Event type : Bootcamps

Venue: University of Suffolk

Address: Waterfront Building, 19 Neptune Quay, Ipswich IP4 1QJ

FSB is turning 50! To celebrate our golden anniversary, we’re helping businesses across the East of England to join us in Going for Gold.

Held at the iconic University of Suffolk waterfront building overlooking Ipswich’s marina, our FSB Bootcamp is packed full of hands-on workshops from leading local businesses and Google, to help you build value into your small business. You’ll learn to reimagine the way you promote and grow your business – from branding and PR through to sales, social media, and digital advertising. And to close the day, we’re hosting an epic event to celebrate our anniversary – with entertainment, networking opportunities and, of course, plenty of celebration cake!

Want to get your business in front of the region’s best small businesses? We also have low-cost exhibiting opportunities too! Starting from just £75, secure yours today before they’re all snapped up!

The Workshops

Mining for gold: The Sales Pipeline

This workshop explores modern approaches and sales practices, equipping you with the tools you need to build strong client relationships and a solid sales pipeline.

You’ll learn the foundations of mapping out or rethinking your Sales Pipeline, setting new goals and objectives in the process. This practical workshop will teach you how to guide prospects through various sales stages, from inception to closure, driving potential customers toward a purchase.

Andrew Bracking is a local sales specialist with Sales Geek. With over 20 years’ of business leadership experience, Andrew has held senior roles with Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, and BMW MINI. In his time, Andrew has helped businesses with multi-million-pound losses become highly profitable enterprises.

Lisa is Sales Geek’s Sales Director in Essex.
Described as the female Harvey Spectre (The Best Closer in the City: Suits) she is the world’s most reluctant salesperson. So much so that she wrote the book on it; literally, authoring, “Pull NOT Push – A revolution in selling for people who hate it!

Sparkle and Shine: The experts’ guide to brilliant branding and PR

Your brand is far more than a logo – the way your business looks and communicates plays an important part in winning and retaining business. Which is why it’s important to know the key steps in reviewing, refining, and amplifying your brand. Our hands-on workshop will help you carry out your own brand audit and secure vital coverage in the media to share your brand story and reach new customers.

Grace established Boughton Marketing in February 2023, providing email marketing and brand management support for SMEs. Grace is a CIM-qualified marketer and specialises in the delivery of digital campaigns and email automation on multiple CRM platforms.

Rechenda Smith is the founder and Managing Director of Nurture Marketing, a marketing agency based in Norwich, working with clients across East Anglia.

With a background in delivering exceptional marketing and PR campaigns for commercial and not-for-profit organisations, Rechenda has carved out a reputation as the ‘go-to’ marketing expert in East Anglia.

Golden Nuggets from Google: Social media strategy

This session, delivered by Google, will explore the value of social media and help you understand how to build a social media strategy into your business plan. You will learn how social media can help you reach new customers online, the building blocks of a simple social media strategy, and tools that can help you save time when creating social posts.

Golden Nuggets from Google: Digital advertising

Our partners, Google, will help you learn how digital advertising can play an important role in your marketing strategy. Whether you’re struggling to get started or wanting to build on your knowledge, this workshop will teach you the basics of search, social, and display advertising. In this session you will learn what search advertising is and how to get started, different approaches to social media advertising, and how you can use display advertising in a campaign.

FSB Golden anniversary celebration

We will round up the day with a networking event to celebrate FSB’s golden anniversary. You’ll have the chance to make new connections and join us in celebrating 50 years of supporting small businesses.

The celebration event will include light bites and refreshments. Attendees will need to purchase their own lunch – there are a range of options on site and several cafes in walking distance.

We have kept the tickets cost low so it’s as affordable as possible for small businesses. FSB member tickets are £10 and non-member tickets are £15. Tickets are likely to sell quickly, so make sure you secure yours early to avoid disappointment

Car parking : Unfortunately, there is no parking at the University but the venue is close to several public car parks, including Athena Hall, Fore Street and Duke Street. The station is around a twenty-minute walk.

Accessibility Information: The venue is fully accessible.