The Mums Enterprise Roadshow held its biggest show yet in Brighton last Thursday, with over 700 ladies facing storm Doris to attend. Founder Lindsey Fish runs the business from her home in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire which is where the very first event took place back in June 2016.
More than 700 women, many with babes in arms travelled across the south-east, took on storm Doris and made it to the Mums Enterprise Roadshow held last Thursday at the Amex Stadium in Brighton. A show organised by mums for mums offers a refreshing, inspiring and confidence boosting day which can truly change a woman’s life and best of all it’s totally free for mums to attend.
The first two pilot events launched in Lindsey’s home town Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire back in June 2016 and another event followed in Broxbourne soon after. Learning from these first ever two events Lindsey was able to make the changes necessary to increase the shows reach and ensure the success of the shows future.
Commenting on the announcement is founder and CEO Lindsey Fish “We learnt a lot of lessons from our first two events in 2016 which attracted just under 100 people at each local, Hertfordshire event. The show is now free for mums to attend, we promote the events to a much wider area per show and instead of staying to small local towns we are taking the shows to larger venues in or n the outskirts of UK cities so more mums can reach us”
The mission has always been about helping to change the work and business lives of mums for the better forever and they are making a difference already with so many mums from the events in 2016 taking-action to launch their business. One such attendee was Helen White, whose career in management came to an end when her company relocated from Hertfordshire to London. With two young children, she felt the extra travel was a compromise too far. But she wasn’t giving up her career ambitions, and began exploring ideas for her own business. Out of curiosity, White attended the Mums Enterprise Roadshow and was overwhelmed to meet so many women in the same position as her.
She says: “There was a network I never knew existed of mums at the start of their journey, as well as those who now had established new businesses and were willing to share their experiences.” White was impressed by the focus on teamwork and took away much useful information on starting and running a business. “Although I hadn’t intended to start working on my business until September, I was so fired up that I started straight away,” she adds.
She now runs Brilliant Together, which provides support for startups and small businesses.
Similarly, the show was a game-changer for Lucy Standing who was plotting her future venture ViewVo, a business that provides opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to shadow experts, or mentors, already successful in running businesses.
She says: “I was going [to the show] to scope it out, fact find, and network. I loved the speed-networking event, where you had a minute to pitch to a small group, some of whom were there to listen and be inspired, and others, like me, looking for information. The show was instrumental in getting my business up and running.”
Both women exhibited at the recent Brighton event where hundreds more mums were inspired, gained confidence and found the know-how and contacts to shoot for the moon as the organisers say.
Fish continues “We were thrilled with the turnout of Brighton. After two years and three events our concept is now proven, there is huge demand for the Mums Enterprise Roadshow which is why we have now committed to two further dates this year in London and Birmingham. I myself couldn’t return to my city job after having my first baby in 2013, I am now expecting my second child in June and organising these events is our social enterprise and our start-up. If anybody can organise events which can truly help mums it’s me and Lucy, we understand and are living the flexible working and self-employment journey every day too and our ambitions for the show are huge. We want the show to be well recognised and respected in the UK for helping to tackle the important issues surrounding gender equality, women returners, flexible working and mums in business.”
The next event will take place at the Business Design Centre, Islington London on Monday 25 th September 2017. The roadshow will then move further north as it visits the Bethel Conference Centre, Birmingham. Fish continues “Our mission is to reach all corners of the UK by 2021 increasing the number of regions the show visits year on year.”
These next events look set to feature Career, Franchise, Start-Up and Business Growth Zones as well as an open mic storytelling area, free business advice consultations, 30 minute taster workshops, a Q&A panel and over 50 exhibitors. All content is curated to offer inspiration, know-how, tools and real opportunities specifically for mums on a mission.
Pre-registration is now open for free tickets for both events visit www.mumsenterprise.events/visit or follow the roadshow on social media @MumsEnterprise
