Winter programme update
About Ambition to Employ
Across Europe, small businesses play an important role – creating economic growth, enabling social development and positively contributing to quality of life for EU citizens.
Covid has presented significant challenges, but also opportunities for new, agile small businesses. While there has been a recent rise in self-employment, many of these new businesses are not achieving their potential. A significant growth barrier has been identified - transitioning from a sole-trader to hiring an employee.
Ambition to Employ aims to equip sole-traders with the knowledge, ability and confidence they need to cross this threshold.
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Round up: Ambition to Employ live events
In the second half of last year, the Ambition to Employ programme ran a series of three live events (Multiplier Events). The UK and Ireland joined forces for a combined online event, Poland also went online, while Spain was able to host a socially distanced event. The events were designed to encourage entrepreneurship, generate new ideas, and encourage the growth of start-ups through collaboration, or the hiring of new employees.
Find out more about our events and watch a full recording of our UK event...
UK and Ireland
In July 2020, over 120 attendees joined our live and interactive webinar: Growing your solo business in a post-Covid world.
Did you miss it?
Don't worry - you can find it on YouTube and watch it back at your convenience!
 Jam-packed full of interviews, insight and knowledge from those with first-hand experience of growing their solo business - it's ideal for sole traders, solo entrepreneurs and those involved in providing business support to these individuals.
Spain
 The Ambition to Employ Spanish Multiplier event was held on 12 November 2020 at the University of Burgos (UBU). The event covered the concept of team building through examples, methodologies, and a challenge. Diego Martínez Vélez from “VELMAR Engineering” shared his entrepreneurial story, as someone who has created and expanded his own business.
Poland
Our Polish event was delivered as a webinar. Participant feedback was very positive, with high praise received for the speakers (70% rated the speakers as extremely/very interesting) and the Ambition to Employ resources (77% rated them as extremely/very valuable). Finally, 96% of participants said they would use and recommend the resources.
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Spotlight on the UK and Ireland event
- Speakers from organisations including The Positive Economist, the Centre for Entrepreneurs, and the former Chairman of Small Business for NatWest and RBS
- Live interviews with individuals who have made the transition from solo entrepreneur to small business owner
- A panel discussion tackling delegate questions
- A look at how the free Ambition to Employ resources can equip sole traders and those supporting them
Want to jump to a particular part of the event?
Here are the key sections of the event, so you can catch up at your convenience.
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Susan Hayes Cullerton,
The #PositiveEconomist
"Why taking on your first employee is good for business, the economy and the future of entrepreneurship"
WATCH: 00:09:05 - 00:57:57
Strategist, thought-leader, author and presenter Susan Hayes Cullerton shares a pivotal moment, three years into her business story. Exhausted by her book tour and feeling like a failure as she simply couldn't keep up anymore, Susan explains why the contents of her cousin's fridge inspired her to make a much-needed change.
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Hayley Williams
Founder of Keystone Marketing
"I was limiting my business - why I took on my first employee"
WATCH 01:17:37 - 01:33:25
Orla Casey, from programme partner Momentum Consulting interviews small business owner Hayley Williams and hears about her unique journey - from first having the idea to set her own business, to setting it up, then hiring her first employee.
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Ambition to Employ resources
The webinar also introduces the 3 free learning resources which support the programme's overall aim of developing a new training model to equip self-employed/sole traders with the knowledge, ability and confidence they need to take on their first employee.
1. Self-assessment tool for sole traders/self employed individuals
2. Curriculum and OERs for use for VET organisations
3. Online course for sole traders/self employed individuals
All resources are available to download now from the Ambition to Employ website.
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