Call all entrepreneurs to the Solent Angels Business Conference

For those who have a business idea, always wanted to run their own business, are keen to network with other business people Global Entrepreneurship Week is the Cities largest campaign to promote entrepreneurship. Each year, it plays a critical role in encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs to consider starting up their own business. Over 1000 people are taking part in 64 City events in 42 different locations.

The Solent Angels Business Conference is to be the highlight of the week, and takes place on Friday, November 22 at Action Stations within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

It will include a question and answer session with the angels, who are business experts on hand to help fledgling companies find their feet.

Portsmouth does not have it’s own dedicated angels network, though there are organisations such as Integritie which match entrepreneurs with local mentors.

Dr Mitchell says: ‘The questions will be about how they dealt with challenges, and we want them to be honest about cash flow.

‘If they’ve been bankrupt we want to ask what they did when that happened and how they got out of it.

‘In the case of a business like Wiggle, we’ll want to ask how they went from being a little shop in Portsmouth to being a global company.’

Dr Mitchell says the key questions would be about what made an entrepreneur.

‘What makes one person more successful than another and how should young entrepreneurs go about choosing a business partner and choosing an investor?’

The Solent Angels Business Conference will take place from 1.30pm to 6pm, following an ‘Angels’ Den’ event, from 10am to 12.30pm, at which entrepreneurs will pitch business ideas to a panel of investors.

Members of the public will be able to sit in and learn what it takes to get investment.

A drinks and canapes session at the Mary Rose Museum from 6.30pm to 10pm will conclude the conference.