"5 Steps of Really Selling" BIC training event, 29th Feb

Isle of Man Business Incubator is delivering a training presentation designed to help business owners improve their selling skills, understand sales process and boost sales.

The presentation was originally put together for incubator and Small Business Start up Scheme clients, but since we have some places free, we're extending the offer to the broader business community. The topic will be relevant for established and new businesses.  


Top business coach and advisor Bransom Bean is presenting "Five Steps of Really Selling" on Wednesday 29th February 2012. The event is supported and organised by Isle of Man Business Incubator. 


Event Details: 

Presentation Title: "Five Steps of Really Selling"

Presenter: Bransom Bean

Date: Wednesday 29th February 2012 

Time: 12 noon for 12.20 start, ends by 14.00 

Venue: Sanderson Suite, Claremont Hotel, Douglas 

Cost: £10.00, pay on the door 

Refreshments: Tea / coffee / soft drinks provided (attendees welcome to bring their own lunch).

To book: e-mail kate@iombic.im quoting ref: SALES 29/02 in e-mail subject line.  Please provide attendee name(s), business name and contact telephone number.

Places are allocated on a first come first served basis and are limited.

New appointee to run Women's Business Group on Isle of Man

Douglas, ISLE OF MAN, 13 January 2011 - Forward Ladies has appointed Stephanie Frankham to run the business support organisation on the Isle of Man.

Stephanie works at Moore Stephens Trust Company Limited and is also training to become a Chartered Secretary, but had enjoyed being a member of Forward Ladies so much that she decided to run the organisation on a part-time basis.

Fresh from the Women in Business Awards in November, two Isle of Man businesswomen took major awards back to the island – Sheila Dean was International Business Woman of the Year, and Torie Kissack was the Young Business Woman of the Year – and Stephanie plans to hold an event celebrating the achievements of these Isle of Man businesswomen in February, along with successful women from the Isle of Man Excellence Awards.

Stephanie said: “On a personal level, I have found Forward Ladies very useful to get to know other professional women on the island. The island is such a small place, and the perfect environment for spreading information by word of mouth.”

“I am planning a whole range of events from coffee to cocktails, breakfasts and lunches, and I am going to be asking the members on the island what they want to see - whether it’s training, mentoring or speakers.”

“There are also companies on the island which want to work with Forward Ladies, as they can see the benefits in working with us and would like to help raise the profile of the organisation on the Isle of Man.”

Although born in England, Stephanie went to Zimbabwe with her family when she was very young, later moving to Zambia where she subsequently studied Business Management at university there. She has been working in the Fiduciary Services Industry since moving to the Island in 2006.

Forward Ladies was founded by Etta Cohen with a handful of women who met to find mutually beneficial ways of working together.  It is now the north’s largest women’s business support organisation with a commitment to encouraging greater levels of female entrepreneurship. The network runs more than 300 events a year across the north, offers mentoring support to members, and provides opportunities to inspire and encourage women in their professional life.

Etta Cohen – who still runs the organisation said: “Forward Ladies is very inclusive; we welcome members from all walks of life, whether they are sole traders working from home, part-time workers, women working in businesses in law firms, accountancy practices and marketing agencies, MDs and corporate executives.  Women make a valuable contribution to the economy and we will welcome all women at whatever stage they are at in their career.”

The success of the organisation is because the appeal is universal.  “It’s not an elite organisation where you have to be invited to join, and no-one need feel that their own small business is not valid;” said Etta.

“We genuinely offer something for everyone.  We have run workshops to help small business owners build up their knowledge and expertise through training and development.  We have taken women to the European Parliament, highlighted with a dinner with the British Ambassador in Brussels, and taken a trade mission to Hong Kong.  We have a programme of inspirational speakers, and hold annual conferences for International Women’s Day. Equally we have held networking events in restaurants, spas and shops.  Forward Ladies reflects the dynamic and diverse interests of our members, which are many and varied.”

For more information or to reserve a place at a Forward Ladies Isle of Man event visit http://www.forwardladies.com/networking-in-isle+of+man or ring 0845 64 34 940.

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Notes: Founded by Etta Cohen in 2000, Forward Ladies began as a small group of professional women meeting and sharing experiences. Since then, Forward Ladies has grown with its more than 11,000 members driving it forward and it's now the North’s fastest growing, women’s networking and business support organisations. It's mission:  "Promoting and celebrating the engagement and participation of women in economic success by enabling women to be more confident in life and business through knowledge, contacts, support and friendship." Visit www.forwardladies.com for more information.

For further information relating to this news release: please contact Anne Crowther on 0845 6434 940. 

Isle of Man Business Incubator Celebrates Accreditation Success!

Kate Lord-Brennan, Isle of Man Business Incubator pictured with Hon. John Shimmin MHK, Minister for Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development

Isle of Man Business Incubator celebrated obtaining accreditation from UK Business Incubation (UKBI), the industry body for business incubation at an event held last week at the Isle of Man Business Centre.

The UKBI Inspire accreditation process involved a review of business incubator policies, procedures and the team providing support to early stage companies.  The review involved benchmarking these areas against best practice and included a visit to the Island by a UKBI assessment team in October.

 

The Isle of Man Business Incubator was originally established in 2008 and managed by Coventry University Enterprises.  In 2010, the Department of Economic Development established a public-private sector partnership with the intention of enhancing support for local start-ups and also businesses looking to relocate to the Island.  A key target of the new partnership was to obtain UKBI accreditation by March 2012.

   

Kate Lord-Brennan of Isle of Man Business Incubator was delighted that accreditation had been achieved earlier than planned.  “This is major milestone and I am pleased with the feedback we received from the UKBI review team.  The review process was very constructive and we obtained a lot of advice which will help us to continue developing.”

Keiron Broadbent of UKBI commented “The Isle of Man Business Incubator has done very well achieving accreditation and we would not expect to see a similar aged programme to be as developed in so many areas”.

The event at the Isle of Man Business Centre also marked Global Business Incubation Day.  This provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs currently developing their business ideas to network with those running successful local businesses. 

Minister for the Department of Economic Development, John Shimmin MHK commented: “This accreditation demonstrates the Government’s commitment to working closely with, and supporting, early-stage ventures. Through the fostering of local start-ups in addition to attracting inward investment, the Isle of Man maintains its position as a world centre for business.”

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NOTES:

About Isle of Man Business Incubator

The Isle of Man Business Incubator provides services and accommodation to early stage ventures on the Isle of Man and inward investment businesses looking to establish an Isle of Man base.  The facilities and business support provided by the Isle of Man Business Incubator (BIC) are managed by Capital Select and supported by our primary sponsor and partner, the Isle of Man Government Department of Economic Development.  The Isle of Man Business Incubator is an accredited member of UK Business Incubation, the National Business Incubation Association and network partner for the Microsoft Bizspark programme.  Contact: 01624 647065,  info@iombic.im , www.iombic.im

About UK Business Incubation (UKBI)

UK Business Incubation (UKBI) has been the UK’s and increasingly international principal and successful authority on business incubation, business incubation development and best practice since 1998.

It helps government and development agencies build thriving business incubation infrastructure that make increasingly significant contributions to local, regional, national and international economic growth, as thousands of incubated clients grow and move out of their business incubation environments and achieve sustainable commercial success in their own right.

About the INSPIRE Accreditation Process

The Inspire monitoring, development and accreditation process^© for business incubation is recognised by practitioners, stakeholders and governments as essential for business incubation and other early-stage growth environments such as innovation centres as well as business incubation activities within technology and science parks.

Based on the Business Incubation Development Framework (BIDF) and rigorous national and international research, it covers ‘physical’ and ‘virtual’ business incubation activity that provides specialist and targeted support and development to early stage and other growth companies.

In addition, the Inspire monitoring, development and accreditation process^© provides quality 'benchmarks' for stakeholders, funders and supporters (as well as potential clients) helping them to identify and then develop practices leading to the application and public recognition of best practice in business incubation. 

About Business Incubation

Business incubation is a business support process that accelerates the successful development of start-up and fledgling companies by providing entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services. These services are usually developed or orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the business incubator and through its network of contacts. A business incubator’s main goal is to produce successful firms that will leave the program financially viable and freestanding. These incubator graduates have the potential to create jobs, revitalise neighbourhoods, commercialise new technologies and strengthen local and national economies.

Media contact:

Kate Lord-Brennan, kate@iombic.im , 01624 647065