Think Enterprise October 2016

Think Enterprise Publication | October Edition

READ INSIDE

CE2016 CELEBRATING ENTERPRISE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

NEW IOEE

GUEST BLOG

IS SELF-EMPLOYMENT FOR ME?

SPOTLIGHT ON ...

IOEE AMBASSADOR JANE WALTON

Vol. 2

MAGAZINE October Edition Vol. 2

CONTAC T US 53 Coniscliffe Road Darlington DL3 7EH 0845 467 4928 newsletter@ioee.uk ioee.uk

2 | Think Enterprise

SARAH TROUTEN, IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE It seems incredible that we’re already well into the final quarter of 2016, and what a year it’s been so far for the IOEE; forging new relationships with fascinating individuals and pioneering organisations, promoting enterprise as the bedrock of great education and working hard to champion all our members’ diverse interests. But it’s not over yet – the absolute pinnacle of our annual diary, the Celebrating Enterprise Awards, is just a few weeks away and we couldn’t be more excited.

Think Enterprise | 3

Content 07 Celebrating Enterprise 2016 Award Finalists Announced 2016 FINALIST

10 Having ex-offenders on the team has proved an unqualified success for Timpsons

12 IAB continues Celebrating Enterprise We’ve caught up once again with long-time Celebrating Enterprise sponsors the International Association Bookkeepers (IAB). Here, Malcolm Trotter, who has been Chief Executive of the IAB since 2006, tells us why the two organisations work so well together.

4 | Think Enterprise

14 Entrepreneurial LSBU students and graduates celebrate at The Artworks

16 Is self-employment for me?

Husband and wife, Richard and Clare Talbot-Jones run Talbot Jones Risk Solutions, based in Felling, Gateshead. In this, the first of a series of blogs from the couple, Clare tells us about the start of their journey and the biggest question she faced: is self-employment for me?

18 IOEE supports entrepreneurial workshops in Baroda, India and SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil

20 Enhancing the student experience in FE through embedded enterprise event

Think Enterprise | 5

21 Spotlight On...

Jane Walton, IOEE Fellow and Ambassador

24 Tax goes digital for business As HMRC endeavours to get us all processing our taxes at the click of a mouse, we looked into what its new Making Tax Digital for Business (MTDfB) initiative will mean for SMEs and micro businesses.

25 Join IAB in Manchester for their upcoming seminar

26 Group mentoring adds up to success for Norfolk bookkeeper

6 | Think Enterprise

2016 FINALIST S ANNOUNCED

It’s that exciting time of year again. The Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2016 are just around the corner and the names of the finalists have now been released. This year, like every year, all of those who have made the shortlist are talented and hard-working, as well as being committed in their own unique and innovative ways to enterprise learning and skills.

Here at the IOEE, the Celebrating Enterprise Awards mark one of our most exciting calendar highlights. The awards, which have been running for over a decade, take place in the plush setting of the House of Lords and, from the chilled champagne to the heartwarming speeches, it’s always a brilliant event. We see it as our opportunity to give much-deserved recognition to people the length and breadth of Britain, as well as further afield, who stand out in the world of enterprise learning and skills. With the big day just weeks away, we’ve put together a quick snapshot of those who’ve made the grade for the Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2016.

Enterprise Educator of the Year Three names make it onto this prestigious finalists list. First up is Associate Professor in Enterprise Education at London South Bank University, Anna Howard who leads the School of Business’s Student Enterprise Strategy. Christine Atkinson is representing the University of Wales and is known for her tireless promotion of enterprise and career progression for women. Lastly, Professor David Gibson OBE, who has developed ground-breaking models for embedding enterprise in higher education, will be joining them.

Enterprise Support Champion of the Year From the world of enterprise support we have Elaine Owen FRSA, a prominent voice on the Women’s Enterprise Forum; Liz Cameron OBE, who brings a wealth of expertise and influence to her position as Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and Samuel Kasumu, a man who committed himself to bringing Start-Up Loans Company cash injections to Black and Minority Ethnic (BaME) communities.

Enterprise Learner of the Year Three exceptionally determined young enterprise learners will appear at Celebrating Enterprise 2016. They are Martina Eco, who has turned her linguistic and translation skills into a strong commercial enterprise; student Robert Jones who has already made his name in leisure and tourism in his native Northumberland, and Roxanne Kelly whose entrepreneurial spirit has seen her overcome

biting adversity to become an online trader.

Enterprise Learning Provider of the Year The three finalists on this list all deliver enterprise learning in their own very distinct but equally important ways. Two institutions of higher education appear – London South Bank University and the University of Worcester’s Business School (The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Growth). Joining these two on this prestigious list is Ignite Auto Training, a social enterprise that supports ex-offenders back into employment via motor mechanic training.

Small Business Apprenticemaker of the Year Apprenticeships are big news at the moment, so it’s only right that those who have been tirelessly championing the training method for many years should be honoured. The first name appearing on our shortlist is Anthony Impey, an entrepreneur who is passionate about developing talent for the tech sector both for his own business interests and for others operating in his sector.

Debbie Bryan, a resourceful craft retailer who created her own apprenticeship when she couldn’t find the right framework locally, is next up. Finally, we have Scott Bailye, a man who began his own highly successful hairdressing career as an apprentice before going on to give hundreds of others the same opportunity.

There are also two other, special awards to honour individuals who have shown exemplary and lifelong commitment to the field of enterprise learning and skills. Last year, the Celebrating Enterprise IOEE Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon politician and entrepreneur Lord David Young who has played a vital role in shaping policy to improve the circumstances of entrepreneurs across the UK. Joining Lord Young on the winners’ podium was Professor Allan Gibb OBE, who collected the International Lifetime Achievement Award. For over four decades, Professor Allan Gibb has worked in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship, engaging in practice, undertaking research, changing policy and furthering an enterprise culture both in the UK and in the international arena, making him the ideal candidate for such recognition. The bar is set high and it remains to be seen which two outstanding individuals will receive these special honours at the 2016 event.

Full information on all the nominees and their achievements, as well as the awards categories, is available at awards.ioee.uk

Think Enterprise | 7

Taking a look back at

CELEBRATING ENTERPRISE 2015 At SFEDI and IOEE, we are proud to recognise the very best in enterprise, awarding individuals and organisations who excell in enterprise learning and skills in the UK and beyond. Take a look back at some of last year’s winners and see what winning the award meant to them.

Melanie Bryan OBE Winner of the Enterprise Support Champion Award 2015 It’s a huge honour to be named Enterprise Support Champion 2015. Small businesses are the life blood of our economy and I feel privileged to be able to support diverse entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Watching their success, whether it be turning an idea into a business, taking on a member of staff, or winning a new contract, is incredibly inspirational.”

Novus Winner of IOEE Centre of the Year Award 2015 Winning the Centre of the Year award means everything to the organisation, to Manchester College and to HMP/YOI Hatfield. We are over the moon and very proud of the organisation and what we have achieved in the last year, the links we have made and the way that we have moved forward. Onwards and upwards!”

Professor Allan A. Gibb B.A., Ph.D., OBE Winner of the International Lifetime Achievement Award 2015 The importance of the award for me was that it came from an organisation that is very actively engaged with the small business community and it’s learning and committed to engage all partners in this process. There is a lesson for academe in that.“

Anne Wilson Winner of Small Business Apprenticemaker Award 2015 It is vitally important to nurture our up and coming young people so we can have an employable, skilled workforce for the future. My involvement with education and the wider business community is to help others understand the significance of, and support, the future needs of engineering and manufacturing beginning with primary age school children. It is a big honour to be nominated and to win this award.”

8 | Think Enterprise

Think Enterprise | 9

Written by John Timpson, IOEE Honorary Fellow

Having ex-offenders on the team has proved an unqualified success for Timpsons Thirteen years after my son and Timpson chief executive, James, took on our first recruit from prison, we now employ more than 400 ex-offenders, who include lots of branch managers, two area managers and two members of our senior management team. The scheme has been an unqualified success, but we learned a lot of lessons along the way.

Like a lot of great ideas, it started with a slice of luck, when James visited Thorn Cross prison near Warrington. He was so impressed with Matt, an inmate who showed him around, that he handed over his business card and said: “When you’re released, get in touch and I will find you a job.” Remembering the times in his childhood that he spent outside Styal women’s prison, waiting in the car when my late wife Alex took some foster children to meet up with their mum, James was determined to create life chances for ex-offenders.

“

For many people who have been in custody, their sentence really starts when they leave prison.”

At first we tried to be heroes by taking on some of the toughest characters, but we were simply setting them up to fail. We quickly stopped picking inmates recommended by the prison officers and interviewed every candidate using the same criteria we apply to all applicants. We’re not bothered about their criminal record (although we don’t recruit sex offenders) – we only pick people with a positive personality.

10 | Think Enterprise

Initially we kept quiet, only telling our colleagues on a need-to-know basis. Only those who were working alongside the people recruited from prison were aware of what was going on. I was nervous about the reaction of both our colleagues and customers. I need not have worried; everyone discovered that they were fantastic.

A key reason for the project’s success has been the moral and practical support provided by current colleagues, who have given a warm and generous welcome to people joining from prison.

That support has proved vital. For many people who have been in custody, their sentence really starts when they leave prison. They find that they have lost their home, have become estranged from their children, have no money, can’t get a loan and, even if they could buy a car, can’t find anyone to insure it.

If you’re serious about employing ex-offenders, you need a “Darren”.

Darren is our full-time coordinator, who interviews applicants and is both guardian angel and mentor during their apprenticeship. He’s a star – a man with a mission – who tells me he has the job of his dreams. Darren knows precisely what help is needed, because five years ago, he joined us from prison.

Our biggest success rate comes when a new recruit starts working for us before they leave prison. Workshops inside prison help, but it’s even better when inmates come out of prison to do a normal day’s work in one of our shops, then go back to prison each night.

This scheme, called ROTL (Release on Temporary License), has been a great success and is the natural way for open prisons to help rehabilitate ex-offenders.

But not all open prisons let this happen. After a time we discovered the importance of working with the right prisons and the governors.

After 13 years I‘ve seen more than enough to say, without question, that James’s campaign to employ people from prison has been an unqualified success. We’ve been able to have the pick of the 85,000 prison population, with very few other employers competing for their talent. I meet one or two every time I visit our shops.

Seeing the change that we’ve made to their lives and, indeed, the improvement they’re making to our business is a regular source of personal pleasure. The evidence is clear cut: 60pc of people leaving prison will reoffend within two years – a percentage that drops to 19pc for those who have a job. The reoffending rate of Timpson

recruits is less than 3pc.

Ten per cent of our workforce has been recruited from prison and we’re continuing to take on at least one more every week, but we hope that other employers will go down the same path. With this in mind, James has worked with a number of companies that are starting to see similar success, but there’s much more to be done.

If you want to find out more, I have two books that describe the challenges and opportunities for both the companies that employ ex-offenders, and the people who join them from prison. The books are free. To obtain copies, simply send me an email.

Think Enterprise | 11

Malcolm Trotter, IAB Chief Executive

IAB continues Celebrating Enterprise

12 | Think Enterprise

The IOEE’s annual Celebrating Enterprise Awards are just around the corner - the event is taking place at the House of Lords on Thursday 10 November. This year, we’ve caught up once again with long-time sponsors the International Association Bookkeepers (IAB). Here, Malcolm Trotter, who has been Chief Executive of the IAB since 2006, tells us why the two organisations work so well together.

The IAB has been sponsoring the Celebrating Enterprise Awards since they began. However, the organisation’s association with SFEDI and the IOEE goes all the way back to 1996 when SFEDI first came into existence, as Malcolm says: “The IAB has been involved with SFEDI since the very beginning and when the awards started we were keen to be involved. We’ve sponsored it ever since.”

This year, as well as being a general sponsor of the event, the IAB is also lending its name to the Enterprise Support Champion award, which is given in recognition of an individual who has committed themselves to ensuring the businesses they work with have the skills, knowledge and practical support they need to get started and fulfil their full enterprise potential.

We asked Malcolm, what is it about these awards that keeps the IAB dedicated to sponsoring them year after year?

“It’s really the affinity that bookkeepers have with small and micro businesses, especially start-ups. It’s a natural connection. Plus, many bookkeepers are themselves operating as micro businesses.

In fact, the majority of our membership are either running a small or micro-business, or they’re an employee of one.”

Bookkeepers then have a double connection with the IOEE membership. As well as having a direct understanding of the challenges and rewards of running a small business, their client base is made up of small business people. In this respect, Malcolm points out, the job of a bookkeeper is quite distinct from that of an accountant, particularly in the UK:

and now, just like other small business owners.”

Like many who regularly attend the Celebrating Enterprise Awards, Malcolm looks forward to the event every year, catching up with familiar faces and meeting new movers and shakers from across the enterprise community. He says: “My role means I have the honour of presenting one of the awards each year. The events themselves are really buzzy and celebratory. You hear some very positive stories of enterprise and success, sometimes from people who’ve overcome serious adversity to make it. The Lifetime Achievement Award is always very inspiring. One year the recipient was John Timpson, who has a great personal story. Not only has his business employed upwards of 500 former offenders and had huge success with those individuals, but on a personal side, John Timpson and his wife have fostered loads of kids over the years. Amazing people.”

Celebrating Enterprise isn’t the only awards event in Malcolm’s diary – in fact, the IAB hosts its own awards each December, celebrating bookkeeping and finance professionals, as well as business mentors, both nationally and internationally. Other news on the IAB’s agenda right now is a brand new suite of IAB RQF qualifications in bookkeeping, payroll, computerised bookkeeping and accounting.

Malcolm says: “Our new suite of qualifications will become available in January and are absolutely perfect for small and micro businesses. They’re designed by professional bookkeepers in line with real business needs.”

Like all of the IAB’s qualifications, this new selection has been designed in response to the real world challenges small businesses face today. For example, the IAB is currently working hard to help SMEs and micro businesses navigate the world of digital taxation, and letting them know how they can use bookkeepers to ensure their finances are kept on-track. Malcolm explains the role his organisation plays when issues like this arise:

“In other countries there’s a blurring between what accountants and bookkeepers do and the services they offer clients. But an individual bookkeeper in Britain would typically have very regular contact with their client – perhaps monthly or even weekly. That may be physically visiting the client’s premises or remote contact.

There’s a personal, current relationship. While accountancy work is often carried out retrospectively, bookkeepers operate in the here

“Because of the growing popularity of cloud accounting and also the introduction by HMRC of digital tax, there is a myth that the end of bookkeeping is coming! We’re out to dispel that myth and let people know that, in fact, bookkeepers are going to be more necessary than ever. Because of digital tax, it will become even more important that the information submitted to HMRC on a regular, quarterly basis is absolutely accurate. The only way businesses can be completely sure of this is, of course, to use the services of a bookkeeper!”

“

As ever, the IAB is responding in real time to the issues faced by bookkeepers and accountants themselves, as well as their clients – small businesses. We look forward to catching up with Malcolm and the IAB team at the Celebrating Enterprise Awards next month. In the meantime, keep up the good work!

The IAB has been involved with SFEDI since the very beginning and when the awards started we were keen to be involved. We’ve sponsored it ever since.”

If you would like to learn more about the IAB, the suite of qualifications the organisation delivers or the awards it has coming up in December, visit www.iab.org.uk

Think Enterprise | 13

Entrepreneurial LSBU students and graduates celebrate at The Artworks London South Bank University students and graduates celebrate their entrepreneurial success with an evening of pitches at The Artworks Elephant London South Bank University’s (LSBU) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute hosted an evening celebration to conclude another successful year for two of its start-up programmes – Rocket and the Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme.

The event held on 27 September invited scheme participants to pitch for five minutes about their business ideas, future plans and personal journeys, to a crowded audience at The Artworks Elephant.

Professor Paul Ivey, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and External Engagement, provided the opening remarks: “It is very important that students get involved in enterprise for it is something that is extending way beyond LSBU. It’s being replicated all over the world.”

Pitching on the night were LSBU’s eight graduate businesses: - Wood Pusher Magazine - Luz Consultancy - E&C Associates - Anares Studio - Grow Up Box - WUNDERKIND Sensory - Epic Adventures - Inpinnacle William Thompson, Business Studies and Marketing postgraduate and founder of Wood Pusher Magazine, joined the Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme last year. He said: “On the night I felt fairly calm about pitching. Given the chance I

14 | Think Enterprise

would have opted to go first and get it out the way but five minutes goes really quickly once you’re presenting! I now have a solid base for my pitch which I will only need to tweak going forward.

Developing it over the course of the Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme has been a massive benefit.”

Charyl Pitts-Howard, Occupational Therapy postgraduate and founder of WUNDERKIND Sensory joined the Rocket scheme in 2015. She said: “Demo Day was a great opportunity for me to practise my pitching skills in a safe, non-judgemental learning environment; practice which I can build on to perfect how I present to our partners, potential investors and our customer base moving forward.”

William was awarded best pitch of the night, winning him another six months of office space in LSBU’s Clarence Centre for Enterprise and Innovation. He said: “The extended office space is a massive benefit for the near future. My focus now is on selling ad space and gathering content for print. Having a secure base to do this from for Issue One will help immensely.”

Linsey Cole, Head of LSBU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute, said: “Looking at where some of our graduates started, and hearing their pitches really put into perspective how far they have come in the last 12 months. I’m looking forward to following the next steps in their entrepreneurial journeys.”

The Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme is open for applications for 2016/17.

Think Enterprise | 15

Is self-employment for me?

WRITTEN BY CLARE TALBOT-JONES

Husband and wife, Richard and Clare Talbot-Jones run Talbot Jones Risk Solutions, based in Felling, Gateshead. Back in August IOEE Fellow, Richard, published a blog taking a look back at their first six months in self-employment and we were intrigued to find out more. In this, the first of a series of blogs from the couple, Clare tells us about the start of their journey and the biggest question she faced: is self-employment for me?

“A career in business had never appealed to me. Although I love adventure, any risks I take are generally pretty calculated. I remember when my best friend from university told me that she was engaged to a man who was self-employed, and I felt a genuine wave of panic for her- it sounded so vulnerable and uncertain to me! I thought that it was something I could never be comfortable with, as security and certainty feel very important to me.

My husband, Richard, had been working happily at a local insurance brokerage for years. Within 5 years he had progressed from an entry level job to Director and he was happy and confident working in business; managing people, budgets and resources. He dreamed one day of setting up his own business, but it certainly wasn’t a dream I shared, or liked to hear too much about! Understanding how anxious the idea of self-employment made me, my kindhearted husband laid aside those aspirations and instead set up his own cottage-industry miniature painting business. Not only did it give Richard a hands-on experience of the practicalities of setting up and running a micro-enterprise, it really thrived and he had much more work than he would have ideally wanted.

Around that time, I had been feeling particularly stressed in my job.

When I finally recognised that it was having a negative impact on our family life, I realised that I couldn’t let things continue as they were. Instead of just feeling miserable. I had to change something to sort things out!

The idea of giving up my job terrified me! What would I do?! Who would I be?! What would people think?! It was a humbling process, but one that was very helpful in reassessing our priorities and values as a family.

Instead of continuing to pay for childcare, I decided to set up a

16 | Think Enterprise

childminding business- I’d get to spend time with my own children and earn a bit of money while I did it. Before I took the huge leap of resigning, we spent 3 months living on only my husband’s income.

This gave me the confidence-net I needed, knowing that even if my business was a total disaster, we could still survive financially, without the contribution of my income.

I needn’t have worried! My childminding business was a real success- we were slightly busier than I would have ideally liked, and were turning work away most weeks. We were having a positive impact on the children and families we worked with and we were relaxed and happy as a family. It was great! The success of both the painting business and the childcare business began to plant a seed in my mind that if you have a good service and the right attitude, a business is likely to do just fine.

At this point, Richard began to be more convicted that he had gone as far as he could at the brokerage he worked at. He needed more challenge and responsibility in order to continue to grow and develop.

He was offered many jobs, but none of them seemed quite right. He wanted a job that allowed 1) us to stay in our beloved Gateshead, 2) Richard to work with the type of clients he loves (charities and SMEs) and 3) an increase in responsibility, challenge and remuneration.

Nothing appeared that met all the criteria! It was a very frustrating time, and Richard was becoming despondent and disillusioned. He talked again, about setting up his own business. I was no keener on the idea, but asked him to put together a business plan, so I could at least have a concrete understanding of what he was proposing.

One evening, I came home after a meal out with a friend. Before I even had my coat off, he enthusiastically pulled me over to the

computer to show me his completed business plan for an insurance brokerage specialising in SMEs, Not-for-Profits and Professions. He was SO excited! I, on the other hand, was HORRIFED! How much?!

The first year projected income was terrifying, the second year was pretty dismal. The third year was beginning to approach something presentable, and the fourth year was the kind of salary I would have been happy with! Turning white, and with shaky legs, I’m afraid to say, I vetoed the whole proposal as something completely untenable.

Richard tried some other employment options. But, at the heart of it, he wasn’t happy and he wasn’t meeting his full potential.

After a frustrating day for Richard at work, I was sitting on the sofa, weighing things up in my mind. I thought about the sacrifices Richard had been so willing and ready to make, allowing me to step back from teaching and re-find my happiness and confidence. How could I support him in the same way?

When I looked again at our list of requirements, the answer just jumped out at me. I wouldn’t consider leaving Gateshead. I wouldn’t consider my husband doing a job he didn’t love. I wouldn’t consider a job that didn’t excite and engage him. The only thing on the list, I realised, that we maybe COULD be flexible with, was the pay packet and security.

The idea on living on a tiny, precarious income suddenly didn’t seem so scary. What was the worst that could happen?! For the sake of 3 or 4 lean years, I could give my husband his sparkle back, his dream and the challenge that would let him develop and thrive to use the skills and gifts and experience he has. I felt pretty tearful as I thought of the years of number crunching, budget balancing, meal planning, scant birthdays and hard work ahead, but I realised it was a sacrifice worth making. Richard grinned from ear to ear when I told him he had his full support, and he handed in his resignation that day.

We launched Talbot Jones Risk Solutions 8 months ago, and they have been the happiest 8 months of our lives.

Running my own business gives me the opportunity to do things MY way, without explaining to anyone what or why I’ve chosen to do. I’m able to use my creativity, initiative and instinct, which can so often be dulled when employed by someone else. I’m in my element and I’m so proud of what I can achieve. I’m able to work with my husband, who I admire and respect immensely and we can work together, in line with our family values and objectives. We work hard and never switch off, but at the same time, we get to work around our family and our clients’ needs- we might take a Friday morning off to attend the children’s harvest celebration together, but pop then round to a self-employed plumber’s house in the evening to discuss insurance, so he doesn’t miss out on precious work-time in the day. It’s a balance we’re very comfortable with.

Yes, it is hard work, but we have never been happier. Richard is excellent at what he does- he recently became chartered, showing the high standard of his knowledge and expertise. He is the most honest and straightforward man I know, hardworking, creative and proactive. I feel that as a team, we have a lot to offer our clients.

This means that not only am I proud of what we do, I am also very confident and although our budget continues to be tight, I feel very secure. Following a decade of insomnia, I haven’t had a sleepless night since we launched!

Self-employment is where I never wanted to go, but, also, where I’ve found I belong.

Facebook Twitter

LinkedIn

Think Enterprise | 17

IOEE supports entrepreneurial workshops in Baroda, India and São Paulo, Brazil Three days, 11 speakers and 34 participants were the result of another IOP entrepreneurial workshop, supported by the IOEE, this time in Baroda, India.

The workshop ran from the 19–21 September in partnership with the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) and sponsored by the American Physical Society (APS), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The intensive three-day workshop aimed to provide participants with knowledge of how to commercialise any business ideas that they may have, with several participants already having their own business. Sessions focused on the importance of networking, business and financial planning, intellectual property and taking ideas to market. The programme also included sessions specific to the Indian context, with talks ranging from the importance of entrepreneurship in India to in-country financing options to case studies of previous inventions to demonstrate the possibilities.

Sessions also focused on what problems are currently facing India as a nation, and highlighting solutions that need to be found.

Each session was as interactive as possible, with most including participant involvement. For example when thinking about developing a business plan participants were provided with existing technology and asked to answer questions that need to be considered when commercialising ideas. Similarly, in the session on how to take ideas to the market participants were split into groups and tasked with considering the various stages such as developing a team, creating business pitches, and considering the market and customer.

18 | Think Enterprise

Feedback from participants was very positive with 78% stating that the workshop had increased their understanding of entrepreneurial skills and 76% starting that their awareness of considerations that need to be made when starting a business had increased. Overall the workshop was a great success with engaging participants, talented speakers and fantastic partners.

Additionally, the IOP recently ran a five-day joint workshop with ICTP-SAIRF and several other partners on entrepreneurial skills for scientists and engineers in São Paulo, Brazil.

The workshop centred on participant-led activities with session focusing on the important skills and considerations for an aspiring entrepreneur. The workshop concluded with participants combining the knowledge learned throughout the week into a business-pitch presentation. Participants were asked to pitch as though to real investors, with time restrictions followed by a questions and answer session, with the intention of being as realistic as possible.

The IOEE will support a number of participants from both workshops through Affiliate membership. IOEE Chief Executive, Sarah Trouten, said: “I’m delighted to be able to support the development of enterprise and entrepreneurial skills in partnership with IOP. This innovative programme combined with IOEE membership provides a fantastic opportunity for budding entrepreneurs in India and Brazil to establish and grow sustainable and resilient businesses.”

IOP Brazil Workshop

Think Enterprise | 19

Enhancing the student experience in FE through embedded enterprise event Enhancing the student experience in FE through embedded enterprise Wednesday December 7th 2016, 10am to 4pm Barnsley College, Conference Room, Old Mill Lane Site, Barnsley, S70 2AX You are invited to register to attend this EEUK Enterprise Exchange event generously hosted by Barnsley College.

The event will be of interest to those working in Further Education Colleges or in Universities that work with FE.

The event will enable delegates to: -

Consider different college-wide approaches to embedding enterprise Hear from experienced educators who have embedded enterprise across the College Obtain new ideas to inform curriculum development Meet and network with other enterprise educators

Background and summary

EEUK Enterprise Exchange events are one day best practice style mini conferences where educators and practitioners come together to share and exchange good practice and expertise related to enterprise and entrepreneurship education.

This event will focus on models of embedded enterprise that impact on the student experience in Further Education (FE). FE and HE colleges will share their expertise of how enterprise education works in their college including team structure, model for engagement of staff, engagement of students and how enterprise contributes to an overall enhanced student experience.

Rubina Rashid, Assistant Principal at Barnsley College and EEUK Director, will kick the day off with her talk “How Enterprise contributes towards outstanding” and will reflect on the contribution that Barnsley’s enterprise agenda has made.

The day will continue with colleagues from The Sheffield College, where enterprise is a key strategic driver, sharing models of embedded enterprise that impact on the student experience and explaining how they work with external organisations to ensure ongoing support.

Penny Matthews from Big Ideas Wales will talk about the Welsh Government’s ambition to create a world class entrepreneurship ecosystem across Wales. There will be other contributions from Welsh Colleges including an interactive session using Coleg Cambria’s Entrepreneurship Moodle.

Speakers and contributors confirmed so far: -

Rubina Rashid, Barnsley College Oliver Tindall, Jo Bolton, and Chris Browne, The Sheffield College Penny Matthews, Big Ideas Wales Sue Poole, Gower College Swansea Rona Griffiths, Coleg Cambria Lydia Butterworth, Kirklees College Sarah Trouten, The IOEE

The event is free to attend for members of Enterprise Educators UK and £125 for others.

To attend please visit www.enterprise.ac.uk or click here to book now.

20 | Think Enterprise

Spotlight On ...

Jane Walton Every month, Spotlight On‌ introduces you to an IOEE member with an interesting story to tell. This month, we talked to Jane Walton, an individual who leads a rich and varied life in the realm of enterprise education. As well as being the National Chair of Education Policy for the Federation of Small Businesses, an IOEE Ambassador and an IOEE Fellow, Jane also runs her own enterprise dedicated to spreading the word on self-employment and championing enterprise in education

Think Enterprise | 21

Jane Walton began her career as a college librarian before moving to support elected members in a local authority. After moving to the heritage sector, Jane spent 15 years supporting people working in museums.

However, when government funds were cut, many of the people Jane had been working with found themselves out of full time jobs.

Jane’s remit rapidly changed and soon she was helping the same people to find their feet as freelancers. She recalls: “There were opportunities for many of the people I’d worked with to go freelance so I developed my knowledge to help them do that.

That was my first taste of supporting people to become self-employed and develop their careers independently.”

Jane mentored specialist museum staff like conservators, designers, technicians and educators, providing them with support and signposting them to organisations that could help them. Her new skill set proved invaluable closer to home when her husband, who worked for the same quango, faced redundancy and decided to start his own business building museum exhibitions. Jane remembers how, by that time, she’d developed a real passion for entrepreneurial endeavour: “My husband had assumed I would want him to get another job for security but actually, because of the work I’d been doing I was very open to the idea of him going it alone so I helped him to set up, launch and manage his own business.”

For Jane, being close on hand as her husband got started was a real learning curve. Taking her beyond the work she had done with other clients, it gave her a broad overview of the challenges of self-employment. She says: “I saw firsthand what it’s like to move into self-employment for the first time. It made

22 | Think Enterprise

me believe everyone should be educated on the value and the real possibility of self-employment. People don’t always see themselves as the kind of people who could work for themselves, but also across society, institutionally and governmentally there is a very narrow stereotype of what an entrepreneur can and should be. That’s something I fight against!”

In 2006, as a result of the work she’d been doing, but also because of her involvement in political lobbying to improve awareness of self-employment as a career option among young people, Jane was headhunted to run the government campaign Make Your Mark. This was an ambitious initiative encouraging young people to consider self-employment. Jane says: “The campaign had already been established in various areas across England and my then MP, Ed Balls asked me if I would consider launching Make Your Mark in Wakefield, which was part of his constituency. I ended up running the campaign across the Yorkshire region for three years.”

As Campaign Manager, Jane worked with a wide range of organisations including the Prince’s Trust and chambers of commerce, to promote the option of self-employment. She also spent time working directly with young people and communicating the Make Your Mark message as widely as possible. When the Conservative/ Lib Dem coalition government came in in 2010, Make Your Mark, which had been a Labour initiative, was wound down. Although Jane was presented with opportunities to go national in her work for the government she declined, preferring to remain loyal to her native Yorkshire. In effect, Jane was out of a job. She says: “Because I had been promoting the idea of selfemployment, I was made redundant on the Friday and on the Monday went self-employed myself!”

Today, Jane’s own business is a hive of activity that sees the entrepreneur complete multiple roles every day. She explains: “I run my own campaign promoting the idea of self-employment to young people. I strongly believe young people need access to information about self-employment at every level through primary, secondary, FE and into HE, so I work in Yorkshire across all of those levels providing a strategic service. That means offering consultancy on topics like how schools can boost careers information, how they can bring enterprise into the curriculum, and how they can engage with business.”

As well as this strategic work, Jane also works directly with young people, exposing them to new ways of thinking about the potential their futures could hold: “I teach in colleges and schools, sharing ideas about self-employment and entrepreneurship.

I also mentor young people who want to become self-employed, and, working through various organisations, I access funding to help that happen. Aside from all that, I do volunteer mentoring for young people via the Prince’s Trust.”

Although the majority of Jane’s work is with young people, in fact it is anyone who falls outside of the usual boundaries of business support that she is most interested in reaching.

She says: “My priority is with people who have been excluded from the normal business support providers. So that is young people, but I have to say it’s also sometimes women. I also work in mental health, the criminal justice system,

particularly with women leaving prison.”

Jane, asked what reward she takes from her job, says: “It’s more than providing people with information; it’s giving them the capacity to make sure having that information makes a difference. I’m involved in the self-employment agenda because I think it’s an area of information and support that some people are excluded from.”

For Jane, becoming an IOEE Fellow and Ambassador is central to her determination to push that self-employment agenda. In coming weeks, for the first time she and other IOEE Fellows will be meeting up to share their experience, knowledge and skills. These sessions will be about determining individuals’ reasons for becoming Fellows and their expectations of the role, in order that more potential Fellows may be welcomed on board. Jane says: “It’s about creating an opportunity for likeminded people to come together and connect over the philosophy and objectives of the IOEE. My relationship with the IOEE began when I undertook mentor training and then became a member. When the opportunity arose last year to become a Fellow, I leapt at it right away.”

It seems likely that Jane, along with the other dedicated IOEE Fellows, will bring a vast quantity of wisdom and hands-on experience to the task of championing enterprise and enterprise education as widely as possible.

To meet more of our fantastic members and hear how IOEE has helped them in their business, please click here.

Calling IOEE Members Are you an IOEE Member with an entrepreneurial story to tell?

Would you like to share your enterprising success or business tips with others?

If so, we would love to hear from you. Please contact: newsletter@ioee.uk

Think Enterprise | 23

Tax goes digital for business As HMRC endeavours to get us all processing our taxes at the click of a mouse, we looked into what its new Making Tax Digital for Business (MTDfB) initiative will mean for SMEs and micro businesses.

Nowadays it seems as though our entire lives can be conducted using a keyboard and a screen. Doing the weekly supermarket shop, catching up with friends and family, getting down to some serious work…all of these activities can be done online. And now the way we process our business taxes is also going digital. Making Tax Digital for Business (MTDfB) is part of an ambitious new plan from HMRC to define itself as one of the world’s most digitally advanced tax authorities. If you own or run a business, or if you support those who do, this is important news. It means that the days of filing tax returns as a standalone task completed long after profits have been earned are numbered. Instead, with the new digital system, business records will be summarised and sent to HMRC regularly, using automated reporting. It means less fuss, a smaller demand on a business’s time and resources, and greater accuracy.

For HMRC, this is a huge project and the task of moving business tax online is one that is expected to take a while to complete. However, it’s estimated that by 2020 the Making Tax Digital for Business initiative will mean businesses, landlords and self-employed people across the UK will be using the new digital tax system. Last month at HMRC’s Annual Conference, Financial Secretary Jane Ellison said: “......it’s just not right that our tax service should lag behind – stuck in an age of paperwork, letters and phone calls. That’s why we want HMRC to offer all our customers a top quality, fully digital service alongside its existing services.”

Right now, HMRC is still carefully designing and developing the system, which ultimately will make all of our lives simpler. In order to ensure a wide and diverse cross-section of society has its say on what digital taxation should and could be, HMRC is currently running a number of 12 week consultations, which began on the 15th August and will run until 7th November. The agency is inviting its customers to share their views and concerns on the plans and has split the topic into six primary areas. These are: Bringing business tax into the digital age; Business Income Tax: Simplifying tax for unincorporated businesses; Business Income Tax: Cash basis for unincorporated property businesses; Making Tax Digital: Tax administration; Making Tax Digital: Voluntary pay as you go and Making Tax Digital:

24 | Think Enterprise

Transforming the customer experience of tax through the effective use of third party information.

Sarah Trouten, Chief Executive of the IOEE, said: “This consultation period gives small businesses the chance to have their say on an issue that is bound to impact them over coming years. I’d urge any of our members, whether they run or own small businesses, or they’re involved in advising or supporting those who do, to get involved. Take a look at the relevant documents and, where you feel you’ve something to contribute, do so. The more input HMRC receives from those who will be using the new digital taxation system, the more finely tuned it will be for success.”

If you want to learn more about the changes ahead and have your say on how they’ll unfold, you can join the consultation process.

Alternatively, if you don’t have the time to read the consultation documents themselves and you’d simply like to gain an insight into HMRC’s plans, the agency has also produced a helpful Making Tax Digital for Business overview for small business, the self-employed and smaller landlords. As part of this, there is also a handy online survey, which allows you to have your say and share your experiences without making a significant time investment.

The International Association of Book-Keepers (IAB) have an upcoming seminar in November, which will cover topics including HMRC’s digital strategy, automatic enrolment, an update on VAT and much more.

The event, taking place in Manchester, is perfect to help you keep up-to-date with the latest legislation and updates for your own business or the business you work for and your clients.

IAB and IFA Manchester conference Wednesday 23rd November 2016 9:30am – 4:30pm Manchester United Football Club, Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, MI6 0RA Please view the programme here.

To book or for information on the price to attend please click here.

For further details about these events or to book, please contact the IAB membership team at membership@iab.org.uk or 01732 897750.

We have partnered with IAB to secure discounted member rates for all IOEE members.

Think Enterprise | 25

Group mentoring adds up to success for Norfolk bookkeeper One of a number of women involved in a mentoring collective called the Action Learning Set based in south Norfolk, Dee Youngman is a finance professional who decided to start her own small enterprise in her fifties.

Dee Youngman has been running her own bookkeeping and accounts business for around two years, having been employed in accountancy and tax roles at major firms for most of her working life. It was while working as a school business manager in a financebased role that she decided to go it alone and give self-employment a try. She explains the appeal of working for oneself: “I wanted to have a bit more control over my own life and my hours of working. I’d worked for large national and international companies, and I’d worked in a high school managing a £3 million budget. Working for myself is completely at the other end of the scale but I find it very interesting and rewarding doing work directly for individuals.”

Having spent much of her life working within large accountancy corporations like Ernst & Young, now that she’s self-employed, Dee is drawn to the opposite end of the market. She says: “What I want to do, and what I have managed to do so far, is to work with start-ups because when people are just starting out they have everything to think about. It’s also great to work with businesses that I actually have an interest in, but mainly it’s about the individual people whose working lives I can make a difference to.”

A dress shop, a beautician, a holiday lets company, a cocktail and coffee bar, a graphic facilitator, and a farmer are just a few of the clients on Dee’s books. Among the others are a number of fellow Action Learning Set members. Sally Brown of homemade cosmetics firm The Happy Bee Company and Hazel Hallett, a fashion retailer, both put their books in Dee’s capable hands. The group comes together every month to provide reciprocal mentoring support, exchanging knowledge and insight, and providing a mutually

26 | Think Enterprise

Dee Youngman

beneficial business support system. Dee explains why the group matters so much to her: “Sometimes it can be lonely running your own business. Whilst I enjoy the control and complete autonomy, there’s no one to bounce ideas off. As an employee, if I came upon a problem or something I didn’t know there’d be loads of other people to consult. Also, there’s no one to review your work – you have to do that yourself.

Working for yourself in my industry means putting more effort into keeping up-to-date on your technical reading because ultimately it’s all your responsibility. The mentoring group is one place where I receive solid, unbiased support.”

For Dee and the other women in the Action Learning Set, the group offers a release from the pressure of constant self-reliance. Although they operate across very different sectors, their combined pool of experience and information is an exceptionally rich resource. For her part, Dee is a great listener who has the added advantage of offering decades of financial and tax knowhow. She says: “Someone said to me that my service is something like ‘counselling accountancy’, in that I will listen to clients’ problems. One of the Action Learning Set members said that I ought to market myself as a psychiatrist as well as a bookkeeper! People do tell me about the personal issues they have that are associated with running a business. I certainly try to help with those sorts of things.”

Going forward, Dee intends to continue to invest in the mentoring group and access the support of her fellow members, while she builds her own enterprise and enjoys the freedom of selfemployment.

Would you like to share your latest Enterprising news?

We have advertising opportunities in IOEE’s Think Enterprise.

To discuss this please contact the Marketing Team at newsletter@ioee.uk.

@TheIOEE Phone: +44 (0)845 467 4928 Email: info@ioee.uk Web: ioee.uk