Chairman's Themes

- Entre- and ‘entrapreneurship’

This coming year is one in which we will see great changes in the local, regional and national business landscape.

This will require a renewed focus on collaboration and networking – the Birmingham Forward themes and a new approach to the way in which we do business.

This new approach can be found in the key theme for my chairmanship of Birmingham Future: entrepreneurship, both in how our members can better engage with entrepreneurial businesses and by encouraging our members to act in a more entrepreneurial way.
 
- The business and professional services community should be doing more to support entrepreneurs

One of the big challenges faced by start-up businesses is access to finance and expert advice. The Times 100 suggests up to one in three business start-ups fail in the first three years.

The current economic climate will dictate an inevitable decline in the availability of bank and public funding for entrepreneurial enterprises. However, among the Birmingham Future membership, we have a host of skills and knowledge that, if directed towards Birmingham’s start-up businesses, can help reduce this failure rate.

With this in mind, we will be getting involved with projects such as the Birmingham Science Park Aston Entrepreneurs for the Future scheme (E4F) and the Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network (BSEEN) programme – further information on these schemes is detailed below.

- Working with entrepreneurs brings benefits to business

From a strategic level, fostering more successful businesses from within Birmingham will reap financial rewards for the city and its business community.

These businesses will become the employers of tomorrow, help drive the economy out of recession and be a source of continued business for Birmingham’s quality professional advisors.

More immediately, working with these businesses can also deliver benefits to our members. Working with enthusiastic, tireless and driven entrepreneurs is a rewarding experience in itself. As we help these businesses succeed, our members will develop their commercial skills, appreciate business problems from a more personal and ‘live’ perspective and can also cultivate relationships at a business level where real problems need to be solved by professional advisors.

Finally, working with entrepreneurs will help our members to bring entrepreneurial thinking to their own business. To support this new way of thinking, Birmingham Future will be implementing a programme of events which will support skills development in idea generation, leadership and relationship building. This will include our continuing partnership with BVSC, the Centre for Voluntary Action – again, further information is detailed below.

These skills will be invaluable within the emerging economic environment to further strengthen Birmingham’s BPS sector recovery and help innovate new revenue streams from within our member organisations.

This coming year is about developing the skills to prepare the leaders who will grow this region. And I, for one, am greatly looking forward to the results!

- Developing skills in the community: BSEEN and BVSC

BSEEN is funded by Birmingham City Council through Be Birmingham and is delivered in partnership with Aston University, Birmingham City University and the University of Birmingham.

The programme offers graduates a diverse package of funding, support, training, mentoring and career guidance as they look to set up their own businesses. Over the coming year, Birmingham Future will be working with BSEEN to provide some of that support and guidance.

Additionally, in partnership with BVSC, the Centre for Voluntary Action and CSR network Thrive, we will be growing the ‘Become Richer, Work for Nothing’ campaign. This programme allows professionals the opportunity to develop new skills and gain rich experiences through volunteering as directors or trustees of community and voluntary enterprises.

Through ‘Become Richer, Work for Nothing’, our members will be given the ongoing training and support to ensure their placement is successful. The leadership skills and experience of influencing an organisation through holding these strategic positions will provide members with the attributes to go to become the managing partners and chief executives of Birmingham’s future.

Opportunities to get involved can be found on the Community Development section of the Birmingham Future website.

 

Darren Walker
Chairman of Birmingham Future