Monday, September 28, 2009

EMB Conference Programme

Click on the images to see the programme for this year's Ethnic Minority Business Conference, to be held in Leicester on Oct 14.








Two Takes on Supplier Diversity

This year's Ethnic Minority Business Conference is fast approaching. This conference has regularly provided a platform for policy and practitioner initiatives designed to encourage small business owners to take advantages of supply chain opportunities in the large public and private sector organisations. This process is often referred to as supplier diversity; and it is clear that significant progress is being made to spread its influence. Our contributors to this session provide interesting accounts of the ways in which the private and public sector are responding to the challenge of promoting supplier diversity.
Mick Wain, Director and General Manager of Staples Advantage, provides a fascinating account of how a major multi-national corporation, with a strong presence in the Midlands, is working to develop partnership working with small firms from under-represented communities. A commitment to ‘give something back’ is a core feature of the Staples philosophy. Mick demonstrates how the company puts this into practice in its operations in the UK; and outlines the plans that Staples has to develop activities in the Midlands.

For supplier diversity to succeed, small firms seeking to secure access to contracts have to be ‘fit to supply’. They have to have the capacity and capabilities required to comply with the often demanding requirements of large organisations. For many years, Supply London has been assisting small firms to make the leap to becoming suppliers to large firms. Michael Gutierrez, Supply Chain Advisor of Supply London, describes the crucial role that this organisation has played in supporting small firms, often run by ethnic minorities, to pursue their ambitions to become suppliers to large organisations.
There are important lessons here for other parts of the country, and for anyone interested in how procurement can promote economic development as well as entrepreneurial growth.

Friday, September 25, 2009

MEECOE's Staples Advantage Event a Success

MEECOE and Supplier Diversity Europe held a 'Meet the Buyer' event at Staples Advantage Head Office, giving local entrepreneurs and corporate buyers the opportunity to meet. You can find a report on how the day went below, just click on the images to enlarge them.


Friday, September 11, 2009

Regional Business Support in the Spotlight at EMB Conference


The East Midlands is one of the most diverse and entrepreneurial regions in England. It is home to some of the most advanced and sophisticated ‘knowledge’ driven business in the country; and, at the same time, benefits from a considerable rural landscape which itself generates significant entrepreneurial activity.

East Midlands Business Ltd. (EMB Ltd.) is a body charged with the challenging task of ensuring that all the region’s businesses have the opportunity to take advantage of support that will enable them to survive, develop and grow. Given the challenging economic climate, this role has never been more important. Stephen Smith, Chief Executive of EMB Ltd, will set out the steps that have been taken to support the region’s businesses through the recession and towards economic recovery. EMB Ltd. is acutely aware of the region’s diverse business base, including the significant numbers of ethnic minority entrepreneurs that operate in the East Midlands. Stephen will outline key initiatives to support these and other diverse groups in business. Importantly, EMB Ltd. is in the process of recruiting a number of ‘community-based’ business advisers whose key task will be to encourage and support ‘under-represented’ groups in the region. At the other end of the spectrum, EMB Ltd. has actively encouraged growing ethnic minority businesses to take advantage of supply chain opportunities with large organisations in the public and private sector.

Working in partnership is central to the operation of EMB Ltd. Together with the Economic and Social Research Council, EMB Ltd has supported CREME to deliver an innovative project to support the region’s new migrant entrepreneurs. For the last year, Alex Kiselinchev and Lovemore Muchenje of CREME have been working closely with EMB Ltd to encourage new migrants to develop their businesses. Alex and Lovemore share their experiences of working on this project, including:-

• The considerable interest in entrepreneurship as a career option amongst new migrants
• New migrant involvement in a diverse range of business activities
• Unacknowledged human capital within many businesses
• A lack of awareness of the existence and role of ‘mainstream’ business support agencies
• Active interest in pursuing appropriate support to develop and their businesses
• A willingness to engage with business support professionals

-Prof Monder Ram-

Friday, September 4, 2009

More Speakers Confirmed for EMB Conference

More speakers have been confirmed for the EMB Conference on Oct 14.

Alex Kiselinchev and Lovemore Muchenje, researchers at CREME, De Montfort University, and Stephen Smith, Chief Executive of East Midlands Business Ltd, will be speaking during the session 'Business Support: a Regional Perspective'.

Speaking on 'Promoting Supply Chain Opportunities' will be Mick Wain, Director and General Manager of Staples Advantage and Michael Gutierrez, Supply Chain Advisor for Supply London.