Entrepreneur

During a 25 year consultancy career, US2U Consulting Director, Rachel Blackburn, has visited many business sites across most sectors in locations across the UK and in many locations around the world.

However, she has recently visited the fellow Export Champion business Captain Fawcett, tucked away in a corner of an industrial estate in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England - which is a bit different from other businesses she has encountered.

Founded by Richard Finney in 2010, the business is "an emporium home to a simply delectable range of first class Gentlemen's grooming requisites".

As a successful international entrepreneur, Richard says that he does things differently and hates management speak. The business is set in the Marvellous Barbershop Museum which Richard, with a background in the British film industry, has curated with the eye of a set designer - creating a period tableaux which might serve as a unique photographic and film location.

Indeed the site, which includes a manufacturing facility, is an experience for most of the senses as it smells amazing - it is a challenge to decide where to look first.

"Whilst we have clients that have curated museums and artefacts reflecting their history, it is my first experience of a business operating from their museum comprising of so many interesting objects reflecting the DNA of the brand" said Rachel.

Rachel and Richard are pictured in one of the museum settings. The museum is available to visit by calling in advance of your visit.

The Norwich Entrepreneurs' Breakfast Club invited US2U Consulting's managing director Rachel Blackburn to deliver a presentation at their recent event.

The Entrepreneurs' Club, which is joint-sponsored by The FD Centre, PwC, HSBC and Birketts, endeavours to unite likeminded business people to discuss and share best practice over a cup of coffee and a bacon roll.

Rachel presented on the issues around motivation and staff engagement including the importance of maintaining a strong sense of teamwork, keeping communications open, embracing innovation, optimism and inspiring through leadership consistent with company values.

The morning was really positive and Rachel was delighted to be given the opportunity to share her ideas.

US2U Consulting team member Kerwin Blackburn, currently studying a Master's degree at King's College London, took part in the 2018 London Venture Crawl on Wednesday 14 March.

Involving 200 students from 9 different London universities, the event was aimed to introduced students to London's startup ecosystem, visiting some of its top innovation hubs and workspaces.

Beginning at the Royal Academy of Engineering just off The Mall, the KCL bus, hosted by the King's College London Entrepreneurship Institute, made visits to startup accelerator Wayra, Geovation, Deliveroo and Accenture before the closing event at Plexal, an innovation hub based at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

We are pleased to announce that Rachel Blackburn has been asked to be the local Champion of Make It Your Business - a nationwide initiative to encourage and support women to start their own business. It was founded in 2017 by Alison Cork, a London-based entrepreneur, writer and broadcaster, with the aim of supporting and encouraging women throughout the UK to start their own business.

Events are run all over the country, where women can meet established local female entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences and network with other local aspiring female entrepreneurs, in a relaxed and enabling environment. The organisation focuses on collaboration and has also established an online chat forum, where any woman can ask any question about enterprise.

Rachel and Kerwin Blackburn of US2U Consulting visited the University of East Anglia's Enterprise Centre on Friday 5 May to attend 'Pitch Perfect: Ready to Pitch?'.

This Dragons' Den-style event gave the pair the chance to hear UEA startups and entrepreneurs pitch their companies and ideas as part of a panel of potential investors, offering feedback and other business advice as part of the process.

The diverse range of products and startups featured provided interesting insights into some of the outlooks and challenges facing entrepreneurial students at the UK's 12th-ranked university.

Companies pitching included hyperSlate, Assemble, Grabbit, Future Max Careers and Cooknst.

Rachel Blackburn was a judge at the University of East Anglia's Young Enterprise final at the Enterprise Centre, where she and the other judges had to determine which of their companies would progress to the national final in London.

The companies pitched their products and fielded questions from the panel of judges, who were particularly impressed by eventual winners Tritiki and their range of blended teas aimed at students.

"It was great to see such enthusiasm and passion for their products from the young entrepreneurs!" said Rachel.

The event also coincided with Rachel's day of filming for an Open University MOOC (Meet, Greet and Get Ready to Tweet!), meaning the deliberation amongst the judges could be set to feature in the final cut - we will keep you posted!

Kerwin Blackburn attended a 'Conversation with Professor Muhammad Yunus' at RSA London on Sunday 12 November, hosted by Uinspire.

The talk focused on the themes of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus' latest book, A World of Three Zeroes, as well as covering his background in pioneering the Microfinance sector in the 1970s with Grameen Bank and his ambitions for the growing field of 'social business'.