Festival of Enterprise to boost Greater Manchester’s self-employed economy
12 April 2024
A brand-new event, demonstrating the potential for self-employed people to revolutionise the local economy and their own finances is coming to Manchester next month.
An economic study by IPSE found that an increase of the number of self-employed people from 2022 to 2023 added an extra £53 billion to the UK economy*. But despite nearly 10% of economically active people in the UK being self-employed, they often find it hard to access relevant business support.
GM Business Growth Hub’s Festival of Enterprise is helping address the imbalance.
Taking place on Wednesday 13th June, 9.30am to 3pm at the vibrant New Century venue in the heart of Manchester City Centre, the event is a celebration of start-ups, self-employment and entrepreneurship, proudly championing Greater Manchester as the ultimate destination for launching and expanding your business.
EnterprisingYou is hosting the event. EnterprisingYou has helped over 3000 entrepreneurs and small businesses and helped create £13.6M of revenue across Greater Manchester since 2020.
“It’s not easy being self-employed or owning a small business. But the national picture shows that encouraging and supporting those looking to go it alone has a real benefit to the economy. This country has long been built by entrepreneurs and small businesses who, they are the foundation on which our success is built.
“That’s why I’m really excited to be bringing the Festival of Enterprise to Greater Manchester, not only to celebrate what we’ve done so far but to support and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.” - Yvonne Sampson, Head of Enterprise at GM Business Growth Hub
We are bringing their expertise to create an immersive experience featuring a diverse lineup of inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, and an array of vendors and stalls showcasing innovative products and services in a unique festival atmosphere.
This event is tailor-made for start-ups, founders, entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and anyone seeking business inspiration and support.
There will be a wide range of speakers at the event with experience across multiple industries and scale. Lucy Noone- Blake, Co-founder Pear Comms and Club De Padel took part in Festival of Enterprise in 2022.
“It was brilliant to be part of the first Festival of Enterprise and I’m excited to be joining the speaker line up at the second. So much has changed in the business landscape since 2022 and we’ve since launched a whole new business. I can’t wait to connect and hear from other exciting businesses from across GM.”
New to the event is Kit Muir-Rogers, Co-founder Manchester based software company GigPig UK
“There’s nowhere else in the world we would have wanted to start and scale GigPig. The Community, the ambition and collaboration in GM is unrivalled. The Festival of Enterprise is going to be a real celebration of all that’s brilliant about doing business in GM and we can’t wait to be part of it.”
Attendees will have the chance to connect with like-minded individuals in a relaxed, enjoyable setting that diverges from the formalities of traditional business conferences. Our event isn't just about networking; it's a chance to foster connections in an atmosphere designed to inspire and uplift.
You can register now to attend the event - Festival of Enterprise | GM Business Growth Hub
“GM Business Growth has a unique history of helping start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs succeed in Greater Manchester for over 10 years.
“But since launching our dedicated support, EnterprisingYou in 2020 it’s really shown the massive need for more support for our self-employed residents. So much so, that current success metrics from Greater Manchester-based completers show that if rolled out nationally, EnterprisingYou could potentially increase self-employed business revenues by £136m and profits by £50m, across a two-year period.
“The Festival of Enterprise will be a great day to bring us all together to celebrate, learn and reflect on the importance of our self-employed economy” Janine Smith, Director of GM Business Growth Hub.