke about his reflections on cryptocurrencies and Alastair Lukies CBE, Founding Partner, Motive Partners and UK Prime Minister’s Business Ambassador for FinTech.
Jennifer Strachan, CEO of Startup Guernsey said “Global Entrepreneurship Week is the highlight of Startup Guernsey’s year, and a real chance to showcase and inspire local entrepreneurs. We are grateful to the entrepreneurs and businesses who took the time to participate in the week’s events. We look forward to 2018 where our development will result in continued support for local businesses.”
Startup Guernsey offer independent, free advice to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their businesses. To find out more, visit Startup Guernsey website www.startup.gg or email info@startup.gg to arrange an appointment.
