Workshops

Navigating Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

As Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) approaches, it's crucial to understand how these changes will impact your tax reporting and compliance.

AI in Action: Hands-On Innovation for SMEs and Entrepreneurs - Free Masterclass

AI in Action is an interactive masterclass designed to help SMEs and entrepreneurs explore the real-world potential of artificial intelligence.

Work Smarter with AI: Social Media Made Simple

Stop working weekends. Use AI to create, schedule & automate your marketing—faster, easier, smarter. Stop spending hours creating social media posts. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI to create, schedule, and automate your marketing — faster, easier, and smarter.

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part One

Learn how to build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business to £1m turnover.
This two-part, interactive training gives business leaders the frameworks, tools, and practical actions needed to create a high-performing sales engine. Ideal for those ready to move from ad-hoc selling to a structured approach that delivers consistent growth.

Available exclusively to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

How To Become Investment-Ready

Designed to equip startup and small business owners with the essential knowledge needed to secure investment.

Tech Lunch - with James Bateson, Web Developer EXP Brand & Digital Consultancy

If you'd like to know why digital accessibility is important come along and join James (Jim) Bateson, Web Developer at EXP – Brand & Digital Consultancy, as he explains why organisations should care more about making digital products and services accessible and elevate it from its nice-to-have /bottom of the to-do list status.

Marketing Workshop – LinkedIn Mastery

Marketing Workshop 3 – LinkedIn Mastery – In this workshop: Introduction to LinkedIn: The Basics Building an Optimised LinkedIn Profile Networking and Building Connections

UK Export Academy - Effective Instagram to fuel your business growth

Want the secrets to success behind those businesses who have boosted their profits by selling on Instagram? Come join us for easy, practical tips on how you can use Instagram to sell your products or services to new customers, both in the UK and across the globe.

Social to Selling: How to Turn Your Social Media Posts Into Sales

In this session, you'll learn how to turn the content you’re already creating into conversations, clients, and consistent sales — without posting every day or dancing on Reels.

Find, Hire and Keep Your Dream Team

Discover how to attract, hire, and keep the right people for your business.
Join Laura and Emily Leyland from Fresh Perspective for a practical workshop covering everything from writing standout job adverts to building a culture that retains top talent.

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part Two

Build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business toward £1m turnover.
This two-part interactive programme gives business leaders practical sales frameworks, quick-win tactics, and a clear plan to achieve sustained revenue growth.

Available only to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

Retail Renaissance Programme – Diversification, Innovation & Product Development

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line!

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part One

Learn how to build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business to £1m turnover.
This two-part, interactive training gives business leaders the frameworks, tools, and practical actions needed to create a high-performing sales engine. Ideal for those ready to move from ad-hoc selling to a structured approach that delivers consistent growth.

Available exclusively to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

The Business Briefing: Succession Planning

Join us for The Business Briefing — an event series from Brabners, a leading UK law firm, and Lancaster University Management School’s Entrepreneurs in Residence.

RedCAT Network sponsored by Meissner Bolte

Join the North of England’s best Climate Tech network The RedCAT network exists to bring together: Climate Tech & Green Tech innovators, inventors, designers, manufacturers & installers VCs, angels & other investors Local government, not-for-profit and academia

Retail Renaissance Programme – Optimising Online Sales, Market Insights and Consumer Trends

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line! Optimising Online Sales, Market Insights and Consumer Trends What’s hot and what’s not.

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part Two

Build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business toward £1m turnover.
This two-part interactive programme gives business leaders practical sales frameworks, quick-win tactics, and a clear plan to achieve sustained revenue growth.

Available only to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

From Dragon’s Den to Global Impact: A Fireside Chat with Peter Harrison

Join us for an inspiring Fireside Chat with Peter Harrison, founder and Managing Director of award-winning firm FGH Security and proud LUMS MBA alumnus.

Ready to Raise? @ South Ribble

Ready to Raise? is a county-wide roadshow designed to connect founders, business owners, and directors with the people who fund growth including VCs, angel investors, and experienced advisors, who are all embedded in the Lancashire ecosystem.

Retail Renaissance Programme – Customer Journey Mapping

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line! Optimising Online Sales, Market Insights and Consumer Trends What’s hot and what’s not.

Business Growth HR Essentials – Employment Rights Bill, Managing Sickness Absence and Managing a Probationary Period

Employment Rights Bill – HR Essentials Get ahead of major 2026 changes with our session covering two topics: Managing Sickness Absence – Prepare for day-one Statutory Sick Pay, wider eligibility, and policy/payroll updates to manage costs and absence trends.

Business Growth Workshop – Agentic AI

This advanced half-day workshop dives into the emerging Agentic Layer of AI — where intelligent agents act autonomously to drive outcomes.

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part One

Learn how to build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business to £1m turnover.
This two-part, interactive training gives business leaders the frameworks, tools, and practical actions needed to create a high-performing sales engine. Ideal for those ready to move from ad-hoc selling to a structured approach that delivers consistent growth.

Available exclusively to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

Innovate Your Edge: Deliver Value

Beyond Tech Specs: Crafting a Value Proposition That Connects with Dr Jo Cresswell, Innovation Consultant & Director at ISR Enterprise Zone Great tech isn’t enough — your value proposition has to hit home.

Retail Renaissance Programme – Funding & Financial Guidance

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line! Funding & Financial Guidance Unlock Lancashire’s hidden funding vaults.

Co-work & Connect @ Blackburn

Connect & Co-Work in BwD Looking for a change of scene, some fresh energy, or just a chance to get things done alongside others?

The Big Presence Sales Blueprint: Designing Your £1m Sales Process Part Two

Build a scalable, repeatable sales process that drives your business toward £1m turnover.
This two-part interactive programme gives business leaders practical sales frameworks, quick-win tactics, and a clear plan to achieve sustained revenue growth.

Available only to businesses based in: Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Pendle, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

Retail Renaissance Programme – Business Resilience

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line! Business Resilience Future-proof your retail business.

The Business Briefing: Intellectual Property

Join us for The Business Briefing — an event series from Brabners, a leading UK law firm, and Lancaster University Management School’s Entrepreneurs in Residence.

Trade Mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2026

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in partnership with UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is delighted to announce calls for expressions of interest to join a trade mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.

Co-work & Connect @ Blackburn

Connect & Co-Work in BwD Looking for a change of scene, some fresh energy, or just a chance to get things done alongside others?

Dare You Enter The Dragons' Den?

Think your business idea has what it takes? Dragons' Den Chorley gives local entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their start-up, product, or project to a panel of real investors and business experts - live, in front of an audience.

Retail Renaissance Programme – Workforce Development

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line!

Retail Renaissance Programme – Regulatory Support

Fully Funded Retail Support Programme Thanks to a brand new, custom made programme for retailers, ‘Retail Renaissance’ will help transform your retail business with expert-led sessions designed to future-proof your operations and boost your bottom line!

North West Business Expo 2026

The North West Business Expo is back and promises to be bigger and better than ever before! The exhibition returns to The Premier Suite, within Bolton Wanderers Football Club on Friday the 23rd of October 2026 with 2 floors packed with exhibitors.