GEW: How to validate your business idea

GEW: How to validate your business idea

For Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015 Virgin StartUp is on a mission to help as many people as possible turn their business idea into a reality.

The theme for the week is, ‘Make it Happen’ - first off we produced this exclusive Virgin StartUp business plan that acts as a guide for people looking to do just that.

Secondly, we hosted a panel at the official Global Entrepreneurship Week launch event in Manchester focused on how to prove to yourself and to others that your business idea will work.  We Periscoped the first eleven minutes of the session are you can watch below:

Featuring

• Frank Milani, founder of Popcord - A handy iPhone charger that’s also a keyring. Founder, Frank Milani proved there was demand for his product by crowdfunding the production costs.

• Deborah Todd, founder of Zazzee – A new British women's ecommerce sportswear brand based in Manchester. ZAAZEE manufacture and retail multi-performance fabrics, fully breathable and perfect for running, gym and most fitness.

• Paul Davidson, Chairman of BBV – chairman of BBV, which supports start-up entrepreneurs in the northwest of England and is a delivery partner of Virgin StartUp.

Moderator

• Sam Lehane, Virgin StartUp – Sam is a member of the Virgin StartUp loans panel. Meaning he works with applicants to create brilliant business plans that attract funding from Virgin StartUp.

We’re also co-hosting an event this Thursday alongside Virgin Unite and WeWork to celebrate female entrepreneurs in London. It’s titled -  Inspiring Women to make it happen.  The event will focus on how to take your idea from pencil to production and will showcase some brilliant entrepreneurs funded by us and a special guest from Virgin Unite based in Jamaica.

Our first speaker is Roxy Vickerman of the delicious social enterprise SOAK Shakes & Co. She is joined by Sudha Kheterpal of Shake Your Power, a revolutionary new percussion instrument that generates energy through rhythm. Then Patria-Kaye Aarons of Sweetie Confectionary will be Skyping in all the way from Jamaica to talk about how she built a business of candies that embody local Jamaican flavours.