Member Article

Dragon’s Den star advising Lancs firms on superfast communications

A Lancashire healthy food specialist and star of television’s ‘Dragons’ Den’ will ensure county businesses get their just desserts next month.

Kirsty Henshaw, who hails from Preston, is the keynote speaker at the ‘Get Your Business Superfast’ event on Wednesday, February 5.

Organised by Superfast Lancashire and its Business Support team, the event at Burnley Football Club’s Turf Moor stadium is free for the county’s small and medium-sized businesses and is designed to help them make the most of the latest communications, gain business knowledge and a competitive advantage.

Lancashire businesses wanting to find out more about this event and whether they are eligible for the Business Support Programme should log onto: http://www.superfastlancashire.com

Superfast Lancashire is the multi-million pound partnership between Lancashire County Council and BT – which will make high-speed broadband available to 97 per cent of Lancashire’s homes and businesses by the end of 2015 – with additional funding from the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme, as well as the European Regional Development Fund, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council.

Throughout the day in a series of informal presentations, masterclasses and workshops, delegates will be given advice on areas such as digital marketing and social media, as well as de-mystifying ‘Cloud Computing’.

How to make better use of the World Wide Web and creative website design will also be covered.

Representatives from a number of local organisations who specialise in business support will also be on hand to offer advice during the lunch break, along with members of the Superfast Lancashire Business Support team.

The first half of the event kicks off with a presentation by BT futurologist, Dr Nicola Millard, who will give her own unique insight into what may lie around the corner for both businesses and their customers.

The event will conclude with ice-cream and healthy desserts innovator, Kirsty Henshaw, serving up her own tasty business tips for local firms.

Kirsty, who went to Penthwortham Girls High School, will explain how in 2010 she became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to secure a £65,000 investment from ‘Dragons’ Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne.

She will outline how, after an extremely challenging period, she went on to expand her Longridge-based food business, which now supplies several of the country’s leading supermarkets with her own brand of healthy ready-meals.

County Councillor, Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “Superfast Lancashire will bring great benefits for the county – not just for individuals but for businesses too.

A key part of the project is ensuring that business people across the county are fully aware of how access to high-speed broadband can help their businesses.“

The Superfast Lancashire Business Support Centre is based at a purpose- built e-business suite at the Lancashire Business Park, in Leyland, from where the team runs tailored ‘teach-in’ sessions to help SMEs across the county learn first- hand how superfast broadband and other communications can help their businesses flourish.

Councillor Mein added: “I have seen for myself what is on offer at Superfast Lancashire’s Business Support Centre and I’d urge local business people to come along to this exciting event and find out for themselves how their businesses can benefit.”

Guests will also have the opportunity to find out more about the county’s prestigious BIBAs business awards, which are this year supported by Superfast Lancashire.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .