Last night was the Central Lancashire Business Event.  This is an annual free event organised jointly by Preston, South Ribble and Chorley Councils.  The event has been running for seven years and this was the fourth year that we have supported them and possibly the best event yet!  There was a fantastic line up of speakers, including Carl Spencer from Ultima Thule, Tom Stables and Nathaniel Cassidy from 3ManFactory and Michael Finnigan, CEO of i2i.

A speaker that we had booked and confirmed back in June was forced to pull out of the event with only a few days notice due to business commitments (one of the joys of being an event manager!).  We were delighted when we approached Michael Finnigan and he agreed to step in at short notice and as an experienced and natural presenter he took this all in his stride.  There was lots of praise for all of the speakers at the event and Michael went down a storm talking about overcoming business challenges.  A couple of simple key points from his presentation particularly resonated with me as a small business owner…

'Don't lose sight of why you started in business' @mfinnigani2i #CLBE2014

— clbe2015 (@LancsBusEvents) October 2, 2014

It can sometimes be lonely as a small business owner but during the challenging times you must keep in mind the reason why you started in business.  Remember the saying “where there is a will there is a way!”  Never give up and remember how great it is to be your own boss!

'No one goes into business to be mediocre' @mfinnigani2i #CLBE2014

— clbe2015 (@LancsBusEvents) October 2, 2014

Many SMEs I know (Events Northern included) started out in business because they had a passion and a skill and a desire to be the best and succeed above the competition.

The energy of the businesses in the room at the event was a reminder of this spirit and dedication.  I think this also proves why so many people love working with small businesses; generally they have a real pride in their work, relentlessly surpass all expectations and strive to be the best in their sphere.

At the top of the page is a short video teaser showing Michael in action at the Central Lancashire Business Event.
Video Credit: Roland Turner of RT Productions (@RTProductions1).

The full highlights video from #CLBE2014 can be viewed via this link:
Central Lancashire Business Event #CLBE2014 Video

You can also follow this link to view the TEDx Talk from Michael Finnigan ‘Making the Impossible Inevitable.’

Have you set up in business?  What motivated you to do this?  Why do you like working with other small businesses?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page!