The ‘Doorbell of Dreams’ meets The Festival of Entrepreneurs in Birmingham
Sir Richard Branson and Simon Squibb invite Birmingham business founders to pitch their dreams to a global online audience.
Calling all Birmingham entrepreneurs! Are you one of the third of Brits who would love to own their own business one day?* Would you jump at the chance to get your business idea in front of a global audience of millions and receive feedback from some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs? Now’s your chance…
Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson and entrepreneur, Simon Squibb, are sending their “Doorbell of Dreams” on the road to Birmingham between 8 and 9 November for The Festival of Entrepreneurs at The National Exhibition Centre.
Run by the pair’s entrepreneurship hubs, Virgin StartUp and HelpBnk, the “Doorbell of Dreams” is a video doorbell where founders can come and pitch their business ideas in 60 seconds. The pitches will be uploaded to the HelpBnk platform and the best ones will receive feedback on social media from some of the UK’s most recognisable entrepreneurs including Richard Branson and Simon Squibb, Aimee Smale, Simon Sinek, Roxie Nafousi and Charlie Bowes-Lyon.
With a combined social media following of more than 120 million, they will help the next generation of entrepreneurs get their business ideas in front of a global audience.
Everyone who pitches will also be offered a complimentary one-to-one session with an experienced business advisor from Virgin StartUp. Plus, Chloe Fenn, Start-Up Lead at Virgin StartUp, will join a panel discussion on Wednesday, sharing expert insights on how to fund and grow your business.
Nearly 4,000 people have already pitched to “Elevator of Dreams” video doorbell at Virgin Hotels in London-Shoreditch, with Richard and Simon’s favourite pitches clocking up 20 million views online for the next generation of UK start-up businesses.
The “Doorbell of Dreams” will be travelling in a “Dream Machine” van. For the most up to date timings and specific locations, visit doorbellofdreams.com.
Sir Richard Branson said: “I think it’s great that so many people across the UK want to start their own business, so we’ve asked Virgin StartUp and HelpBnk to take the doorbell on the road where we’ll reach more people and help them with the advice and guidance they need to make their ideas even bigger and better.”
Simon Squibb added: "I’m on a mission to help as many people as possible find their passion in life and to turn that into a business. I truly believe that anyone can build a successful business and live a life that they love, and that’s what the “Doorbell of Dreams” is all about. I’m so excited that Richard and I are now being joined by an incredible group of entrepreneurs to provide feedback on and share our favourite pitches. So, what are you waiting for? If you’ve got a business dream, come and tell us about it!”
For more information visit doorbellofdreams.com.
ENDS
*Research commission by Virgin StartUp and One Poll in November 2024 with 2,000 respondents.
About HelpBnk:
HelpBnk is a vibrant entrepreneurship community of more than 250,000 members, dedicated to providing free business support and rewarding individuals who help others. Founded by Simon Squibb, HelpBnk aims to make entrepreneurship accessible to all by combining philanthropy and business advice in one platform.
About Virgin Startup:
Virgin StartUp is the not-for-profit home of entrepreneurship at the Virgin Group.
Founded in 2013 by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin StartUp helps early-stage founders start and grow the businesses that they’re passionate about by providing founders with business advice, access to funding, mentoring, training and more, including scale-up and investment readiness programmes.
As a national Business Support Partner of the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans Scheme, Virgin StartUp provides access to funding between £500 - £25,000 to help founders start or scale early-stage businesses in the UK. Since launching in late 2013, Virgin StartUp has distributed nearly £100million to 7,000 early-stage founders around the country.
Virgin StartUp is also home to a community of thousands of founders, helping to provide the support and opportunities they need to build better business together. The Virgin StartUp Community is an online platform open to any aspiring or early-stage business founder, offering a dedicated space for founders to connect, share, learn and grow with like-minded entrepreneurs and industry experts. Founders can access 1:1 mentoring and 1:1 advisory calls, as well as online learning, workshops and face-to-face events to inspire and support them in their business venture.
For more information about HelpBnk contact:
Jack Whettingsteel
CMO, HelpBnk
+447502047291
For more information about Virgin StartUp contact:
Kate Cashmore
+447800746814