HSBC New Street a gathering place for small businesses to meet

The New Street branch was the latest HSBC branch to host a small business networking event, whereby local Birmingham businesses were able to attend and be able to network as well as listen to a number of speakers talk about their own views on business and what their inspiration was and continues to be.

There were of course a few familiar faces the first of which was Edward van der Kleijn from Partnerships for Marketing who advised us that they have just recently moved from their Shirley location of two years at the Custard Factory in Digbeth Birmingham.

Whilst talking to Edward a person by the name of Shah Hussain from a company called Braxton Knight introduced himself explaining his company and how it services the recruitment sector specialising in Banking and Finance and Healthcare.

During the same conversation, we were then joined by an American gentleman Jonathan Strassberg who is an attorney at law and who in part helps American businesses to locate as well as find resources in the UK as well as the other way round helping UK businesses locate and find recourses in America. Along with Jonathan Strassberg, a Birmingham councillor John Alden joined the conversation.

As the evening progressed we spoke to a number of people about a number of things such as Suraj Verma who is an HSBC local business manager about the current perception by businesses in the ability for them to be able to have access to finance, Roger Caws a director of Morgan Reach about the importance of location and accessibility of a business and its customers, and Sam from Ambinet who are based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham about how the printing industry has changed over recent years.

Next, it was the speakers turn the first being once local person Melody Hossaini from The Apprentice fame where a piece in Wikipedia describes her as: - Melody Hossaini is 27, her upbringing was in mid-war Iran where she was subjected to bombs, learnt how to evade sniper fire by disguising herself as background and, on the occasion, she was kidnapped, developed essential skills in demotivational talks. Melody has set herself upon the unsuspecting youth of Britain determined to, through as yet unidentified means, improve the quantity and quality of their lives. She works in the Global Youth Private International Consultancy Sector.

Melody spoke about how she started her own business at the age of 13 and how year over year it has progressed into what it is today – her company is called InspirEngage International.

Joel Graham-Blake founder of The DEN and Cultiv8 Solutions was next to take to the floor to talk about his 12 steps of business start-up, where he likened it to the life stages of a butterfly. Joel went on to explain how he sits on many boards and committees regarding youth and disadvantage issues and how much people inspire him as he too faced the same.

Last but not least to speak was Christine Hamilton who is the Acting Deputy Director of the International Trade Team at UK Trade & Investment.

Christine explained how her team of 30 helped to facilitate local businesses in the realms of export and the legalities and translation problems that come with that. She also highlighted how they have helped a number of local businesses such as a Telford company promote and establish their software in a growing number of schools in Australia.