Start-up boost for North Staffordshire as new event targets the next generation of business leaders

The upturn in the North Staffordshire economy appears to be gathering pace after a leading business support organisation announced it had helped 66 budding entrepreneurs start new companies in the first six weeks of 2010.

Business Link West Midlands, which provides expert advice and guidance to start-ups and established businesses, has also seen a 30% rise in the number of people looking to launch firms compared to this time last year, offering initial advice to a further 2000 individuals from Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands.

These figures come on the eve of ‘An Audience with Sháá Wasmund’ at the Britannia Hotel on March 11th. The event, which is supported by Barclays Bank, is the latest in a series aimed at new businesses.

One of the UK’s leading female entrepreneurs will talk to 30 owners about how they can take their companies forward and will answer questions on sales and marketing, brand positioning, the power of the internet and growing into new markets.

She will also provide an insight into her own career, which has ranged from promoting the Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn fight at just 22 years-old to helping James Dyson knock Hoover off their consumer pedestal and her latest venture with one-stop start-up advice specialist www.smarta.com

Guy Power, Events Manager at Business Link West Midlands, picked up the story:

“We have seen a really encouraging increase in the number of people not only looking to start their own business, but in those taking the idea and turning it into commercial reality.

“This event is aimed at new business owners to give them chance to listen to and quiz one of the UK’s most progressive entrepreneurs, network with like-minded business people and tap into the latest support offers by talking to our experienced advisers.”

A graduate of The London School of Economics, Sháá’s entrepreneurial career had an unusual start when an interview with World Champion Boxer Chris Eubank led to her promoting and organising the biggest ever UK fight, with a live audience of 48,000 and a further 18 million people watching it from home.

This enterprise bug flourished with her PR and marketing company winning high profile contracts with James Dyson, before a chance meeting with Sir Bob Geldof saw her become a founding director of travel company www.deckchair.com

Sháá - recently voted by Management Today as one of the top 35 Female Entrepreneurs under the age of 35 - now runs www.smarta.com, a new support platform where business owners can connect, learn and ‘do’ business.

She believes it is unique because it delivers real-time access to 1000s of people running businesses, including access to live professional advice from lawyers, accountants and other services providers free of charge.

“I’m delighted to be working with Business Link on delivering this interactive session with new businesses,” explained Sháá

She concluded: “North Staffordshire has a rich creative heritage and the more we can do to harness these traits and support new entrepreneurs and the business leaders of tomorrow the better.”

‘An audience with Sháá Wasmund’ is free of charge and starts at 5.30pm on March 11th at the Britannia Hotel. Places are limited, so please register your attendance by contacting events@businesslinkwm.co.uk