In summary
Happy New Year! As we embark on 2025, all of us here at FSB want to extend our warmest wishes for a successful and prosperous year ahead. As always, we will continue to do everything in our power to help protect and promote the interests of you, our members, and will continue to lobby key decision makers and Government on your behalf. Please do keep in touch with us and let us know if there is anything we can help you with.
Featured news and events
Pitch your Business
The Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up 2025 competition is still open (but you’ll need to be quick!). Over the last 10 years, the competition has been delivered by the Centre for Growth at Aston University, University of Birmingham Enterprise, and Minerva at the University of Warwick Science Park. Over this period, they have put more than 200 entrepreneurs directly in front of investors and helped bring over £65,000,000 of investments to the region's small businesses. The Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up competition provides the opportunity for ambitious businesses to improve their ability to win investment while simultaneously boosting their business's profile.
The application form is easy to complete, and applicants are required to submit a 5-slide pitch deck accompanied by a 90 second pitch video. Successful candidates will be supported through one of three practice pitching events held across the West Midlands. Shortlisted finalists will also be invited to exhibit and pitch at Venturefest West Midlands 2025 on Wednesday 19 March at Eastside Rooms.
FSB Featured Event:
Great Women in Business Meet up - 7 March 2025
This event will see four great communities coming together to celebrate International Womens' Day. Join the Great Women in Business meet up on Friday 7 March 2025 at the National Conference Centre, Solihull to meet fabulous women who will empower and inspire you. This extraordinary event will help you connect with every person in the room. Instead of the standard 60-second pitch, you will learn to build relationships that grow a supportive, nurturing community. Throughout the day, you will get the opportunity to hear from and meet the four inspiring women behind the Great Women in Business Meetup.
In other news
Fancy Showcasing your Business During the West Midlands Business Festival 2025?
Businesses and organisations across the West Midlands are being invited to submit an application to host an event at the West Midlands Business Festival (WMBF) – applications must be in by 10 January.
Why not be part of a festival that will shape the future of business in the West Midlands – and beyond. The West Midlands Business Festival (WMBF) 2025 will run from 3–14 March. With around 70% of event slots already taken, time is of the essence. By submitting your application as early as possible, you can ensure key decision-makers and stakeholders have your event marked in their diaries before their schedules fill up.
This year’s festival is shaping up to be one of the largest B2B events in the UK, offering an unparalleled platform for businesses to access funding opportunities, financial advice, skills development resources, sustainability guidance and cutting-edge business innovation insights.
Supported by Business Growth West Midlands, the festival is more than just a two-week event – it’s a catalyst for lasting connections and collaboration. As a springboard for future growth, WMBF helps businesses create partnerships and strategies that drive progress long after the festival ends.
Applications to host an event must be submitted by the formal deadline of 10 January 2025. To get started, visit the West Midlands Business Festival website to explore resources, apply to host your event, or browse the exciting lineup of events already confirmed.
Expand Your Marketing Toolbox
- Date: Wednesday 15 January 2025
- Time: 14:00 - 15:30
- Location: Online
Are you a business in the West Midlands region looking to streamline your marketing efforts and achieve better results? Join this exclusive webinar, delivered by Business Growth West Midlands, focused on optimising your marketing toolbox to boost productivity and save valuable time.
One of the greatest challenges in marketing is managing the campaign setup, organising a posting schedule, creating the content and understanding the results so your senior leaders (or just you) understand what’s happening. Perhaps you’re the one doing everything, from sales and marketing, to doing the work and the administration around it. In this webinar tailored for businesses in the West Midlands, they will cover a range of tools that can be used to make your marketing more efficient, more effective and help you understand what’s working.
Don't miss this opportunity to improve your marketing strategy Register your place at the event today.
Still in the news
Get a Free business Energy Assessment
The Decarbonisation Net Zero Programme, in affiliation with Business Energy Advice Service, is a Government funded scheme offering over 4,000 FREE energy assessments to businesses in the West Midlands with an opportunity to apply for a grant funding between £1000 and £100,000. Get a tailored recommendation on how your business can reduce energy usage and save money. Through this programme, you will receive an analysis of the energy used in your building(s), industrial processes and operations through an onsite survey, followed by a comprehensive report. The aim is to identify cost/energy saving measures, provide an independent analysis of carbon and cost savings projects based on your energy consumption, help you gain a better understanding of your carbon emissions, enable you to set validated emissions targets, help you to embed a low carbon strategy within your company and set you on the path towards Net Zero. More information can be found here.
Put your Small Business through it’s Paces…
After a successful round of FSB Business Bootcamps throughout 2024, we’re now working up our Midlands programme for 2025! First off the block will be our ‘New Year Refresher’ at Hothorpe Hall in Leicester on 30January 2025 where you’ll get the opportunity to energise, strategise, thrive and fuel your mind, body and business for 2025. This will be followed by our well-established Business Bootcamp at Coombe Abbey in Coventry on 24 March aimed at ‘Igniting your Business for 2025’! All our Bootcamps offer an excellent opportunity to network, hear from an expert panel of speakers on a range of subjects and pick up great advice and tips which you can implement in your business to help drive your success. Book your place now to avoid disappointment! Further information on the rest of the programme of Bootcamps will be coming soon, so keep an eye out.
More news and activity near you
Get in touch
Your FSB Development Manager for Staffordshire and West Midlands is Karen Woolley. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch.
- email us: [email protected]
- follow us on x: @FSBStaffsWMids
- follow us on Facebook: @FSB.BhamBlackCountryStaffs
- connect with me on LinkedIn: Karen Woolley