At Smarta and O2 we know a thing or two about awards. The Smarta
100 Awards has been celebrating Britain's most innovative,
disruptive and downright exciting small businesses for four years
now, helping to give these fantastic businesses the recognition
they so badly deserve.
We do this as we know that an award can help take a business to
the next level by giving its pitch that extra bit of weight which
might make it resonate with a serious investor, an impressionable
customer or a potential partner.
Don't think that because your business isn't the sexiest or that
because it doesn't actually make that much cash, it can't win
awards. Judges look for individuality and great stories. You need
to know how to sell your business to judges and specific ways you
can word you application to help you stand out, our second
Smarta 100 together with O2 Academy event will help you nail
this.
This event welcomes two previous Smarta 100
winners who'll be joining the panel alongside individuals who can
spot an award winning business from a mile off.
Whether you're just starting out or planning how you can grow
your business further, this event will provide tips and tricks that
you can take away and start applying to your business the next
day.
Hosted by Smarta founder and author of 2012's best-selling
business book 'Stop Talking,
Start Doing' Shaa Wasmund, the evening will begin with
networking before a panel discussion. Shaa will then take questions
from the floor before a closing networking session where all our
speakers will be available to approach in person.
Details of the panellists are below
Karen Lynch, Belu
Smarta
100 winner Belu is a bottled water company with a difference. It's
100% carbon neutral and gives all profits to WaterAid, guaranteeing
the charity a minimum of £300,000 over three years. It refuses to
export its water and uses the highest level of recycled materials
possible. The bottles are desirable enough for the very best retail
and leisure clients - Raymond Blanc, Sainsbury's and Zizzi to name
a few- this shows its ethics don't come at the cost of being
commercial savvy.
Calum MacDonald, Highland WiFi
Winners from our first Smarta 100 awards in 2010, Highland WiFi
offers fast broadband Internet access to visitors to the Highlands
of Scotland via outdoor wifi systems. In fact it's one of the
fastest public Wi-fi networks in the UK. Co-founder Calum MacDonald
will be on hand to discuss the success of highland wifi since and
offer advice on how you can grow a business too.
Ben Dowd, Director of Small Business
O2
Business director Ben Dowd is one of O2's longest standing
directors and has overseen major changes in the business during his
16 years there, he also took the thankless task of sifting through
1000's of applications as a judge for last years Smarta 100. Dowd
is passionate about helping businesses to succeed and has
championed new technologies and ideas, he will be on hand to reveal
what he looks for when hunting for an award winning business.
Sir Richard Needham, Dyson
Sir Richard Needham served as minister for Northern Ireland and
Minister for Trade during the late 80s and early 90s. He now sits
on the board of British business marvel, Dyson, for which he is
independent director responsible for international and commercial
affairs. With all his years experience, Needham knows how
businesses can raise their game and can give stellar advice on just
about anything- including how to build an award winning
business.
Event schedule:
6.30pm: Registration
7pm: Panel discussion
9pm: Networking
10pm: Close
Click here to order your free
tickets