I was extremely honoured to attend the Small Business Charter Summer Reception at the House of Lords last week as a guest of Lord Young of Grafton.

The event was a celebration of small businesses and business schools working together. It’s all about highlighting the important role they play in shaping society and driving the regional economy.

The Small Business Charter connects business schools with small businesses across the UK providing them the opportunity to work together. The role of the Small Business Charter is two-fold; it provides SMEs and entrepreneurs with a chance to help shape the direction of education and can also be pulled on as a resource for support, training and courses to help businesses maximise their productivity and their contribution to the UK economy. Universities have an array of offerings which are designed for businesses to engage with and it was great to see from the event SMEs from a wide range of different sectors and industries taking full advantage of the support universities provide!

On the other hand, business schools who are members of the Small Business Charter make use of a network of Entrepreneurs in Residence, who are affiliate members of the business school who lend their business expertise to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs, share their experiences and business ideas. As an Entrepreneur in Residence myself, over the last year I have thoroughly enjoyed mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs by lending a helping hand when they needed some guidance. In the past month it’s been great to see their hard work playing off as their projects are nearing completion and their business plans are ready to be put into action.

The overarching aim of the Small Business Charter is to connect small businesses and business schools together to help drive the regional economy. The event at the House of Lords was a brilliant reminder of why it’s so important for businesses of all sizes to get involved with educational institutions in their local region. It recognised achievements of the Small Business Charter and was a fantastic chance for likeminded businesses to network and share their aspirations. I’ve came away from it feeling confident and excited for what the future holds for the role of SMEs. If you would like to find out more about the Small Business Charter and the role you could play, please feel free to contact me.

Written by Faresh Maisuria, Managing Director of Blueberry Marketing Solutions