01 October 2008
Hitting the Big Time
Business Link Northwest is hosting a groundbreaking event aimed
at harnessing the business success of the region’s African
Caribbean Business Community. ‘Hitting the Big Time’ will
feature renowned entrepreneur Levi Roots and controversial author
Dr Chika Onyeani, among other high profile speakers. Hosted
by broadcaster and businesswoman Juliet Alexander, the event will
take place on Wednesday 8 October at The Citizen’s Suite in the
City of Manchester Stadium.
The conference will draw on the experiences of a panel of
inspirational Asian business people, who will demonstrate how
members of the Asian community support each other in business,
while a powerful line-up of prominent African and Caribbean
entrepreneurs will reveal the stories behind their own
success.
Ultimately, the event will consider how, by working in
collaboration, the African Caribbean Business Community can
flourish and reach its multi million pound potential. Both
panels consist of high calibre success stories, including Dr Nighat
Awan OBE, Chief Executive of the Shere Khan Group, and popular
Dragons’ Den contestant and renowned founder of Reggae Reggae
Sauce, Levi Roots.
The keynote speech will be delivered by Dr Chika Onyeani,
Editor-in-Chief of the African Sun Times and author of the
contentious book ‘Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success’.
The book acts as a wake up call, asserting that the black race is a
consumer race rather than a productive one. It goes on to
suggest that African and Caribbean businesses should foster
collective partnerships and work together to generate a
self-reliant culture, thereby attracting wealth to their
economies. His speech will present a positive and
motivational message to African and Caribbean businesses, reminding
them that everything is possible.
During the event, Peter Watson, Managing Director of Business
Link Northwest, will highlight the business support that is
available to African and Caribbean businesses in the
Northwest.
Peter says; “This event is a great chance for local companies,
business start-ups and pre start-ups, to come along and pick up
some useful information and plenty of inspiration. There is a
host of new and growing business owners with an African Caribbean
background, and this ‘Hitting the Big Time’ event has been designed
specifically with them in mind. Research commissioned by the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA)* shows that a
staggering 47% of the Northwest’s African Caribbean working
population expect to start a business within the next three years,
and we are hoping that this event will help to boost the number of
success stories. It provides an opportunity to come along and
listen to quality speakers, as well as benefiting from the expert
knowledge of the high profile business people on the panels.
In addition, it’s an opportunity to gain an understanding of the
free-to-use and impartial support that Business Link Northwest can
offer to aid their ambitions for business formation and
growth.”
With the event doubling up as the launch of an exciting new
project that is about to get underway, Marilyn Comrie, Chief
Executive at LeaderGen, will go on to explain how businesses can
get involved with the scheme.
Marilyn explains; “This event comes at the right time, as we are
about to launch the African Caribbean Business Accelerator
Programme which aims to kickstart the Black economy in the
North. The programme will help to arm the African Caribbean
business community with the correct commercial tools to win
business. This Hitting the Big Time event will offer those
with an African or Caribbean background the chance to hear how
others have made a success of their business and how, with the
right support and direction, they can follow in their
footsteps.”
The event is free to attend, but places are limited so early
booking is advisable. To find out more about the event or to
book a place, please call the Business Link Northwest events team
on 01772 790 154 email events@businesslinknw.co.uk
or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest/events
-Ends-
Press enquiries to:
The Write Angle on 01772 250505
Laura Hutchings laura@writeanglepr.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
* The Basline For Enterprise report was commissioned by the NWDA
and published in May 2008,
Business Link Northwest is an impartial business support and
information service, available to businesses and individuals in the
Northwest.
The service is completely free to use and can be accessed via
the telephone, online, or face-to-face for more in-depth
support.
It provides relevant up-to-date information on business issues
such as starting or expanding a business, managing people,
marketing, finance, technology and exporting.
Regional Development Agencies across the UK assumed full
responsibility for the management of the Business Link service in
the regions from the Small Business Service in April 2005.
The new one-stop regional Business Link service (Business Link
Northwest), managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency
(NWDA), replaced five sub-regional Business Link organisations on
2nd April 2007.
The NWDA leads the economic development and regeneration of
England's Northwest and is responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life