By Jackie Mathers, the Dean of York St John Business School
It is not always easy to see the complete picture of how much fantastic work is going on in and around your local area to get start-ups off the ground and keep existing businesses growing.
The city of York is no exception and that is why York Business Week, which has been taking place this week, matters so much to the city and region. By bringing together business and public sector leaders, support providers, entrepreneurs and students with a series of great events in a single week in November, we have the rare opportunity to inspire, advise and celebrate all that’s great about doing business in York.
Just like Global Entrepreneurship Week UK, it’s all about focus. We can’t ignore the current uncertain economic conditions that are challenging even the most successful global businesses, but there is so much positive work being done that we must find time to showcase this locally and regionally and give it the recognition it deserves.
York continues to thrive relatively speaking and that’s not achieved by accident. We have a superb network of support organisations in the city, including the universities Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber and City of York Council, and a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit that gives us the ideal platform from which to grow further. And we work hard to ensure established businesses and those starting up know about the valuable support and expertise that will help them succeed.
The positivity that York Business Week brings is vital in inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs. The importance of this cannot be understated as start-up businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, the city’s future employers and the wealth creators that benefit the whole of society.
The Yorkshire Association of Business Angels Forum which York St John Business School hosted on Tuesday evening was one of a number of events designed to open up new funding opportunities as well as provide practical skills, inspiration and vision. This event enabled a number of promising York entrepreneurs to introduce their business opportunities to an audience of people comprising business angel investors, associate members and intermediaries from the professional community.
York Business Week’s focus is also on the sectors in which York currently excels to ensure the city strengthens its position and remains at the top of its game in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Tourism is one such sector and this year’s Annual Tourism Futures Conference, which York St John Business School also hosted on the Tuesday of York Business Week, was as fascinating as ever as experts gathered to debate how York makes the most of international inbound tourism, the biggest prize in tourism.
More information on the support for entrepreneurs available from York St John Business School can be found at www.yorksj.ac.uk.
Great to sit next to you Jackie at The Press Awards last night. Plenty to celebrate in the city. But much more to do. From a personal perspective, it’d be great to see enterprise higher up the agenda in local schools, making business week increasingly inclusive.