Morrisons Solicitors won “Law Firm of the Year” and “Private Client Lawyer of the Year” (for Holly Chantler) at the Surrey Law Society awards in September.  Find out more.

Reigate born boutique global agency Jellyfish has hired former Videology South Korea country manager Vincent Song as APAC regional director, with the task of building out the APAC operations. Read more

Congratulations to Kingston Smith who won the large firm innovation of the year award at The British Accountancy Awards in September

Come and join MP Crispin Blunt and other local employers to hear how your company can benefit from the Disability Confident scheme.  Hear how large employer East Surrey Hospital has been able to recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talents. 

Find out more 

Don't miss out on our learning lunch on 17 October! Come and hear the charismatic Frank Sinclair from Fit with Frank discuss how health and fitness can motivate you and your employees.  

Frank took part in our Entrepreneurs Academy and won investment to develop his personal fitness business to a subscription based model, allowing him to help far more people. He has 300+ signed up for his latest course in September. 

Meet the Fraudstars – a crack-team of lookalike CEOs, enlisted by Get Safe Online and Lloyds Bank to show just how easy it can be to fall victim to impersonation fraud. Disguised as famous faces, this fraudulent three demonstrate some of the most common methods of impersonation fraud, and how would-be victims can stop scammers in their tracks.

Want to learn more about impersonation fraud and how to protect yourself and your business? Watch the video through the link below to find out more.

Get Safe Online and Lloyds Bank, have commissioned research into the effect of impersonation fraud on SME businesses. The findings reveal:

• Impersonation fraud is costing victims an average of £27,000 each time
• The number of attacks has risen a huge 58 per cent in the past year alone
• Over half (53 per cent) of respondents say they have experienced scammers posing as their boss, demonstrating a rise in the popularity of CEO impersonation fraud
• A similar number (52 per cent) say they have experienced invoice fraud - a rising scam where fraudsters pose as known suppliers to the company and send an invoice with a false change of bank account details
• Despite this, only 20 per cent of victims say they now think twice when receiving a request at work
• Over a third (37 per cent) of employees don’t know or don’t have any security precautions in place.

Tips and video on how you can protect your business

Emily Canino got the bug for art and design at a young age. She has turned that love into her own business, Doodlemoo. Emily, who is a member of Enterprise Nation through the Council's partnership with them, shares her story.

Describe your business in one sentence.

Design-led brand producing playful art prints, accessories and stationery.

How did you come up with your idea and turn it into an actual business? 

I have always been creative, always making and designing. Ever since I was little my mum had me making cards for the whole family (I’ve never bought a greetings card in my life) and I designed my first logo at 13 for my dad's restaurant.

When my eldest boy came along we decorated his nursery with some characters we created which we turned into posters and Doodlemoo grew from there. It has evolved lots from this into what it is now.

I am a graphic designer and illustrator, so when my kids came along I knew I needed a business that I could manage around them and that would also excite me as a creative. My husband studied fine art so we combine forces to develop designs for Doodlemoo (although he has a full time job!).

I also love the blur between being a kid and a grown up so I wanted to create prints that could work well in any room around the home and are playful.

Creativity is at the heart of our brand so we also develop free activities (printables) for people to make which we share on our YouTube channel. This year I also decided to open my design studio, Loro Studio, offering branding and graphic design for start-up and creative businesses. 

What start-up challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them? 

We have been totally self-funded so one of our major challenges has been money. We invested in the business a few items and just didn’t realise that it takes quite some time to recover your investment!

Doing everything myself is hard and I often underestimate my time especially with two little ones.

When my little boy started school I thought I would suddenly turn into a super woman and would have loads of time but I still have to work most evenings after they go to bed or at weekends. Luckily I enjoy what I do so that is a plus.

There has been times when I thought I wasn’t business minded and nearly gave up so I've learned the importance of perseverance. You need to keep doing your thing and if it’s not working shift something.

Oh and definitely don't compare! This is easier said than done. The isolation of working at my studio on my own has been a real challenge for me so I have been attending as many courses, webinars and networking events as possible.

I also listen to loads of podcasts to learn as much as I can and I’ve been lucky to have found some cool supportive business groups.

Having an amazing husband who backed me up all the way has been my biggest support.

What has been your biggest achievement with your business so far? 

The thing about achievements is that your perception of them changes as you grow.

The biggest achievement I had when starting out was being selected for a exclusive trade show, another was winning a pitch. Even though it wasn’t Dragons' Den it was a big deal to me at the time as I get so nervous speaking in front of an audience.

Winning a Blogtacular ticket for my design and having it featured on their notebooks was great.

It was also amazing being awarded a grant from Reigate & Banstead Council for my business.

We are constantly shifting our goals though. Recently I was asked to have my prints featured on a TV programme, which is something I never would've dreamt of when I started out. 

What is your next big business goal? 

I would love to grow Doodlemoo into a bigger brand (I am still figuring this out!) and be stocked in some big shops I admire.

I would love a studio that's not my front room and to work with other designers in our Doodlemoo style.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge getting there? 

Figuring it all out! I am actually working on planning and being more organised rather than acting in a very spontanous way.

How has Enterprise Nation helped your business? 

The time I’ve been part of Enterprise Nation I have really enjoyed all the information about small businesses there is available. 

The webinars help so much as I can't always leave my studio and being able to talk to experts for 30 minute consultations has been great.

Actually there is so much you can learn from Enterprise Nation. I have to attend some more network events and make the most of my membership.

Which other entrepreneurs inspire you and why?

Leona Thrift Ola from Lucky Dip Club and The Rollercoaster of Running a Small Indie Business. She's totally self made, has so much to share, has built a lovely community around for small businesses and she's so honest about what she does.

Yvonne Fuchs who is also a self made entrepreneur who knows her stuff. I worked with Yvonne on my business and she is just great, full of knowledge and a no-nonsense attitude which I love.

Sophia Amoruso who set up Nasty Gal and Girl Boss is my girl crush. Another self-made entrepreneur and an example that there are no rules, you just make your own! I love her podcast where she chats to other entrepreneur women.

What are your three tips for business success based on your experiences so far? 

1. Be prepared for the long run. it generally doesn’t happen overnight! You have to work hard at getting your name out there.

2. Meet like minded people that support you and you can learn from.

3. Learn everything there is to learn and then break the rules. Find your own voice and be determined in where you are going.

Anything else you would like to share?

I think the biggest lesson I have learned is that our frame of mind is everything.

When my dad left us very suddenly last year I decided that life goes so fast you might as well go for what you want and enjoy the ride.

Something in me changed, it kind of made me more care less in a good way (this inspired one of my recent prints).

I decided not to care so much about what others think, do my thing and that not everyone will love what you do and that's ok.

My dad had many wisdom words and so I hear him all the time.

Join Enterprise Nation today and become part of an amazing community of small business owners.

On 15^th November 2018 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, in conjunction with Applied Resilience, are hosting a Business Continuity Workshop. The Workshop will introduce you to the business continuity process, what your organisation should have as a minimum and why you should have a plan. Please email to book your space.

All businesses should have plans and procedures in place for managing a disruption and ensuring that it doesn't penetrate core business. At best, poorly handled incidents can disrupt functions, set projects back and unnerve staff.  At worst, they can risk staff safety and destroy your corporate reputation, putting you out of business. 

Relying on dynamic action at the time is a road to failure, no matter how good people are, or how well you understand your business. This, like many areas, require professional support. 

Business continuity plans are increasingly expected or required when delivering services, particularly in the public sector and any commercial partner providing support services to them (including subcontractors). You may find that there is an expectation to have these plans in place and be able to provide them. With the barrage of news around terrorism, flooding and general issues, this is something you should want, and be proud of having. It most certainly is something that can provide confidence and assurance to you and your clients as well as assist with issues such as insurance.

Email now to book your space.