Our MD, Amber Hunt, attended an exceptional gathering hosted by Goldman Sachs in partnership with Darren Jones MP and associates in Westminster on Monday. The intimate dinner served as a catalyst for knowledge exchange and collaboration, bringing together a select group of 10KSB UK alumni. This unique setting allowed us to delve deep into the pressing issues affecting small businesses and explore potential solutions that will shape the future landscape of entrepreneurship.
The conversations offered a valuable opportunity to understand the challenges from a small business perspective and advocate for policies that foster an enabling environment for small business success:
The event shed light on the importance of nurturing skills and talent to propel businesses forward in an ever-evolving job market. We re-iterated that a company is only as good as its people and the focus needs to be on creating world-class hiring strategies that will support their talent pipeline for future growth. Now more than ever, businesses need to build a diverse workforce and explore opportunities to upskill staff in order to retain them.
The discussions touched on the cultural shifts in the workplace and the future of work itself, exploring innovative approaches to foster an environment that embraces change. It is clear all businesses are trying to navigate through this new era of flexible working; there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
One focal point was the transformative influence of digitalisation and AI, and how small businesses can harness these tools to gain a competitive edge in the modern world. We have seen popularity with OpenAI’s GPT models however there is still a requirement to improve safeguards and manage risk around this. The potential benefits are that employees will have an opportunity to upskill, leaving their mundane tasks behind.
The conversations veered toward exploring strategies to navigate the complexities of international trade and seize global opportunities while overcoming potential obstacles. We identified that clear and simple guidance on the current international trade and export should be provided to support small businesses; promoting high-quality UK products and services globally.
A topic close to the hearts of many was the green transition, examining how small businesses can champion sustainability and contribute to a greener future. We highlighted how more needs to be done to incentive businesses to go green and provide more funding surrounding this. Access to finance emerged as a popular theme, highlighting more support required for small businesses to fuel their growth and unleash their potential.
The setting itself lent an air of grandeur and historical significance to the evening’s discussions. The iconic Houses of Parliament served as a majestic backdrop, reinforcing the importance of the conversations taking place within those walls. It was truly inspiring to witness the engagement and insightful conversations that unfolded throughout the evening. The exchange of knowledge and experiences between 10KSB UK alumni was invaluable and demonstrated the potential for meaningful collaboration.
It was a privilege to be a part of such an influential and thought-provoking gathering that is paving the way for a future that embraces innovation, sustainability and inclusive growth.
