Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs

The Prime Minister has welcomed some of the UK’s most successful business founders to Downing Street who will inspire and support the next generation of British entrepreneurs through a day of events across the UK.

Entrepreneurs Exchange is a wave of 20 free events across the UK, all on one day, 18 May. The nearest event to the Marches region is being held in Birmingham.

Forty established and highly successful business founders will share their knowledge at these events with those who have recently set up, or plan to grow their own companies.

Backed by HSBC, the events will also allow entrepreneurs to make contacts and build networks with like-minded business founders in their region.

The Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The passion and self-starting spirit of Britain’s entrepreneurs are a driving force of our economic success. It’s great to see such influential people who have built businesses from the ground up passing on their experience and expertise. This will inspire the next generation, who I am sure will value the support, and I am sure that Entrepreneurs Exchange will be a great success."

Attendees at No10 Downing Street included Anya Hindmarch, the designer and founder of her own fashion label; John Vincent, co-founder of Leon restaurants; Shaun Pulfrey, founder and inventor of Tangle Teezer; and Holly Tucker, co-founder of Not On The High Street.

Entrepreneurs Exchange supports the Government’s existing initiative ‘Exporting is Great’, which aims to help 100,000 additional UK businesses to sell their goods and services overseas by 2020.

Anya Hindmarch said: "There is nothing more exciting than starting and growing your own business. Along the way however, I have found it essential to listen to other entrepreneurs’ journeys, to learn from their experience. I would encourage anyone who is an entrepreneur to attend these talks. It will be time well spent and you may look back and think ‘if I hadn’t have heard that, I wouldn’t be where I am today’."

Shaun Pulfrey said: "Entrepreneurs Exchange is a great opportunity for those who have grown a business from scratch to share real advice with the next generation of entrepreneurs. I’m incredibly proud to be an entrepreneur who holds a product that’s both designed and made in Great Britain, with an exceptional team alongside me, and I can’t encourage others enough to take the same path."

Entrepreneurs who would like to attend the events on 18 May can visit http://www.entrepreneurs-exchange.co.uk for further information and to register.