Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, elected as Bristol's independent mayor in 2012, will share insights into his entrepreneurial background at 

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Enterprise Nation has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder, Emma Jones CBE, Enterprise Nation connects you to the resources and expertise to help you succeed.

City Mayor to headline at The Pitch nationwide final

 Final, presented by BusinessZone.co.uk at Paintworks in Bristol on 23 October.

Paintworks Round

 have successfully run and managed small business contest The Pitch since 2008. Founded in Bristol, the UK-wide competition has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs on the road to success. The event on 23rd October is the national culmination of regional heats and winners.

Also speaking at the event is Mark Pearson, a 34-year-old entrepreneur and investor who recently sold his internet firm 

 for Â£55m and gave Â£112,000 to charity on Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire in 2010.

He will share the story of his journey from a council estate in Liverpool to a multi-million-pound fortune via working as a chef for Gordon Ramsey in Claridges. Other speakers include Andrew Mulvenna, co-founder of retail management software business 

The Pitch

Attendees will also be able to attend free workshops on subjects including business planning and digital marketing, plus book appointments for one-on-one advice from an online branding expert.

30 Pitch contestants will be selected to pitch at the Bristol event. They are being chosen after taking part in two business boot camps where they have received intensive training in areas such as pitching, sales and financial management.

The overall champion will receive a package of business support prizes worth thousands of pounds including a year's mentoring from online entrepreneur, Karen Darby.

Tickets to the event cost Â£10, which includes free food and drink throughout the day. These can be purchased 

<p>As Enterprise Nation's small business community manager, my role is to guide our members through every stage of their user journey, developing and improving their experience within the Enterprise Nation community, and arming them with the knowledge and resources they need to start and grow their business.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>I have over 20 years of experience working in customer and B2B support. Having also managed a small business for many years, I understand the struggles that they face am passionate about helping them grow. I love to hear member success stories, particularly those in the food and drink sector.&nbsp;</p>

Small Business Community Manager

Yum Yum Sushi Desserts founder John Hines talks through his truly remarkable start-up story

The former TV cooking show host has overcome real personal tragedy.

&lt;p&gt;I am a &lt;b&gt;C&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;hartered Accountant&lt;/b&gt;, having earned a respected reputation in the field of accounting, with more than &lt;b&gt;15 years of experience&lt;/b&gt; in working with small and medium-sized enterprises.&lt;br /&gt;
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Having worked with business owners ranging from one-man start-ups to large companies requiring a different level of services, I have developed a passion for the profession and I am driven by the success of my clients.&lt;br /&gt;
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I have spent many years in business working at boardroom level, holding various positions before being motivated to start my own practice, Makesworth Accountants, where I have blended my technical skills in accounting and tax with my business skills derived from my time in the industry.&lt;br /&gt;
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I have embraced the changing times and technologies and strongly agree that accountants are moving from being number crunchers to being reliable and trusted advisors. Throughout this process, Makesworth has been able to secure various affiliations and awards.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My objective is to add value to my clients’ businesses through the application of my extensive experience and knowledge in accounting, tax, HMRC investigations, business start-ups, and much more.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;You can expect us to provide expert solutions for your business needs no matter what business model you have. You will receive a cost-effective service and a free initial consultation.&lt;/p&gt;

Chartered Accountant

Accountancy, Taxation and Business Advisory

Accountancy, Taxation and Business Advisory Services in the UK

I am a Business Partnership Adviser covering the Kirklees area. I help support SME's to navigate and engage with education via universities, colleges and schools to develop and strengthen their talent pipeline and workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
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I work as part of a team of Business Partnership Advisers covering West and North Yorkshire to help address skills gaps within your business to ensure you have a strong, diverse, future-proofed workforce through accessing talented students to help your business grow. Working with the your local Business Partnership Adviser your business will have access to free one-to-one, impartial support to guide you through the process of engaging with the right people at local universities and colleges to secure student talent on a flexible basis be it short or longer term. A new, fresh pair of eyes can bring an exciting, creative advantage to your business and assist with upcoming live projects.&lt;br /&gt;
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I can also help signpost and make introductions to business, training, grant and networking support in Kirklees and the wider Leeds City Region network. I am able to support B2B, B2C and not for profit organisations.

Business Partnership Adviser (Kirklees)

Helping Kirklees businesses connect with education and training to recruit and develop their teams

&lt;p&gt;I am the Business Partnership Adviser supporting businesses&amp;nbsp;in the Kirklees area.&amp;nbsp; I work as part of a wider team of Business Advisers that support businesses accross West and North Yorkshire.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do you need to address skills gaps within your business to ensure you have a strong, diverse, future-proofed workforce?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Would you like to access talented students and graduates from local colleges 

&lt;p&gt;I am a Business Partnership Adviser covering the Leeds area. I help support SME's to navigate and engage with education via universities, colleges and schools to develop and strengthen their talent pipeline and workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I work as part of a team of Business Partnership Advisers covering West and North Yorkshire to help address skills gaps within your business to ensure you have a strong, diverse, future-proofed workforce through accessing talented students to help your business grow. Working with the your local Business Partnership Adviser your business will have access to free one-to-one, impartial support to guide you through the process of engaging with the right people at local universities and colleges to secure student talent on a flexible basis be it short or longer term. A new, fresh pair of eyes can bring an exciting, creative advantage to your business and assist with upcoming live projects.&lt;br /&gt;
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I can also help signpost and make introductions to business, training, grant and networking support in Leeds and the wider Leeds City Region network. I am able to support B2B, B2C and not for profit organisations.&lt;/p&gt;

Business Partnership Adviser (Leeds)

Dave Radford

&lt;p&gt;I am a Business Partnership Adviser covering the Leeds area. I help support SME's to navigate and engage with education via universities, colleges and schools to develop and strengthen their talent pipeline and workforce.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I work as part of a team of Business Partnership Advisers covering West and North Yorkshire to help address skills gaps within your business to ensure you have a strong, diverse, future-proofed workforce through accessing talented students to h

City Mayor to headline at The Pitch nationwide final

Tickets to the event cost Â£10, which includes free food and drink throughout the day. These can be purchased here.

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