Looking for a silver bullet for your business? Then step this way

As anyone who runs a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) will attest, numbers are everything. From head-counts and payroll to that all-important bottom line, if you get them right then your business thrives, but get them wrong and it could be curtains.

SMEs account for three-fifths of the employment and around half of turnover in the private sector, making them crucial to the economy, so it’s no wonder every owner is looking for a competitive advantage. What if we told you that we might have one?

Introducing the Evening Standard’s SME XPO, a new two-day event that takes place at Olympia on May 25 and 26 alongside a sister show, The Watercooler, where the focus will be on workplace wellbeing.

With more than 4,000 entrepreneurs and experts on hand, including some of the biggest names in business, it promises to be a jamboree of networking, inspiration and learning that will leave you buzzing with ideas and better equipped to take your business to the next level. And best of all for your bottom-line — it won’t cost a penny to come down. Just in case that’s not enough of a draw, here are six more reasons to stop by next week.

See the UK’s biggest business brains in action

“SMEs are the backbone of our economy — and it’s critical that their growth and success is supported,” says Euan Blair, founder of Multiverse. Blair’s apprenticeship start-up is nearing billion-dollar “unicorn” status after raising $130 million (£95 million) in a US investor-led funding round last year, so you’ll want to hear what he has to say at SME XPO.

He’ll be joined at the event by some 120 big-name speakers who include Tej Lalvani, chief executive of Vitabiotics, Holly Tucker, co-founder of notonthehighstreet and Alex Hiatt, head of home at eBay. They’ll be sharing their secrets to success, giving advice on securing big deals and winning investment, and explaining how to grow your business and tell your brand story.

Grilling them will be Michael Hayman, head of Seven Hills, David Clare from the Federation of Small Businesses and Guy Tolhurst, chief executive of Indagate Group.

Next-level networking opportunity

The SME XPO offers a rare opportunity to get companies including Cisco Systems, Vodafone Business, LastPass, Evri, the British Business Bank and GoTo in the same room.

Guests will be able to network with more than 100 exhibitors, gleaning advice and inspiration from some top firms. Plus, the speakers, business founders and top sponsors will be at an invitation-only VIP party sponsored by Shutterstock on the first evening, enabling you to rub shoulders with big-hitters. “This unique event will foster the sharing of ideas, solutions and connections between SMEs, as well as the opportunity to celebrate one another’s successes,” says Richard Burge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Learn everything you need to launch a start-up

Could you pitch your business in 30 seconds? That’s the challenge at the Virgin StartUp lounge. They will be on hand to give expert advice across the two days of the conference about the whole process. Bianca Pavel, partnership manager, says: “Virgin StartUp provides access to funding, mentoring, training, support and investment-readiness programmes, and is home to thousands of start-up and scale-up founders.” You’re invited to visit this dedicated space and pitch your business to Virgin’s team of funding experts, who can help you draw up a plan to start, fund and scale your company.

Discover how to be ethical and successful

Successful business doesn’t have to be at odds with sustainable, ethical practices, and some of the 60 roundtables and 50 workshops available will have these issues at their heart. From sessions on achieving carbon neutrality, ethical finance and how to do effective environment, social and governance (ESG) reporting, there are opportunities to get into the detail of how your business can function well.

Effective ESG is also one of the key themes for the main conference sessions. Rob Wilson, chief of Toast Ale, will speak about how balancing purpose and profit can help your long-term strategy. He says: “I’m looking forward to sharing how integrating sustainability and values into everything we do has helped us grow faster and achieve greater success.”

Take it global

Got global ambition? Then you’ll want to hear about how to trade in post-Brexit Britain, and how to tap into new markets from people who have been there and done it. Laura Ward, creative director of luxury tennis brand Exeat, says: “Breaking into international markets is the single most effective way to turbo-charge your business growth.” Check out our The Master Plan sessions, designed to give you the inspiration to grow your profile, or our Future of Business stream, and get excited about how new tech and the next big thing could impact you.

Help your people to thrive — not just survive

The Watercooler will champion workplace wellbeing with 10 keynote sessions, 21 live case studies, and more than 100 expert speakers. This sister event to SME XPO invites people to experience workshops, conferences and roundtable discussions with content covering topics from addressing the new type of burnout to understanding and supporting the individual needs of neurodiverse colleagues, as well as a roster of speakers including Terry Waite. The humanitarian, who was held hostage in the Eighties, will discuss workplace isolation and how to combat it.

During the event, wellbeing solution provider Frog Systems will launch what it believes to be the first subscription service for employee wellbeing for micro and SME businesses, bringing together resources and support on one platform.