Scotland is widely recognised as a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, with businesses and individuals from around the country continuing to influence the global business landscape.
As leaders in FinTech, Food and Beverage, Informatics, Software Development, Creative Industries and Life Sciences, Edinburgh was recently named the best city in the UK to start a business. Additionally, with increasing numbers of tech-start ups emerging in the city, Edinburgh was named the Best European City for Technology Firms to locate in with companies including Amazon and Microsoft recently opening bases in the capital.
These are not the only accolades the city has to boast – the numbers stack up too. Edinburgh has the second highest Gross Value Added (GVA) per resident in major UK cities (£34,500), the employment rate for the city sits higher than the national average at 73.5%, and the population has grown by 9% in the last 10 years.
Yet despite our country’s clear successes, a question we’re often faced with is how do we continue to build on this? How do we support our start ups to ‘scale up’ and become world leaders? One thing is clear, we need to nurture those with great ideas and help to drive their passion and ambition to take them from a start-up or SME to global businesses.
Making wise choices comes from experience and there are many who’ve ‘been there and done it’ and are happy to share their journey, exchanging knowledge and give advice with current and future business leaders. This may not take a business straight from a start up or a SME to a unicorn overnight – but what better place to
start? And who better to learn from than Jim McColl OBE, an entrepreneur who left school at 16 to work as an apprentice, and who recently sold his business for £750 million?
On 29 June 2017, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome Jim McColl OBE to share his journey at their Premier Series Dinner. Jim will share his impressive story with guests on the evening, highlighting key successes and
challenges he’s faced throughout his career.
Go along and be inspired, enjoy a two-course dinner, wine and senior networking, this evening is not to be missed!
To secure a place email Roxanne.nicol@edinburghchamber.co.uk, or visit the Edinburgh Chamber website for more information.
Image from Premier Series Dinner with Chris van der Kuyl in April 2017. Credit: Tete a Tete foto.
