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How One Entrepreneur Went From Running A Struggling Startup, To Helping Industry Leaders

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The Industry Leaders is quickly gaining recognition from entrepreneurs the world over. Co-Founder, Rob Barratt explains how.

“This started out almost by accident”.

Those are the words of The Industry Leaders Co-Founder, Rob Barratt, whenever he’s asked how his company became a trusted source of business-building tips for entrepreneurs across the globe.

Starting out in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Industry Leaders was originally intended to be a place for leading lights in the construction and architecture industries to share their experiences. However, the site quickly became popular among entrepreneurs, executives, and freelancers across a range of different industries, who were eager to share their knowledge.

In just two years, the site has gone from a niche blog to a knowledge base of interviews with business influencers, Silicon Valley CEOs, and thought leadership content from business owners across the globe.

However, when he and Co-Founder Kacey Tsang created the site, it was intended to be just an add-on to an online marketplace Rob had set up. “I had a brilliant idea for an online marketplace in the construction industry, but I’d never run an online business before, and it launched just as the first lockdowns were beginning to bite. I spent thousands of dollars advertising online, and not one penny of it brought me any sales. I knew there had to be a better way, so I began to explore how I could grow my network while helping other people in the process.”

It was then that, by chance, Rob was invited to do an interview by an old contact and share his experience of running and selling his previous business.

“I was blown away by the response I got to sharing that interview. People responded in a way they hadn’t to my other online posts, and it was amazing how many old (and new!) contacts reached out. People were genuinely interested in my journey and what I was doing now.

And that’s when I had the idea for The Industry Leaders”.

Rob knew that if he was receiving such a positive response to his own interview, he could help other business owners in the same way.

“​I knew if getting interviewed could help me, it could definitely help other business leaders. Especially entrepreneurs who aim to promote their services on a national or global level, where spending money on ads can be prohibitively expensive. It would also act as a knowledge-base for sharing tips from entrepreneurs who’d already overcome challenges and built successful businesses.”

One look through their featured interviews provides insights from business influencers, to Silicon Valley CEOs, and female-owned startups. Notable entrepreneurs who’ve been featured include Kara Goldin, Founder of Hint Water, Jen Dulski, former Google, YaHoo, and Facebook communities expert, and Julian Sarafian, a Harvard law graduate turned Tik Tok Influencer.

“One of my favorite interviews was with Nancy Duarte of Duarte Inc – one of Silicon Valley’s most famous communications agencies. Nancy’s story of how she and her husband built the company from scratch was amazing and I loved her explanation of whether great design or great copy is more important for startups.”

The Industry Leaders quickly became Rob’s focus, eclipsing his marketplace in terms of its ability to help a wider range of entrepreneurs and executives.

“I remember when we published our 100th interview in just a few months, thinking ‘this is crazy’, but it just shows how much appetite there is within the global business community to come together and help each other out.”

The Industry Leaders has since added free Masterclasses in order to help entrepreneurs learn the skills they need to grow and thrive in the post-covid world, as well as providing a podcast booking service.

Their target going forward?

“Ultimately, it’s all about helping as many business leaders as we can. So we want to make The Industry Leaders the go-to source of as much free, high-quality, knowledge as possible for entrepreneurs and business leaders the world over. ”

Manchester law firm helps combat digital poverty with donation of 85 PCs

Slater Heelis Solicitors, which has offices in Manchester, Sale, and Timperley, is helping to combat digital poverty in Greater Manchester by donating eighty-five computers to nine schools which are part of local Multi-Academy Trust Consilium Academies.

The computers, provided entirely free of charge by Slater Heelis, will allow Consilium Academies to equip the equivalent of three full IT suites across its schools in Salford, Gateshead, Darlington, Sunderland, and Doncaster, which is a welcome gift at a time when costs are increasing.

David Clayton, Chief Executive at Consilium Academies, said:

“We can’t thank Slater Heelis enough for this kind donation, which will go a long way in supporting our children across all nine of our schools. Every child should have the same opportunities when it comes to technology. This donation will enable us to further improve how we enable all our students to access the essential IT skills they need to develop in the current digital age.

“This partnership with Slater Heelis is also very much in line with our focus on sustainability. It is wonderful to see these computers going to fantastic use, rather than going to landfill.”

The donation also comes at a time when the Digital Poverty Alliance estimates that more than a quarter of young people (26%) lack suitable access to either a laptop or computer.

Paul Doyle, Head of IT at Slater Heelis, said:

“Access to computers and the internet is of vital importance for young people in school and at home today. A vast majority of careers require digital skills, and more and more of everyday life is conducted online too so to learn those skills and being IT literate has never been more important.

“At the same time, there are many children growing up without the access to such technology and that could leave them at a major disadvantage on their learning and ability to stay on track right from the start; so to donate these fully functioning computer towers is very rewarding for us as a family focused firm of solicitors. We are familiar with the work of Consilium Academies and know they will put them to good use.”

Paul added: “Finding a new home for our PCs not only helps young people learn digital skills, but it’s about the greenest way to handle old technology so we’re also playing our part in creating a more sustainable future for them, too.”

Virgin Media O2 launches Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) digital inclusion pilot in Wythenshawe

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Mike Kane MP and Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, GMCA Lead, Education Skills, Work & Apprenticeships, Digital, have met with a team of Virgin Media O2 and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) staff, who are delivering a cross-city region pilot in Greater Manchester aimed at tackling digital exclusion.

The pilot, running in Mr Kane’s Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency, is part of a broader programme of work to help people who are digitally excluded get online across the region which is being led by the GMCA. The pilot’s ambition is to increase the number of social housing residents with digital connectivity and skills, and to create a blueprint that can be used across the rest of the UK.

Members from Virgin Media O2 and WCHG spoke about how they’re working together to create an engagement programme tailored to WCHG tenants’ needs to help increase awareness and uptake of Virgin Media O2’s dedicated plans to support people who are experiencing financial difficulty. These packages offer affordable, unlimited broadband connectivity from £12.50 a month to those on Universal Credit. Throughout the pilot, the business is proactively reaching out to residents that would benefit from this service as well as providing support through the sign-up process.

Virgin Media O2 Business’ Connect More Programme

As part of the visit, Mr Kane MP and Cllr O’Brien also met with Virgin Media O2 Business employees who are volunteering their time as part of the Connect More programme, to help build digital skills and confidence via ‘drop-in’ sessions run by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group for residents.

With more than five million people in the UK unable to carry out simple online tasks using the internet, the sessions are designed to provide a friendly community where volunteers support others with everyday digital tasks such as sending emails, booking a doctor’s appointment, or staying in touch with friends online.

Virgin Media O2 employees are given the opportunity to take five paid annual days to volunteer and help communities in their area.

So far, more than 25 employees have volunteered through Virgin Media O2 Business’ Connect More Programme, volunteering a total of more than 120 hours.

National Databank in Wythenshawe

In addition to broadband, Virgin Media O2 (in partnership with the Good Things Foundation) founded the National Databank which provides free mobile data, texts and calls to people in need through more than 650 community organisations across the UK.

Mike Kane MP heard the difference that it’s having in his constituency, where Benchill Community Centre is signed up. So far, in Greater Manchester alone more than 8,500 SIMs has been given away through the programme.

Nicola Green, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re working hand in hand with the WCHG to make this digital inclusion pilot a success in Wythenshawe – and it’s been great to show Mike and Eamonn the difference it’s already making to the local community.

“Whether it’s through our support in getting residents connected through Essential Broadband, running Virgin Media O2 Business’ Connect More programme to help more people gain online skills or gifting free data through the National Databank, we’re acting on our commitment to making connectivity accessible to everyone.”

Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said: “Connectivity is a major part of modern life, but for many people it can feel out of reach – which is why it’s been fantastic to hear how Virgin Media O2 and WCHG are working together to increase digital inclusion here in my constituency.

“With the pilot only just beginning, I look forward to hearing how it progresses over time in Wythenshawe and beyond.”

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, GMCA Lead, Education Skills, Work & Apprenticeships, Digital, said: “As a world-leading digital city-region, we need to empower our people to benefit from the opportunity digital brings, like having the ability to get online and access public services confidently and safely and be able to do so affordably. This pilot is a gamechanger in exploring what responsible business means in a digital age and how we can work together cross sector to ensure no one is left behind.

In March 2020, Virgin Media Business partnered with the GMCA to connect over 1,500 public sector sites across the region with 2,700km of new fibreoptic broadband infrastructure as part of the UK’s largest public sector Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) programme. This has included over 150 children’s centres, 97 school sites and 70 libraries.

The deal also included a number of bold investments in social value initiatives that support Greater Manchester’s Digital Blueprint and help tackle digital exclusion across the region. These initiatives included providing full fibre broadband free of charge to 21 community sites.

The programme has also provided significant social and economic benefits in the region. This includes exceeding GMCA’s local employment target, with an average 78% of the LFFN workforce based in Greater Manchester – bringing £19.7m-worth of economic value to the local area (direct and indirect) in just two years. Since the programme began, Virgin Media Business has also taken on 38 new Greater Manchester-based apprentices, running ahead of the original apprenticeship targets it set at launch.

Six & Flow wins multiple projects with Canada-based Rafflebox

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Six & Flow – the Manchester-headquartered growth agency – has won several projects with Canadian-based Rafflebox whose technology helps charities and not-for-profits raise more funds for their causes through online and in-person raffles.

Rafflebox is an online technology platform that allows charities of any size to run online and in-person raffle programs with reduced administrative work. Rafflebox works as an extension of its clients’ fundraising teams and provides hands-on support – from guiding through the regulatory process, providing a designed custom raffle webpage and full checkout flow for ticket purchasers.

The first project, which was won via a non-competitive pitch, included Six & Flow delivering a comprehensive data mapping workshop and HubSpot optimisation strategy. This project ensured that Rafflebox’s available data on HubSpot is fully maximised to drive sales and ensure that the Rafflebox customer process was optimized to make it seamless to run an online raffle.

The second and complementary element of the deal will see Six & Flow provide ongoing growth inbound marketing support.

Historically, Rafflebox has relied primarily on organic inbound lead generation. However, as part of its ambitious expansion plans, the business is now pivoting its focus towards a more proactive and tactical strategy which Six & Flow will help to drive.

Rich Wood, managing director of Six & Flow, said: “Rafflebox is a leader in its field so we are delighted to be working with them on multiple fronts. Our deep understanding of the Canadian consumer eco-system, coupled with our ability to unleash the potential of HubSpot will, I’m sure, be a game-changer and will help turbo charge Rafflebox’s reach.”

Simon Cusack, Chief Operating Office at Rafflebox, commented: “We knew from the get-go that Six & Flow understood us and what we wanted to achieve. We are now looking forward to seeing the commercial value being added to our business from our engagement with them.”

Manchester engineering talent discovered at Siemens hackathon

A Manchester student has been offered a career opportunity with Siemens after showcasing her engineering talent at a 48-hour engineering hackathon.

Alejandra Francisco, 21, was part of a team who came runners-up in the Sir William Siemens Challenge, which has been designed to identify the emerging engineering talent from across the UK and give young people a taste of what it is to work for a leading technology company.

She is studying a BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering at the University of Manchester.

Alejandra was one of 70 students from 27 UK universities who came together to build and programme a unique mechanical/electrical device which brought to life data from Mindsphere, Siemens’ industrial cloud-based operating system.

She was part of Team Vectron which created a miniature version of the competition space with model ‘people’ that lit up to represent increased footfall and carbon dioxide levels, an LED array which changed depending on carbon monoxide levels, and a rotating display to show the time of day.

As runners-up the team have been offered access to internship or graduate opportunities with Siemens’ Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, and Mobility businesses.

Alejandra said: “It was an unmissable experience. It not only enabled me to get an insight into what Siemens is like but allowed me to further develop existing skills, including problem solving and more technical skills such as soldering and dealing with machines.

“It was challenging and an experience that put me outside my comfort zone, however it was necessary to make me realise the different avenues there are in the field of STEM. It was enlightening and encouraging the participants to be very involved with one another despite not having met before and having different ways of thinking. I would recommend anyone with the chance to apply to give it a shot because you will take with you a lot of valuable knowledge and connections.”

Amelia Donaldson, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist for Siemens, said: “Now in its fifth year the Sir William Siemens Challenge has become an extraordinary annual showcase of the engineering and digital talent emerging from UK universities.

“Having moved the competition online during the pandemic, we were delighted to return to an in-person event again.

“We are excited to be able to offer so many young people the opportunity to start their rewarding career with Siemens.”

Commenting on behalf of the judges, Colin Morris, Siemens Mobility’s Lead Development Engineering Manager, said: “The judges were blown away by the standard of the competition and the range of innovation on display throughout the weekend.

“There was a clear demonstration of adaptability, collaboration and problem-solving skills from across the teams.”

For details on all Siemens’ early careers opportunities including internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes visit https://siemens.co.uk/earlycareers

Relax and reflect over the busy festive period in ‘The Waiting Place’ at NOMA

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Manchester city centre neighbourhood NOMA is welcoming people to find some quiet time amongst the noise of the festive period and visit ‘The Waiting Place’ installation.  

Throughout December, ‘The Waiting Place’ offers a city centre haven and a moment to relax and reflect in the centre of a black pine tree glade of light and sound. 

In line with NOMA’s commitment to being a community-led neighbourhood, it is inviting visitors to collaborate with the concept. People are invited to take a moment to ponder what they are waiting for over the Christmas period – whether that may be for the big day itself, the snow, the days to get longer or the New Year. These reflections of the city’s mood will grow throughout the month in an ever-changing public art piece.  

As part of NOMA’s sustainable approach to development, no part of this installation is single use. The six pine trees are on loan from its on-site tree nursery that was born from the PlantNOMA initiative and will be returned in the New Year where they will continue to be nurtured before being planted in their permanent home in the public realm.  

Curated by Standard Practice, ‘The Waiting Place’ will be open from 8th December through to the New Year. 

To celebrate the idea of patience and mindfulness during the festive season, NOMA will also be hosting a free to attend ‘Slow Giving’ event across Sadler’s Yard and New Century on December 15th, 12-2pm and 4-7pm.   

Visitors are invited to make and buy seasonal gifts that takes a little time, with a series of mindful festive makers workshops including gardening, print making, pottery, metal work and cookery. There will also be free treats to look forward to from NOMA residents New Century and Pot Kettle Black.  

Dan Hyde, Development Director at real estate asset manager and developer MEPC, said: “Christmas can be overwhelming at times as people feel the pressure to get everything prepared and organised, with very little opportunity to reflect and relax. That’s why we’re offering people a moment to get away from the chaos and look back on 2022 or consider their hopes for the future. 

“Being a community-led neighbourhood, NOMA is welcoming all members of the public to visit the installation, take a moment to catch their breath and collaborate with us as we look to grow this public art exhibition.” 

Successful year for DTZ Investors with 5 lettings at King Street

DTZ Investors has announced a successful year at retail and leisure destination, King Street in Manchester city-centre following a raft of lettings throughout 2022.

Five brands have committed to leases at the iconic shopping district with over 7,000 sq ft of space let during 2022.

This has included new lettings to Clarks Originals, French restaurant and deli, Petit Paris, restaurateur Steve Pilling’s coffee shop, Parlour, retailer, Edit Suits Co. and pizza restaurant Franco Manca.

The street also announced record-breaking footfall figures with a 51% increase in one year, the highest figure King Street has recorded since DTZ Investors became majority landlord.

DTZ Investors has also continued implementing a wider activation and ESG strategy, offering vacant units to global brands such as Maison Margiela, Alexander McQueen and The Pop-Up Club and supporting local businesses providing a platform for brands to utilise.

Work also began on the new residential scheme at 58-66 King Street which will see 24 1–3-bedroom apartments built in former vacant office space. The landlord has invested circa £5 million into the scheme which is set to complete during Q4 2023.

The scheme will include a new entrance and ancillary space at ground and basement level with a cycle store and plant areas. The upper floors will be converted into residential accommodation. New mechanical and electrical services will be installed, including a new lift.

Tom Royston, director at DTZ Investors, said: “As we enter our fifth year since taking over King Street, we are really seeing our vision come to life. We wanted to provide a destination where people can not only have fantastic shopping experiences, but also find great food and soon a wider residential offering.

“We have a number of announcements in the pipeline for 2023 which will further strengthen the current offering at King Street.”

Jonathan Thompson, owner of Lyon Thompson Letts said: “We have seen some incredible brands commit to King Street over the last year and it’s great to see the street is 90% let.

Several lettings are currently in the pipeline and set to be released in the coming weeks alongside a packed events schedule which is set to kick off in early 2023.

DTZ became a majority stakeholder of King Street in 2018 and has since worked to reposition the street to bring forward one of Manchester’s most creative and culture-focused city centre areas. The ambitious growth strategy has seen collaborations with global brands as well as increased flexibility for the street’s commercial tenants.

King Street is home to an array of luxury, recognised brands including The White Company, TAST, El Gato Negro, and Boodles.

Lyon Thompson Letts and Orme are joint leasing agents on King Street.

Local Manchester Business Partners With Innovative IT Support Provider To Assist Thousands Of UK SMEs

Business Stack has now officially integrated NerdApp into their intuitive support platform in a new partnership which will aid thousands of small business owners.

A NEW PARTNERSHIP formed between Business Stack and NerdApp will bring a whole new level of support to thousands of businesses across the UK.

Business Stack currently provides 40,000+ UK businesses with inclusive support services covering accountancy, legal and HR, IT technical support, eLearning and financial planning.

In a bid to boost the range of their services and make life easier for all their clients, Business Stack has teamed up with IT support professionals NerdApp, who offer 24/7 worldwide, instant remote support and scheduled on-site support within just a few clicks.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Business Stack,” says Caitlin McGregor, NerdApp CMO. “SMEs need IT help now more than ever with rising costs and the global talent shortage. IT is a key pillar to building a successful business and we make it easy for Business Stack’s clients to get support when they need it, ensuring that everything IT is managed efficiently.”

Victoria Tilsley, Chief Operating Officer at Business Stack, said: “We are thrilled to announce our brand new partnership with NerdApp! NerdApp is home to 2,500+ ‘Remote Nerds’ all over the world and 1,500+ ‘On-Site Nerds’ for our clients to utilise!. Not only that, but they also boast an impressive 99.3% of resolutions and have an average response time of just one minute! With NerdApp now firmly integrated into Business Stack, it has never been easier to access IT support. We can’t wait to see where this new venture will take us in the future!”

Founded in 2014, Business Stack has worked tirelessly to connect small businesses with professional services and commercial resources through the use of machine learning and AI.

They operate out of Manchester, where Victoria and her team has developed Business Stack into the easy-to-roll-out, complete professional services solution for SMEs it is today.

Victoria said: “We have created something truly special with Business Stack! Our aim has and always will be to help small businesses grow and prosper. So, with a partnership like the one we’ve announced today with NerdApp, we can achieve exactly that!”

For more information, please visit either businessstack.pro or nerdapp.com.

Six figure funding supports fast growth for Manchester sports nutrition platform, KBF Enterprises

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KBF Enterprises, one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition platforms, has secured a £750,000 investment to support future growth.

The funding has been provided by NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF). The loan will further boost the growth of the business in the UK and internationally by providing access to working capital to expand their factory, increase new stock lines and ultimately help to create jobs.

KBF Enterprises was established in 2008 by Managing Director Kieran Fisher from his bedroom. Today KBF Enterprises operates from its premises at Trafford Park and is a £24m turnover business, employing over 80 people. The company owns and operates 7 innovative and highly unique sports nutrition brands which are available in 6 continents and over 25 countries. These are Warrior®, Warrior Princess, Bodybuilding Warehouse®, Sports Fuel®, TANKED®, The Bulk Protein Company® and Protein Café.

KBF Enterprises has achieved 50% annual growth for each of the last 4 years in a row. It has established a very successful Business to Business as well as additional retail Business to Consumer channels that ship 37,000 orders per month to 300,000 registered retail customers, as well as supplying major UK & international retailers like ASDA.

Kieran Fisher, Managing Director KBF Enterprises said: “We’re extremely happy to work with both FW Capital and Adam. They were fantastic to work with and support further growth of our incredible business, which is on track to achieve our target of £100m in annual sales by 2026. Someone now eats a Warrior® protein bar every 3 seconds in the UK – and FW Capital’s support will enable us to further scale up our manufacturing facilities, enabling us to make 54 million bars annually in-house.”

The deal was facilitated by FW Capital Investment Executive Adam Husband following an introduction from Ben Day at Cowgills.

Adam Husband, Investment Executive at FW Capital, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to lend £750,000 to a high growth and extremely profitable North West business.  I have been impressed by Kieran’s entrepreneurial approach, drive and ambition which has resulted in great success. This investment will help the business significantly increase production capacity, thus fulfilling a key purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund – to boost SME growth in the North.”

Sean Hutchinson at the British Business Bank, said: “The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is unlocking the North’s growth potential by supporting growing businesses like KBF Enterprises with significant investment. Access to finance is a vital tool for regional businesses to fulfil their growth potential and create new, local job opportunities.”

FW Capital provides loans of £100,000 to £750,000 to businesses based in the NPIF region with a focus on the North West, Cumbria and Tees Valley.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

SLATER HEELIS PROMOTES RHIAN OWEN TO HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMERCIAL

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Full-service law firm Slater Heelis has promoted Rhian Owen to Head of Corporate Commercial – the department she first joined as an associate in 2014.

Rhian’s recent promotion is the culmination of a track record of success advising on acquisitions and disposals, private equity transactions, company reorganisations and joint ventures. Notably, she was instrumental in last year’s flotation of emerging biotech BiVictriX onto the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. She had previously guided the cancer therapeutics business through its funding rounds on the journey to the listing.

Simon Wallwork, the previous head of the department, will continue to focus on client work. Simon recently completed sales of Incom CNS Limited, Sun Valley Caravan Park, Sunny Sands Holiday Park, KMP Associates and HL Healthcare. In addition, he will be appointed to the Board of Slater Heelis and continue to work on the firm’s strategic plans, business development and client relationships in sectors such as life sciences and tech.

He comments:

“Rhian and I have worked together for a very long time and the decision to appoint her at the head of this department was an easy one to make, given the reputation she has cemented for herself and for Slater Heelis. The BiVictriX transaction is a perfect example of her specialist expertise in the life sciences sector – plus she has a long history of advising start-ups from early stage to funding rounds, R&D, commercialisation and exit.”

Rhian Owen adds:

“My plan for the new-look Corporate Commercial team at Slater Heelis is to set ourselves ambitious growth targets for 2023, not least with life sciences clients. We are equally at home working in academia and big pharma, and we know the legislative landscape and nuances of such markets inside and out.”