Don't Miss the Deadline now extended to 6th October This event is the highlight of the borough's business calendar. Local companies, whether small or large get to compete in a hunt to find the pearls of Wandsworth. It is an exciting programme developed and organised by Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce to reward and celebrate the borough's many dynamic and innovative businesses. The awards will culminate with a glittering awards dinner at the Pestana Hotel on Thursday 7th December. This exciting evening will showcase the business excellence that companies throughout the borough provide and give them the opportunity to network and raise their profile. Entry is free – but the deadline now extended to 6th October 2017 Click here to register for the application form: http://www.wandsworthawards.biz/register/ With 12 categories, there is one to suit every type of business:
Best Business for Marketing & Social Media Best SME Business Best Business for Customer Service Entrepreneur of the Year Best Charity or Social Enterprise Best New Business Employer of the Year Independent Retailer of the Year Best Eatery Innovator of the Year Best International Business of the Year Business of the Year Find out more: http://www.wandsworthawards.biz/ Steve Pinto, Chief Executive of Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce, said: “I continue to be very impressed with the quality, enthusiasm and passion of the businesses that enter these awards. These awards demonstrate that Wandsworth is an exciting place to work and recognition from these awards can make a difference when securing new customers and new business. Applications are welcome from all local businesses in the borough, large and small and there is no limit to the number of categories that can be entered”. www.wandsworthchamber.org Author: This article was written by Julian Jackson, Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce's resident blogger and copywriter - https://julianj.journoportfolio.com
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Packed out evening shows how people with dyslexia can use their abilities to have successful career The local community interest company Aspire 2 Inspire Dyslexia held a powerful event last week, drawing on the experiences of many dyslexic people who have conquered their affliction and made careers for themselves, with the intention of inspiring others. Some of the speakers thought that their dyslexia was almost an advantage – spurring them to use unconventional methods to mobilise their talents. Soloman Smith is the founder of Brixton Soup Kitchen. When he was a schoolboy he recounted the hilarious tale of himself blagging a free coach trip to an amusement park for his schoolmates. Apparently the amusement park staff were quite stunned when the “Key Youth Worker” that Solomon pretended to be on the phone, was only 14! The evening was organised by Elizabeth Kwarteng-Amaning, the founder of non-profit A2i dyslexia, who compered the many speakers. It was attended by the Mayor and the room was rammed to the rafters. Attendees enjoyed a lovely buffet in the interval, provided by the venue, Caius House. Speakers were: Colin Fowler Generate: Creates opportunities for people with learning difficulties Solomon Smith Founder of Brixton Soup Kitchen Remi Ray Hidden Creatives: Inspiring creative young people with dyslexia Yves Newlove The Newlove experience motivational networker Joanna Smith Personal Assistant for people with specific learning difficulties Leslie Lewis-Walker Founder of Out of the Box Thinkers and Videographer Adijat Mumunie Director of Begin2Sports group Enrico Riva Assisted Technology Specialist Dianne Greyson Equilibrium Mediation Consulting Margaret Hurley Founder of Original Organics and Chef. There was also a guest spot for Harry, a dyslexic young lad and his mum. Harry is taking on the challenge of a 5K run to raise funds for A2i. Some of the panel had very difficult upbringings, where there dyslexia was undiagnosed. Although it seems that awareness of the issue is better nowadays, there is still a way to go. One speaker talked about getting to college, receiving an assistive computer, which came with a huge printed manual – so it stayed in its box, unused! There was a very wide range of different careers that the speakers represented, from a technology specialist to an organic chef. Most of them recounted painful experiences when they were younger, of schoolteachers dismissing them a “lazy” or “stupid” instead of realising they had dyslexia. Many of the speakers chose to create their own businesses or enterprises, to avoid having to do conventional things like filling in forms. So it seemed that there is a spirit of entrepreneurialism in the dyslexia community. They were adept at finding niche markets where their unique skills would be in demand, and creating portfolios of different types of work so they could make their way in the world using the abilities they knew they had. You can find our more about the programmes of help for dyslexic people on A2i's website: https://www.a2idyslexia.org.uk/ Author: This article was written by Julian Jackson, Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce's resident blogger and copywriter - https://julianj.journoportfolio.com Find out more about upcoming technologies and build your business! Wandsworth Digitech are launching a major conference next month. Called Next In Tech, and supported by Wandsworth Council, it aims to give businesses an insight into what will be upcoming technologies. With a pretty starry lineup it deploys people from Microsoft, Linkedin, MetroBank and numerous others. Soraya Laverty, Co-founder of Wandsworth Digitech says, “The technology industry is moving at an enormous pace. No matter what business sector you are in, your company will revolve around technology that you use.” The conference is going to show businesses what are the trends they have to look out for. Running from 9 am to 3 pm on Thursday October 5th 2017, and utilising the splendid venue of the Wandsworth Civic Suite in the Town Hall, the organisers expect 100-150 attendees. Laverty feels than any more than that would make the event more impersonal. There will be refreshments, and plenty of opportunities for networking between the scheduled sessions. Seminars include: Turning adversity into success – From failure to the fastest growing tech services company in the UK by keynote speaker Mike Hockey, Co-Founder of IT services company Roc Technologies. There will be a wide number of different topics covered, including General Data Protection Regulations, Preparing your Tech Business for Sale, Blockchain and Etherium, AI - The golden age of opportunity and using automation to improve staff engagement, and various panel sessions. The profits will go to supporting ShareCommunity.co.uk, a Wandsworth-based charity which offers training and employment support for disabled people. Soraya continues, “This conference will help to demystify tech, we will find out how those tech guys got to where they are, and make life easier for upcoming businesses in the Borough. I'm sure it will be an exciting event and I look forward to seeing people there.” www.nextintech.co.uk www.wandsworthdigitech.com Author: This article was written by Julian Jackson, Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce's resident blogger and copywriter - https://julianj.journoportfolio.com |