Members of the 6th Entrepreneurs' Academy presented their business plans to a panel of 'Dragons' at East Surrey College on 22 November.  The pitches were all of a high standard. The winner Ruth Winchester, who set up Doodle Pippin, particularly impressed the judges with her pitch which showcased her homemade polymer crafts. She won the £5,000 investment grant, which she plans to put towards increasing the production of her tiles and creating new designs.  

The Entrepreneurs' Academy runs for two hours a month for six months. Register now if you would be interested in taking part in the 2019 Entrepreneurs Academy.

The Reigate & Banstead Business Guide is an excellent resource for businesses in the borough, as well as those thinking of moving to the borough. 

The directory can be viewed online.  Hard copies are available at the Town Hall reception, or please contact us if you would like a copy.

The Business Guide sits alongside the itslocal business directory, which is a database of 1,127 local businesses.

You might be aware that Gatwick Airport is currently consulting on their Draft Master Plan.

The Draft Plan sets out three growth scenarios across the next five years, then rolling out to 15 years, and includes detail on how it will address infrastructure, the economy and the environment.  The three scenarios are:

1. Utilising the single runway, growing through use of technology, larger aircraft and more intensive operations
2. Utilising the existing standby runway within the existing land footprint
3. Continuing to safeguard land for an additional wide space runway, if Government Policy requires it.

The first phase of Consultation runs until 10^th January 2019 with an online form to complete, and it should only take about 10-15 minutes.

At Decembers Learning Lunch we can look forward to a presentation from Kerrie Ellis and Kevin Horlock - Me, Myself & I - firing up your personal brand and image. Understand how our image affects our business.  How we look, how we dress, how we act and how we talk.  This will be a fun, interactive and thought-provoking session which will set us all up for a truly successful 2019.  I will be wearing my finest shirt, look forward to seeing you there.

Catherine Robson from Big Pip Marketing, who joined Enterprise Nation via the partnership with Reigate &Banstead Borough Council, discusses her business journey, lessons from burning out while running a previous company and why you need to look after yourself as well as your business.

Describe your business in one sentence.

We’re a small marketing agency, based in the South East of England, and we spend our days helping SMEs and independent professionals take their business to the next level through effective and consistent marketing.

Click on the heading to read full interview ....

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer UK and Chipstead Golf Club were among those to secure awards for the contributions they make to local communities at an event organised by Surrey County Council. Tadworth-based Pfizer and Chipstead Golf Club were named the winners of the We Are Surrey 2018 Social Value Awards at a ceremony in Egham, while Playle and Partners, Pellings, White Bus and Unum were all highly commended.

The business referral and networking organisation BNI is setting up a brand new business group in Redhill and Reigate. If you are a local business that would like to increase your word of mouth referral and recommendation business, then please contact Jonathan Hamilton, Executive Director for BNI.