Start-up exhibition is sell-out success

April 19, 2012 - PRLog -- Over 150 budding entrepreneurs attended the event held at The Canalside Centre, Bridgwater, where advice and support was on hand to those wishing to pursue their dreams and start their own businesses in Somerset.

Already-successful entrepreneurs including Michael Eavis of Glastonbury Festival fame, Helen Lacey of Red Berry Recruitment, mumpreneur Helen Bristol of Skibz and David Baker from Styles Farmhouse Ice Cream all spoke at the event, sharing their personal experiences and expert business advice.

Rachel Sweet, the organiser of the exhibition, said, “The aim of the start-up exhibition was to inspire and motivate the people of Somerset to start their own businesses and we hope that they will take that leap, following the expert advice they received at the exhibition.

“With the recent announcement that unemployment levels in Somerset are at an all time high, we want to encourage and give confidence to those who face redundancy or can’t find a job. We wanted to show that another viable option is to create your own job – by starting a business here in Somerset.”

Pete Fairburn, Managing Director of Morphsites, was an exhibitor at the event and is an entrepreneur himself, having only started trading last June. He commented, “Setting up a business is scary, its hard work and it means long hours with no sleep! It has to be something you have the passion to drive forward, because nobody else is going to be more passionate about your business than you!

“The great thing about the start-up exhibition is that it brought together all of the key people you need to speak to when you want to set up a business and it doesn’t have the fear factor. I know that when I was starting out, I was worried that if you make an appointment to speak to someone, it’s going to cost a lot of money. This is a safe environment where people can get all the information they need without having to sign their life away!”

Sponsoring the Business Start-Up Exhibition was leading South West solicitors firm, Porter Dodson. Evelyn Adfield, Corporate Commercial Partner, said, "The event provided a valuable opportunity for those in the process of establishing a start up business to learn from the experiences of others and meet professionals who are able to advise on the needs of a new business.  Whilst it is an exciting time for budding entrepreneurs who are keen to bring their ideas to market, it is worth investing time at the outset to ensure that the business has been properly set up with appropriate contractual, trademark and design protections which will benefit both the individual and the brand in the long term."

One delegate attending the event was public sector worker Charlotte Day. Charlotte says, “I attended the exhibition because I am not sure how secure my current job is. I have had an idea for a business for a long time and the exhibition provided me with the perfect opportunity to develop my business idea, talk to some experts and see if I can turn my dream into reality!”

Nick Hancock, Partner at Albert Goodman Chartered Accountants, who exhibited at the event, had some useful advice for new businesses, “The first 12 months of a business are crucial and really set the scene for how successful the company can be. If you take the right advice in the early stages, it gives you the best chance of success in the future.

“Right at the beginning, a new business needs to invest time in researching the market thoroughly – make sure there is a market for the product or service and what price people are willing to pay for it. Developing the concept of the business is then key – have a great looking website and eye-catching marketing materials. Logistically, businesses need to register with the relevant local authorities at an early stage and they need to have an understanding of what business structure they want to adopt, for example as a self-employed person or as a limited company. It’s really important to get a good accountant you can trust and matters such as VAT registration and keeping accounts will happen automatically. What you don’t want is to get to the end of the first year of trading and have to go through 12 months’ of paperwork and receipts!”

The Business Start-Up Exhibition was organised by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce as part of its Business Start-Up Programme and was supported by local businesses through sponsorship and exhibitors at the event.