Announcing the Festival of StartUps in association with Peter Jones Foundation to hear smartest innovators and entrepreneurs share expertise on starting, running and growing a business in the new economy. Turn an entrepreneurial idea into a successful business. Discover what it takes to start a business and grow it. The 10 day festival features daily interactive masterclasses with a fully curated agenda to see your business succeed. 

Considering the Brexit uncertainty faced in the UK between 2018 and 2019, plus the startup risk statistics that go with this, people have still remained confident enough to set up their own businesses. 

Although some may not be turning over what they want at the moment, it goes to show that entrepreneurial spirit in the UK is still very much alive. 

• There are, on average, 18,100 searches per month in Google UK for “how to start a business” 
• 672,890 start ups were founded in the UK in 2018/2019 tax year. 
• That’s 1,843.5 per day 
• Or 76.8 per hour 
• 65% of adults in the UK want to start their own business

The Festival of StartUps 2020 programme will get you set for the long haul. 

• Fewer than half of UK Startups make it beyond 5 years (GOV.UK, 2019) 
• 60 % of new businesses will go-under within three years (Telegraph, 2019) 
• 20% of new businesses will close their doors within just 12 months (Telegraph, 2019) 

The Festival of Startups virtual event is the place to be. Learn to avoid the pitfalls, discover why businesses fail and how you can succeed. 

Guest Speaker Line Up 

The presenters at our summits are experts in their fields. We vet them all for subject matter knowledge, presenting ability and experience so we are very confident they will deliver on the day and provide valuable tips and tricks you can take advantage of. 

Stars of the BBC Dragons’ Den Piers Linney and Tej Lalvani, plus BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’.

Sabrina Stocker is an award-winning entrepreneur & speaker, previous to her career has a competing tennis player. After reaching the final of the BBC One The Apprentice 18′ show, she was awarded the youngest ever graduate receiving a Distinction in her MBA at Edinburgh Business School. Sabrina is currently the founder of My Tennis Events, Shopping Slot, Driver Cube App, Two Comma PR and the Sabrina Stocker Academy. 

Youngest ever finalist on the BBC Apprentice Camilla Ainsworth. Experienced Founder and expert in the ‘free from’ juggernaut. M+LKPLUS is an innovative new entrant to the dairy free alternative nut mylk market. A variety of nut types are combined with creative gourmet flavours resulting in ‘nut-ritious’ mylk without the low nut content, lack lustre branding and excessive preservatives of other existing brands. Skilled in digital marketing, customer service and social media. 

Who should attend? 

• Founders/ Entrepreneurs 
• Enterprise Professionals 
• StartUp Employee 
• Marketers/Managers/Owners/Directors 

The Event 

Business Ideas, the why, how and when to kick start your StartUp. ‘Why now is the best time to start a business: Out of adversity comes opportunity’ entrepreneur Anthony Fletcher, Ex CEO Graze will share his journey with you on becoming a fast growing StartUp, you will takeaway tips and tricks so you can become one too. 

Planning & Research, from pitching to knowing your customer. Visualise your business plan. Research research, research. Build a successful business from scratch hear how Lord Bilimoria made Cobra Beer a Global Brand 

Setting up a startup? It all starts with raising initial capital. Funding is integral part of the StartUp process. How do I find the money to start my business? Is that a question you are asking. The Festival of StartUps events masterclass in Business Funding will provide you with the answers. 

Tech needs change as your company grows and as an entrepreneur, you probably already know where you want to take your company. Hear from Dell Technologies who will share how to prioritise and only focus on what technology will help you meet your current goals. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the digitisation of consumer lifestyles and enterprise operations, are you set up to serve more consumers with a fully-integrated experience. The Business Sales Masterclass will share how to maximise your sales for success. 

Social media is the top channel to get your StartUp discovered. Whether you are building a StartUp from scratch or you have a more advanced business, social media needs to be part of your marketing strategy. The Festival of StartUps BBC Apprentice Finalist Camilla Ainsworth has it all covered! 

Reserve your place 

There’s something for everyone – whether you just started a company or are looking for a co-founder or are even trying to scale your business. So what are you waiting for, get your free pass (Link to registration) for the Festival of StartUps Virtual Summit. Make your StartUp a success. 

In Association with The Peter Jones Foundation

The Peter Jones Foundation was founded in 2005 by successful entrepreneur and star of Dragons’ Den, Peter Jones CBE. With the vision to encourage, educate and empower the young people of Britain in achieving their potential. Find our more click here