Newsletter

Sharon Goodyer is an entrepreneurial inspiration and an Affiliate Member of the IOEE. After having to leave her job as a Head Teacher in 2000 due to Parkinson’s disease, Sharon turned her hand to another skill, baking cakes, and took her new business from a small market stall in Kent to a company with a […]

The annual Blue Patch Awards, now in it’s second year, invited SME’s and fledgling businesses from across the British Isles to come forward and nominate themselves for one or more of the business award categories. The 2017 Awards were presented at London Design Fair on 21 September in Old Truman Brewery, during London Design Week. […]

South-African born Alysia Silberg is one of the IOEE’s newest Fellows, and her passion, energy and entrepreneurial spirit is boundless. Describing herself as ‘an entrepreneur out of desperation, rather than inspiration’, Alysia has always been ambitious about making a strong positive impact in the working world since she was a child, and her determination has […]

‘Enterprisingly Me’ is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and […]

Gurpreet Jagpal is the Director of Research, Enterprise and Innovation at London South Bank University (LSBU) and the CEO of South Bank University Enterprises Ltd. Gurpreet is also an Academic Member of the IOEE, and LSBU’s learning approach was awarded a Highly Commended status at 2016’s IOEE Celebrate Enterprise Awards. This month we chatted to Gurpreet to […]

Abeiku Arthur is a budding entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of House of Solo; a slick and glossy lifestyle magazine that he created to give a platform to emerging artists in creative industries. In March of this year, the IOEE matched Arthur with a mentor, Anastasia Georgiou, a Manager with Lloyds Banking Group. This month […]

Carl Jones is an engineer and one of the founders and Directors of M5tec; a leading provider of engineering technical services to high assurance industries, such as marine mining, subsea and offshore, nuclear, oil and gas. In 2016, Carl was paired up with a mentor, Gary Newton, a Bank Manager for Lloyds Banking Group, through […]

Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, the leader in the construction materials market, launches the third edition of its Entrepreneurship Foundation, in partnership with the IOEE, CITB and Supply Chain Sustainability School. The Entrepreneurship Foundation 2017 has been designed in partnership with IOEE and CITB specifically for small businesses, developing vital skills such as marketing, leadership and innovation enabling […]

Marches Growth Hub is a single point of access for businesses in the Hereford, Shrewsbury and Telford regions, offering financial support and advice to help local businesses achieve great things. We met its Chairman, Paul Hinkins, to talk about how helping SMEs in the early stages of start-up is helping economic growth, forming a sense […]

We are delighted to announce that the SFEDI Awards Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualifications have been shortlisted for the Federation of Awarding Bodies Qualification of the Year Award 2017. The awards, run by the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) as the trade association representing over 125 organisations that award vocational qualifications in the UK and over 20 stakeholder […]

Reece Leggett is the Business Leader for the Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, and an Academic Member of the IOEE. He leads the programme management of Level 3 Business, and his innovative and refreshing approach to teaching entrepreneurship has changed the shape of business courses at the institute, which has been awarded Outstanding in […]

As part of its continued support to its centre network and its responsibility as an Awarding Organisation, SFEDI Awards is launching its first thematic review, researching the subject of preparedness to deal with instances of malpractice and maladministration within education. Nic Preston, SFEDI Awards Head of Quality, explains: “One of the challenges with delivering qualifications […]

Setting the scene Over the last five years, there have been a number of changes to business and enterprise support services at a local, regional and national level. Organisations and programmes of support have come and gone, new organisations have been introduced into the landscape, large corporates are becoming increasingly involved in the delivery of […]

On Thursday 19 October, Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) is bringing together culture change experts and organisations to share experiences, advice and examples of how to successfully transform your organisation.  The Transforming Culture conference will have a focus on how critical it is to engage and prepare your internal audience for significant cultural change. AVDC embarked on their […]

Excellent news – our first exhibition was a great success and more importantly the photocopier works! I decided to get an engineer to come and look at the photocopier and thankfully it was a small problem which was easily rectified so I’m now copying for England! I’ve agreed a contract with the photocopying company, which […]

Richard and his wife, Clare, run Talbot Jones Risk Solutions, based in Felling, Gateshead. In this blog, Richard shares how they define success in their business and how they set out future successes to achieve. When we’re young we have dreams of fame and fortune (or perhaps delusions of grandeur!), but often as we grow older […]

Adam Collar is an Accounts Technician for Karrek Accountants, which is based in Cornwall. Through his accountancy work, Adam met Jackie Jenks of IOEE Academy Leapfrog Mountain, when she came onto his books as a new client, but learning about her business inspired him to get further into learning again. We chatted to Adam about their working […]

Jen Feltham is the founder of Mia & Dom; an organic skincare company that specialises in products for pregnancy, babies, and sensitive skin. Not only did Jen create and design this range of skincare, but it is still handmade by herself and her small team, using unique formulas enhanced by her training in herbalism and aromatherapy. […]

A new academic year brings a fresh start and the opportunity to develop skills and learning. With this in mind, we asked our members about their goals and what they’re hoping to achieve in the next year. We wanted to know if individuals were looking to develop themselves and their business, or if they were […]

I recently found myself on an ‘expert panel’ at a forum convened by ISBE (the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) & the IOEE on the future of business support policy in the UK, as part of their ongoing conversation into informing and shaping what a new national policy should be. (OK – to clarify, […]

Susan Hughes is the founder and CEO of Opportunity Plus; a not-for-profit organisation supporting individuals who are facing challenges in finding employment, helping them to explore the potential for self-employment through SFEDI Awards qualifications. This month we chatted to Susan about supporting grassroots businesses, flexible learning, and the importance of community.  Susan had been working in […]

Steve Hooper is the founder and CEO of Site Geek; a website design and digital marketing company this is dedicated to providing companies with ‘full and complete solutions to their inbound marketing requirements’. Having built the company from nothing to the success it is today by being extremely client-focused, Steve now feels that he’s in […]

‘Enterprisingly Me’ is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and […]

The IAB’s awards will be taking place on Thursday 7 December and nominations are now open. The categories are: Small Business Mentor of the Year – sponsored by SFEDI Group Bookkeeper of the Year – sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group Accountant of the Year – sponsored by F A Simms and AMLCC Payroll Professional of the Year – sponsored by […]