Last month GM Business Growth Hub’s EnterprisingYou and Tameside Council teamed up to celebrate the fantastic businesses that make up Tameside’s growing entrepreneurial scene.
The Tameside Means Business Enterprise Festival brought together entrepreneurs, founders, and small business owners from across the borough for a powerful day of learning, inspiration, and community.As well as celebrating the fantastic businesses that make up Tameside’s business community, the festival gave attendees the chance to explore the wide range of support, advice, and development opportunities available to help them start, grow, and strengthen their businesses.
Celebrating local business success
From hands-on workshops covering startup essentials, customer experience, and social media strategy, to the ‘Pitch Your Business’ session that gave delegates the chance to share their stories, the festival created opportunities for both practical development and personal connection.
“Sometimes the first thing we do with a business is help them to take a moment to appreciate the hard work they’ve put in and success they’ve already had. If you’re a sole trader, those successes may feel small, but they’re vital.
Events like this offer reassurance and guidance in a more relaxed way, business owners can enjoy themselves, learn something new or make a connection.
Yvonne Sampson, Head of Enterprise and Growth, GM Business Growth Hub
A strong sense of community
One of the strongest messages from the day was the importance of community. Many attendees spoke about how valuable it was to come together with other business owners facing similar challenges, right in their local area.
Whilst small businesses make up nearly 99% of all businesses in the UK, a survey last year found that nearly half (44%) of owners in the UK have felt lonely or isolated while running their business*.
Both the Hub and Tameside Council hope the event was a reminder for business owners that they’re not navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship alone and that sharing experiences with others who truly "get it" can be both motivating and reassuring.
“The fact that the first Tameside Means Business Enterprise Festival was a huge success is extremely important to the Tameside business community. Bringing together so many entrepreneurial individuals has highlighted the importance of collaboration, sharing ideas and enabling growth. Connecting businesses has been one of the reasons the Tameside Means Business Network has been so successful over the past few years and the partnership with the GM Business Growth Hub has helped power this."
Having all the support offers under one roof was great to see and so many guests benefitted from this event. The doors are always open to any individual or business who is seeking to boost their enterprise. Tameside does it better!
Dean Kleban, Business Growth Manager, Tameside Council
Participants also highlighted how helpful it was to learn more about the local support ecosystem, including the advisors, workshops, and programmes designed specifically for Tameside businesses.
The conversations and connections sparked at the Tameside Means Business Enterprise Festival don’t stop here. Our flagship Festival of Enterprise takes place at Campfield on 20th March and promises another inspiring opportunity for business owners to connect, learn, and grow together.
With over 400 tickets already booked, it’s shaping up to be a standout event. If you’re looking to expand your network, gain fresh insight, and continue building meaningful connections, this is one not to miss.
Book your ticket