FastForward

What does data mean to you? If your understanding of data is limited to surveys and reams of numbers on a spreadsheet, think again. Data is all around us and having the capacity to digest and analyse it is powerful. But, when it comes to big data, where do you start?

To help make sense of how data can be gathered and used to drive smart business decisions, Patricia is joined by Henri Egle Sorotos, Data, Insights and Partnership Lead for CognitionX.

Over the course of 34 minutes they discuss:

- The importance of data for startups and how to harness it
- How to tell the difference between good and bad data
- Data for sales
- Key tips for making the most out of data

Watch Henri's workshop here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdLU27cYN90

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Henri Egle Sorotos
 Listening Time: 34 mins
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Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Every entrepreneur needs to deliver presentations to promote and sell their business successfully. But, if the very thought of it makes your knees knock and your voice quiver, this episode is designed to help you.

It’s packed full of tips to help you walk into your next presentation with confidence and leave the audience with a positive lasting impression, of both you and your business.

Patricia is joined by communication experts, Sarah Perris and Merryn Myatt from Perris-Myatt. Sarah is a former Worldwide Communications Director for Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Cars, and Merryn is a former journalist broadcaster who has worked with the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV.

Throughout the next 50 minutes learn the strategies for successful communication that will give you a powerful competitive advantage.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Sarah Perris and Merryn Myatt, Perris-Myatt www.perris-myatt.co.uk
Listening Time: 48 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Are you fulfilling your potential? If not, what’s getting in the way of you and the life that you want to live?

So many women overachieve academically but this isn’t always matched by their career and salary potential. Why? Motherhood, discrimination and lack of confidence may play a part, but how can you take control of your career and uncover your purpose?

Natalie Jameson and Annie Mbako, the founders of The Heroworx, are on a mission to elevate and support women in the workplace by equipping entrepreneurs and execs with the digital innovation leadership skills, methods and mindset to make an impact.

In this conversation with Patricia Keating, they share their tips and advice on how you can harness your power and purpose.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Natalie Jameson and Annie Mbako, The Heroworx
 Listening Time:
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Building a business is stressful, but have you stopped to think about protecting your intellectual property? Every business has a name, a logo, a website and a database of contacts that are important to its success. However, without the right IP protection in place your company could come crashing down around you.

Ian Sterritt is a policy officer at the Intellectual Property Office and was the person responsible for launching Satellite Navigation in the UK during his time with Philips Electronics. Ian has more than 20 years of experience in founding new businesses, working with emerging technology and consulting on intellectual property and innovation strategy.

In this episode Ian outlines the benefits of protecting your IP, some of the common mistakes that businesses make and how to protect your IP. Here are some of the key points he discussed with Patricia:

3’00 - What is IP?
7’05 – Why does IP matter?
13’12 – How can you protect IP?
31’24 – IP and social media
35’50 – Trade secrets
36’50 – The cost of not protecting IP
44’15 – IP and new technology
51’13 – Will Brexit affect IP?
54’48 – Where can you find out more about protecting IP?
59’40 – Where can you get IP advice for free?

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Ian Sterritt
 Listening Time: 63 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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If you’re new to the world of digital marketing, it can be daunting to know how to get your brand noticed. But how do you create a buzz on social media and use content to increase your rankings? In this episode we’ll explore why a good digital marketing strategy has both SEO and social media working together to bring more visitors to your site.

Amy-Jay (AJ) Handley-Rowe is a freelance digital marketing specialist, who has previously worked within agencies and headed up a digital marketing team at a university. To help you understand how to perform better in search engine rankings AJ and Patricia discuss the following:

- Who should use SEO? 8’39
- What is a security certificate and how quickly can you get one? 12’35
- The common mistakes businesses commonly make with their SEO strategy. 13’54
- Why are backlinks valuable? 17’51
- How to measure data to improve performance. 20’22
- Which social media platform is best for your business? 26’05
- Why content is king on social media 34’07
- 5 top tips for creating an SEO and social media strategy. 46'10

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Amy-Jay Handley-Rowe
 Listening Time: 50 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Standing at the edge of a room full of strangers can be intimidating, especially when there is already a hubbub of conversation. We all know that networking and making good connections is vital for success, but for most of us walking up and introducing ourselves to people we don’t know is a real challenge. So, how do you overcome that fear?

Naomi Timplerley FRSA, is co-founder of Tech North Advocates, which champions tech in the north of England, and chair of investment platform Capital Pilot. An experienced partnerships and engagement consultant with established relationships across the UK, Naomi shares her top tips to become a confident and comfortable networker.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Naomi Timperley FRSA
 Listening Time: 35 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Transitioning back into the workplace following a career break can be both daunting and difficult.

Following the birth of her son and subsequent maternity leave, Beckie Taylor felt disconnected on her return to work and discovered there was not adequate support in place to ease the transition.

Beckie resolved to address the problem, co-founding Tech Returners to help people jump back into technology following a career break and to stop the industry from missing out on amazing talent.

Here, Beckie shares her Tech Returners journey and how it has empowered more women to return to work with confidence.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Beckie Taylor co-founder Tech Returners
 Listening Time: 38 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk
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Alena Golden co-founded BattleMe, an app allowing users to choose a beat, record tracks and compete with other users. She started the business with her brother and a third co-founder in 2016 with a marketing budget of £5,000. To date, the BattleMe app has been downloaded more than a million times. One user even landed a recording contract with Universal Music, USA.

Alena shares her story of turning a passion into a business and gives her insight into:
- Making marketing work on a limited budget
- The importance of influencers
- How to get an app featured on Apple
- The important lessons she’s learned on her entrepreneurial journey so far.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Alena Golden, Co-founder BattleMe
 Listening Time: 28 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk
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Finding the funds to set up a new business, or to take your startup to the next level, can be a minefield. Money may seem hard to come by, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any available.

Guy Weaver is Director at Praetura Capital, which delivers tailored business funding options to support sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. To date, the group has invested £100 million in more than 20 businesses.

The former KPMG accountant is also a tech entrepreneur – he founded Introstream in 2017, a platform that helps new businesses find new technology ideas by pitching ideas to tech startups.

In this episode, Guy discusses the current funding landscape and gives some tips on raising finance for your business.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Guy Weaver, Director Praetura Capital
 Listening Time: 40 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk
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Jamaal Brathwaite left behind a career as a pilot to begin his entrepreneurial journey, but it hasn't been a smooth ride.

Jamaal's story is one of resilience and determination to succeed. He pitched to 54 investors before receiving any backing, saw his first company fail leaving him penniless and launched his new business shortly after the death of his mother.

In this compelling interview Jamaal shares his learning and discusses how important it is to surround yourself with the right resources to give your business every chance of success.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Jamaal Brathwaite, founder and CEO Jobseekrs®
 Listening Time: 45 minutes
Follow Tech Manchester: Twitter: @tecmcr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/ Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk
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