Quotes from Nottingham's Top Entrepreneurs
The quotes from more than 30 of Nottingham's most successful entrepreneurs who have all spoken on a pioneering leadership series have been captured and brought together within a useful and inspirational guide for managers of small businesses.
Reading like a roll call of the great and the good in the business community the names include Emda chairman Bryan Jackson; founder of Leapfrog Nurseries Derek Mapp; Hello Telecom chairman Ken Grundy; restaurant and hotel owner Tim Hart; Slimming World founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell; Marsh Grochkowski partner Julian Marsh and St Tropez founder Judy Naake.
The Leadership Insights guide is launched to mark the first three successful years of the OnCourse Innovation Leadership series run by NDE and to celebrate the financial backing of Greater Nottingham Partnership (GNP). Already reprieved by GNP with short-term funding, this latest news means that sessions can continue for a further two years.
GNP chief executive Martin Gawith said: "The OnCourse series is such a powerful master-class for emerging entrepreneurs who learn practical lessons from successful innovators that we wanted to continue our funding until 2011."
NDE chief executive Neil Horsley commented: "There are lots of management theories about innovation but in practice the only way to achieve it is to learn lessons from business people who have actually done it.
"This additional funding by GNP means that we can continue to inspire budding entrepreneurs by putting them before dynamic leaders who have a reputation for innovation in their businesses."
Neil Horsley added: "Over the past three years the speakers have produced a rich vein of insights and wonderful quotes which we have brought together in one guide to help small businesses reflect on what they all have in common.
"Pioneers in design, manufacturing, e-commerce, science and sustainability have shared new approaches to innovation. Serial entrepreneurs, energisers of teams, lifestyle innovators and knowledge economy leaders have all left strong impressions with the audience.
"Regular monitoring helps NDE keep track of audience feedback and ensures that the events remain cutting edge. People have been especially impressed with the frankness shown by our speakers who are inspirational figures because of what they have achieved."
Offered free across the city and county by NDE since its inception, OnCourse has attracted more than 525 emerging entrepreneurs from Nottinghamshire and across the East Midlands. The speakers discuss their challenges and experiences before the invited audience with chair and BBC journalist Rob Pittam.