The Big Debate: Could this be the best time to start or build a business in Brighton?
At Brighton Chamber’s next Big Debate, we’ll be asking whether there are ever optimal conditions to start, buy or grow a business - or if the best time is always now. Join us (virtually) on 25 May, 3pm-5pm to hear from our panel and, of course, share your views.
In 1929, at the heart of The Great Depression, two brothers who ran a tiny animation studio realised that cartoons were a good way to cheer people up.
In 2008, the global economy was on its knees. But as many floundered, a new kind of holiday rental business, a discount voucher company and a free, encrypted messaging service saw the potential of people saving money by connecting differently.
What are the insights that convinced the brains behind Disney, Airbnb, Groupon and WhatsApp to move when others had stopped?
To many, 2021 doesn’t feel like a good time to start or build a business. Finding investors, resources and staff remotely makes a hard job much harder. Market research gets quickly out of date, the high streets are shut and shifting government policies make it difficult to keep up.
To others, necessity is the mother of invention - and many businesses have adapted, and entrepreneurs have emerged, to solve new problems and create meaningful work. Countless companies have been turning much-loved services into online products, finding their innovative USP and helping their customers to navigate through lockdown.
Brighton might have bags of ideas and creativity, but does it have the resilience to bounce back bigger and bolder than before? Sussex has seen record figures for new registered businesses and self-employment in the past 12 months, but is there the infrastructure and support needed to protect existing viable businesses, let alone promote new ones?
What are the challenges we face and the opportunities being seized? Why are so many taking the plunge at this time?
Chaired by Richard Freeman, CEO at always possible
Panellists include:
Kurt Henderson, Co-Founder, Rassa
Jessica Rameau, Partner and Fund Manager, Wellstreet
Victoria Vasiliauskaite, Head of Operations, Roadways
James Dempster, Co Founder and MD at Fox & Bear
25 May, 3pm – 5pm
Book for free place here https://www.brightonchamber.co.uk/event/the-big-debate
Where – this event is virtual on Zoom
Thank you to our sponsor Hartley Fowler LLP