The office supervisor…
Well, the world’s largest FREE business accelerator has arrived in Belfast and after the first week, there’s definitely a #GoDo attitude streaking across the city… and right up to the north coast. Yes, as an Entrepreneurial Spark Chiclet, I’ve stepped onto the rollercoaster that is E-Spark and have now been inducted into the Belfast Hatchery (that’s a two-floor open-plan office space at Lombard House, in case you’re wondering).
After a very early walk with the office supervisor (aka the pup!) on Monday morning, I caught the train to Belfast to begin the #GoDoBootcamp – a two-day introduction to the programme which kicked off at 8.30am.
#GoDo, as you’ll notice, is the tagline for Entrepreneurial Spark. Want a business? #GoDo. Need support in developing or starting your business? #GoDo – sign up to be a Chiclet. (Incidentally, applications are now open for the August intake…) You get the picture. If you want to build a business, then you need a #GoDo attitude and have to soar like an eagle rather than quack like a duck.
There’s no place for negativity, and a positive frame of mind is crucial.
Congregating in our superb office with a view, we Chiclets listened intently as our E-Spark Enablers (those who will help us on our entrepreneurial journey over the next six months), explained the ins and outs of the process and told us all about the event nights, the workshops, the awards… Oh, and also about pitching, spot pitches and the piranha pit. (Think on-the-spot elevator pitching and a panel of interrogators/piranhas to quiz you on your facts and figures.)
Some of my fellow Chiclets were chosen to pitch on day one, while some others volunteered on day two. (No, I didn’t, in case you’re wondering, but my time will come!)
Day two ice-breaker… a spot of Blind Date!
E-Spark is all about the business of ‘building people who build businesses.’
Supported in Northern Ireland by Ulster Bank and KPMG, it’s a social enterprise which has hatcheries across the UK and is still expanding. Everything is free, and everything is geared towards supporting you and your business.
In our two-day #GoDoBootcamp, we touched on everything from the mindset of an entrepreneur, to the definition of a lean start-up, the importance of knowing your customer, and developing our Value Propositions. We looked at business models and action plans, did exercises, watched inspirational videos, networked and simply soaked up all of the knowledge and experience around us.
There was also a healthy amount of tweeting and social networking, so check out the #GoDo hashtag on Twitter for some of that.
On our third day, it was time to properly tour the office space, find out about upcoming events and sign up for our first sessions with our Enablers. In these, we’ll discuss the state of our business at present, what we need to do next to move it forward, and commit to achieving three agreed goals before the next meeting.
After the whirlwind of the past week, I’ve subsequently spent the past two days catching up on work and emails and have started to put into action what I’ve learned so far. Next week? It’s back to the Belfast Hatchery to #GoDo.