Another successful A Blast! Business Networking event at Maidstone TV Studios

This year’s A Blast! business networking event boasted an incredible mix of exhibition space for Kent’s young business owners who showcased their businesses at Maidstone TV Studios. A buzz hit the studios as they networked with their peers and gave the opportunity for the business community of Kent to see and hear the stories behind their successful businesses supported by The Kent Foundation.

This year over 200 people attended for the event and nearly 40 businesses were on show with an eclectic mix of products and services ranging from cookies, kart racing, wedding dresses right through to gluten free chocolate.

Gemma Keith owner of Gemma Keith Designs had this to say about this year’s event:

Gemma Keith Designs“Wow! what an evening I had at the A Blast! event at Maidstone Studios. An inspiring space to hold all kinds of local talent, and business entrepreneurs. A huge thank you to The Kent Foundation for organising such a bubbly and exciting event where you are able to meet all kinds of people. I received so many helpful ideas and positive feedback from people who are whole-heartedly there to help you and want to see you and your business grow. I truly cannot wait until next year’s event to see how everyone has grown! Thank you.”

Our charity is recognised as the go-to place for Kent’s young people in business to receive support to grow their business. This is reliant on our volunteer business mentoring service where business people from across Kent volunteer their time to support Kent’s young business owners to achieve in business. Stuart Tanton, Director of Kent Foundation expands further on the event and business support services:

‘In my first year with the Kent Foundation as Director I am immensely proud of the success of A Blast! 2018. All of the exhibitors are inspirational young business people who are really showing that business is very much alive and well in Kent. Without exception, all of the stands looked amazing, and the professionalism we are seeing is really something we are genuinely excited about. The future of business in Kent looks good! This year’s event has been a real showcase for our charity and Kent’s young people in business. I’d like to extend a special mention to our volunteer business mentors that give up so much time in supporting them.’

The Kent Foundation has ambitious plans for the future in creating a vibrant business community led by young people. Over the last year we have seen an increase in new businesses taking up our offer of business support, and we need to keep this momentum going to reflect the excitement they have, energy they bring, and celebrating the achievements they make.

Check out the photos and videos from the event below:

Thank you to Rose Bainbridge Photography for the photos check her out at www.rosebainbridgephotography.com

Credit – Rose Bainbridge Photography – www.rosebainbridgephotography.comA Blast! 'Probably The Best Business…

Posted by The Kent Foundation on Thursday, 17 May 2018

Thank you to AM Marketing for this video showcase

Thanks to Corralex Media for the video below

Leading Business Mentoring Charity in Kent Appoints Two Young Trustees

Leading Business Mentoring Charity in Kent Appoints Two Young Trustees

The Kent Foundation a leading business mentoring charity in Kent welcomes two young entrepreneurial Trustees to its board. As a charity that specialises in providing free business mentoring to ambitious young business owners aged 30 and under in Kent it is important that this is represented on the board.

The two newly appointed Trustees are Pip Lawrence, Co-Founder of DayOne Wellness, an outdoor personal training and wellbeing company who coach people into the best shape of their lives both mentally and physically. The other is Piperis Filippaios, Managing Director of DigitalBeans, a results driven digital marketing agency based in Canterbury delivering search and social marketing campaigns for clients internationally. He also runs two ecommerce companies sending out thousands of parcels every year internationally.

Julian Kirkness, Chairman of The Kent Foundation was delighted to welcome the two new Trustees.

“We are delighted to welcome Pip Lawrence and Piperis Filippaios to the board of Trustees. The Foundation’s main audience are the inspirational young business people of Kent – and although those of us who were once young have a lot to give in terms of time, knowledge and experience, it is very important that we also understand their needs and aspirations. Pip and Piperis will bring this perspective to the board, both being successful young business people in their own right, as well as former beneficiaries of our services. Their impact is already being felt following the first Trustees meeting of 2018.”

Pip Lawrence, Co-Founder of Day One Wellness speaks of her positive experience in business and as a user of the charitable services of the Foundation:

“I was delighted and honoured to be appointed as a young trustee of The Kent Foundation. From a personal point of view, I feel incredibly lucky to have discovered the Kent Foundation when I did. I can honestly say my company DayOne Wellness wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is today without their support. Due to this, I am fiercely passionate about ensuring other aspiring entrepreneurs and ‘young’ growth businesses have access to the support and mentorship that has the potential to dramatically grow Kent’s economy and facilitate positive sustainable change in the County and beyond.”

Piperis Filippaios gives us insight in to how he is looking forward to working with The Kent Foundation and being a part in developing its future.

“I feel honoured to have been appointed as a trustee of The Kent Foundation. I originally came across The Kent Foundation nearly 10 years ago and was surprised and delighted by the encouragement and support I received at the time. I strongly feel that young entrepreneurs should be able to keep benefiting from the support services offered by Kent Foundation for years to come. I hope that my skills and business experience to date will go some way towards ensuring that young entrepreneurs can keep receiving such services and experiencing ever improving levels of support to help grow their businesses.”

Wealden Business Group Launches The Business Edge Competition To Supercharge New Business Growth

Wealden Business Group, the successful professional networking organisation for small and medium sized companies, is launching The Business Edge, an initiative aimed at supercharging the growth of a new or recently-established business.

Says Martin Tickner, chairman of the Tenterden-based group: “As owner-managers of small and medium sized businesses, we know that money is tight in the early months after a business is launched, which is precisely the time that new business leads, advice and support are most valuable”.

The Business Edge is a competition offering a year’s free membership of Wealden Business Group, worth more than £500, plus free one-to-one mentoring and advice sessions with existing members, experienced specialists in marketing, PR, law, finance, IT and other vital business disciplines.The Business Edge Wealden Business Group

In addition, the winner of The Business Edge has the opportunity of pitching their business services to members – since April, the group has generated almost 200 referrals between its members – as well as attending free seminars on topics such as social media and cyber security.

The Business Edge is open to owner-managers of any business launched in the past three years. The entry process is simple – applicants should email  edge@wealdenbusinessgroup.co.uk explaining in no more than 100 words why their company deserves to win the prize.  Closing date for applications is Wednesday 28 February.

Three shortlisted candidates will be asked to come along to a meeting of the Wealden Business Group and present their case in a two-minute pitch.

To find out more about Wealden Business Group, visit their website at www.wealdenbusinessgroup.co.uk

The Able Label Winter 2017/18 Range

The Able Label known as the retailer of ‘beautiful clothes, designed to make dressing easier’ are thrilled to announce the launch of their new Winter Collection. In The Able Label Winter Collection 2017/18 you can see the introduction of:

  • The Able Label Adaptive ClothingStunning wool mix coats without the fiddly fastenings (actually closing with Velcro)
  • Sophisticated and on trend rich red tones in our best selling shapes
  • Wraps to keep the chill off without the faff of contending with armholes and a squared off neck to help prevent the wrap from falling off shoulders
  • Super stretchy, easy care trousers in a warm ponte fabric that have no fastenings

Who are The Able Label?

The Able Label Winter Collection of Adaptable Clothing 2017/18The Able Label is a British company that designs, makes and retails clothes. BUT not just any clothes – beautiful clothes, which are inclusively designed making them easier to dress into and out of.

The range was inspired by young entrepreneur Katie Ellis’ Grandmother who has Parkinson’s. At the time, she only needed a little extra support with dressing but hated the fact Katie’s Grandfather had to help. She also still wanted to remain stylish, keeping her identity – there was no way she was going to settle for anything which sacrificed this!

Having searched together for alternative adaptive clothes that would meet both her functional and fashion needs, it soon became apparent that there was nothing suitable. Shocked by the lack of options, Katie Ellis decided to do something about this, drawing on her experience as a fashion buyer for White Stuff. The Able Label was born to help all those in the same situation as Katie’s Grandmother, who do not want to, and should not have to sacrifice their style for functional clothes.

What makes The Able Label Winter Collection different?

The Able Label Winter collection provides stylish women’s clothes, which are comfortable and high quality like traditional clothes but have the added benefit of being easy dress like adaptive clothes. Think style not fashion, quality not quantity and easy touch closures instead of fiddly fastenings.

Attention to detail is always at the heart of everything we do. We appreciate it is the little things in life that can make the biggest difference. The quality fabrics, discrete adaptive designs, innovative fastenings and hidden extras make dressing a lot easier for those who may suffer from restricted movement or lack of finger dexterity perhaps through, arthritis, a stroke or just the general effects of ageing.

What really sets The Able Label apart?

We aim not only to help maintain the independence of anyone who may find it hard to dress in conventional clothing but also instil self-esteem by providing the perfect combination of function and fashion making you look good and feel even better. We have:

  • No fiddly fastenings
  • No overhead dressing

When worn, you would never know the clothes were adapted, so… it’s our secret!Adaptive Clothing from The Able Label Winter Collection 2017/18

Business Startup Journey with AJ Stanning Founder of Sharp Relations and PR Toolkit

Meet AJ Stanning, Founder of Sharp Relations and PR Toolkit Who Speaks About Her Business Startup Journey.

First things first, tell us what your business does in 100 words or less:

Sharp Relations provides affordable public relations (PR) consultation to food and drinks businesses. We work hard to support our clients to manage reputation, grow sales but predominantly increase awareness of their brand or product range. This might mean setting up an interview in a business publication or negotiating a client’s product to appear in a top five feature in a magazine. PR is not just about “coverage – i.e. how many column inches you can fill talking about your own product range”, but about putting the right messaging in the right publication to reach the right audience.

Business Startup Journey Sharp Relations PR Toolkit

Where did your idea come from?

Honestly, I have always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and work for myself, it was a case of getting some experience working in London for a few years first. I have always admired the flexibility and satisfaction of knowing something was only as good as the work you put in. My father – Martin Sharp – took over the family retail business in his early 20’s – locals may remember Sharp’s Menswear on Gabriels Hill in Maidstone – and he spent many decades growing and developing it into a thriving manufacturing business. He sold the business in 2001 and, not ready to retire, he set up a property management business which he still manages today, well into his seventies. I can’t imagine my father ever not being interested in business and he has passed on that passion to me.

The idea to start a PR agency, or indeed any service-based agency, is not necessarily innovative. It is a tried and tested formula to offer a service to a person or business that needs this service. Like an accountant or graphic designer or plumber, you offer something someone doesn’t necessarily have the know-how or the time to do themselves and you should have a successful formula for a business.

I started Sharp Relations in 2010 and I was going to launch a generalised PR agency offering to support any type of business industry: I didn’t want to pigeon-hole my offering by being too niche. It wasn’t long before I had a breadth of clients, all of them food and drink, and I realised that I was fighting the inevitable. Businesses were actually choosing me for my specific niche experience in food and drink and what I thought was a weakness was actually a strength.

Why did you start the business?

I started Sharp Relations because my work at a big corporate food and drinks agency in London was taking me further and further away from the product and the passion. Increasingly, the contact meetings I attended were in marketing departments and surrounded by spreadsheets and graphs. My passion really is food and drinks. I love to see these artisan businesses succeed. I like working with real people making really good products. I am lucky to be able to choose my clients and I only work with products that I really believe in.

What did you do before you started Sharp Relations?

I worked for three different food and drinks PR agencies in London to gain experience and finished up as an Account Director in one of the most successful London food and drinks PR agencies. I managed a team of around 15 and was responsible for the delivery of five large client accounts, billing well over £1m in total.

What did you find was the biggest barrier for you when starting the business? How did you overcome it?

The biggest barrier for me then and now, is working in an office by myself. When you are used to a bustling office environment, socially and professionally it is really hard to sit alone and keep the motivation levels high. Having been so relieved to work for myself, I used to find myself wishing I had a boss to tell me what to do next, and that was when I got a business mentor.

The first mentor I ever had was provided by the Kent Foundation, a local lady with a background in client account management and she was helpful. Once someone talks you through a process, whether that’s taking on new clients, employing someone or getting VAT registered, the requisite steps don’t seem nearly so daunting.

Simply Ice Cream Kent Sharp Relations Food PR

What’s your proudest moment in business (so far)?

Encouraged to enter by the Kent Foundation, I was nominated for a KEiBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2012, and I was proud to be a finalist. I sat on the table with the rest of the Kent Foundation team and they took the time to introduce me to a number of important contacts from across the county.

More recently, I was really proud to launch PR Toolkit in 2017. PR Toolkit is off-the-shelf DIY PR solutions for small and growing businesses. It is genuinely entrepreneurial; the first of its kind. It’s been a real leap of faith.

Funniest thing that’s happened to you in business?

I can’t think of any one particular thing that could be the funniest but I have had a lot of laughs over the years, even over the last few weeks. Some of my longer standing clients have become genuine friends and we have a great giggle. We’ve had meetings hilariously interrupted by all sorts over the years including escapee litter of puppies, a teenage son in a towel in the school holidays, excited toddlers, tractors and an artist group lost off the public footpath!

What advice and support have you sought whilst on your business startup journey?

I have been really lucky to get a lot of support from many people over the years. I received some grant money from the Kent Foundation back in 2011 and in return I helped another start up enterprise with PR.

But the main source of advice and influence for me has been my father; he really supported my business dreams from the get-go and helped me to set SMART goals for Sharp Relations; ways to identify if it was succeeding at every stage. Not only that but we shared an office for the first two years after I started my business which helped me to keep costs manageable as well as offering an in-house business advisory service! He showed me how to realise my worth and the value of the service I was offering, and always offered a second pair of eyes for the occasional difficult correspondence.

Over the years, I have also sought the professional help and advice offered by accountants, business mentors, designers and solicitors.

What’s the BIG idea? Your plans for the future.

Now I’ve launched PR Toolkit, the plan is to make PR much more affordable and accessible to more businesses, growing organisations and entrepreneurs. I want to take away some of the mystery and help everyone to enjoy the business benefits of PR at an affordable rate.

Name the best and worst thing about being in business?

The best thing is being in charge of your own destiny. You think the business needs to go in a new direction; then you can take it there. The worse thing about being in business is finding down time; the ‘to do’ list is never complete; there is always more you can do.

AJ Stanning Owner of specialist Food PR Agency Sharp Relations PR Toolkit

AJ’s business startup journey tips:

Do what you do best and out-source the rest. It is so worth spending money on web designers, accountants, PR and marketing, sales managers and/or business mentors. Not all at once, and not in the very early stages of growing your business. When you are starting out you can usually find almost everything you need to know using Google, but once you are established, do not waste your valuable time on things you aren’t so good at. I promise you will save money in the long run.

Digital Beans Donates £500 to Support Future Entrepreneurs in Kent

Digital Beans donates £500 to business support charity The Kent Foundation. Piperis Filippaios, who started his first business at an early age, received help from The Kent Foundation at a vital time.

While studying at Kent University, Piperis set his sights on becoming a successful entrepreneur. At the end of his third year as an undergraduate and the start of his Masters degree at the University, he started a new website called uFlog.

The website was targeted at students to help them buy and sell items on campus for free, with any income coming from advertising. Like any university student, finance was tight and Piperis approached The Kent Foundation for help.

They agreed to give him a grant of £150 to help him purchase some advertising to increase awareness of the site. However, although uFlog was being used by students, he struggled to get businesses to advertise.

A bi-product of this relationship with the businesses though, meant that he started receiving requests to help them with their digital marketing instead.

Digital Beans Donates £500 charity supporting Kent's Young Entrepreneurs

Piperis said: “Like any start-up, it was tough getting it going and The Kent Foundation gave me the boost I needed. Setting uFlog up led me in a direction I had not expected. Getting businesses to advertise was hard, but I started to receive requests to help with their digital marketing instead. This set me on the journey I am on today. Because of this, it led me to evolve my business into uTargeting, which was the start of my current digital marketing agency – DigitalBeans. So that £150 grant has led me to where I am today.”

Digital Beans, which is located in Canterbury, now employs three staff and has a number of clients helping them with organic and paid search and social media strategies including Search Engine Optimisation, Google AdWords, Paid Social Media Advertising and Retargeting.

Piperis added: “The business has been steadily growing and I am fortunate to be able to now offer something back as a thank you for the help The Kent Foundation gave me when I needed it. This is why I am donating £500 to them, so that they can help other young people in their business journey as well.”

Stuart Tanton, the Operations Manager at the charity, said: “The Kent Foundation, over the last ten years, has grown into the number one charity for supporting young people under the age of 30 in business. It is great to know that Piperis benefited and valued our support, and has created a successful business. It is essential our charity continues to offer the next generation the same opportunities Piperis had. His generous donation will go directly towards our volunteer business mentoring service which will support other aspiring young people to achieve success in their businesses.”