As part of its ongoing 10th Anniversary celebrations, the Small Business Charter (SBC) hosted the Lord David Young Talk in Milton Keynes with leading entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den investor Sarah Willingham.
Hosted by Santander at Unity Place, the event was opened by Susan Davies, Head of Business Banking at Santander UK, and Mohammad M Ali, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean at Anglia Ruskin University, and Vice Chair of the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
The event also featured a video message from Gareth Thomas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports.
In his message he said: “It’s fantastic that you’re all here this evening to mark the 10th anniversary of the Small Business Charter. I’m committed to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets and communities, and programmes like Help to Grow: Management plays a vital role in helping small businesses to improve their productivity.”
Following the opening remarks, a fireside chat took place between Sarah and journalist and business commentator Declan Curry. During the discussion, Sarah shared valuable lessons from her journey as an entrepreneur and investor:
“As an entrepreneur you must be able to see clarity in chaos. I’m comfortable with chaos, I know what infrastructure I need to put in place. As a leader, there can be mayhem all around, but you need to see clearly where you are going without getting into the small stuff.”
Sarah is a strong believer in business education, having studied for her MBA at Cranfield School of Management.
Reflecting on the value of her experience at business school, she said: “As well as giving me confidence, being on the course gave me a level of self-awareness because you’re in a group with other entrepreneurs. You quickly realise your place in the team which helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses and I cannot stress how important that is in leadership and in business success.”
She concluded her talk by offering advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on the importance of building a strong network of support, either through mentoring or by meeting other business owners:
“Being an entrepreneur is lonely. You have to be very self-propelled. When you are surrounded by other people that are also falling into holes it’s invaluable, they are often falling into the same holes even if they’re in different industries.”
Sarah ended her talk by sharing the best advice she’s ever received: “Surround yourself with brilliant people.”
Sarah made her name leading the international expansion of PizzaExpress and Planet Hollywood, before taking ownership of Bombay Bicycle Club and transforming it into the UK’s largest chain of Indian restaurants. Most recently, during the pandemic, Sarah co-founded Nightcap plc, an award-winning group of nearly 50 cocktail bars, which became one of 2021’s most successful IPOs. She continues to lead as CEO while chairing a number of her investments.
Sarah is also a media regular, appearing as a judge on Raymond Blanc’s The Restaurant and as a former Dragon on the BBC’s top show Dragons’ Den.
The event honours the late Lord David Young who was instrumental in establishing the Small Business Charter 10 years ago.