And as a welcome to our new site  – FMWF.com/smallbusiness – visitors who complete our online questionnaire can win a  CASE OF CHAMPAGNE. The draw will be made in September and the lucky winner will be announced in Financial Mail on September 12th.

The unrivalled Enterprise coverage in Financial Mail each Sunday is now complemented by online news, regular columns from Enterprise Editor Helen Loveless and Enterprise Correspondent Vicki Owen, invaluable advice on employment law from Peta Fluendy and the entertaining story of the trials and tribulations of a small business owner by Saira Khan, star of The Apprentice.

So tap into all that’s new for SMEs by visiting the site – and book your winning ticket for a case of champagne.

For a copy of the survey, please click here: Enterprise Zone Survey

Please send your responses to enterprise@financialmail.co.uk or write to Enterprise Zone Survey, Financial Mail on Sunday, Room 445, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TS.

Click here to join Financial Mail’s Enterprise Zone LinkedIn group

Doug says: ‘Most small businesses in Britain fail to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet and in most cases only manage an online brochure for their goods or services.’

He adds: ‘In 48 Hours will provide a standard for specific expertise-based training. It will help small businesses realise what little time and effort it needs to take advantage of the online opportunities and become more successful.’

The boot camp will take place on 10 and 11 September.

For more info: schoolforstartups.co.uk.

With economic growth dependent on the nation’s ability to innovate and diversify, Britain’s inventors have a key role to play in developing the new products and services that will drive the recovery.

Looking to stimulate creativity and encourage innovative thinking across Britain, a British Library exhibition – Inventing the 21st Century – is tracing the journey behind 15 British products developed over the last ten years, from the revolutionary Dyson Air Multiplier to President Obama’s favourite dog bowl.

Every year the UK generates over 25,000 patents, trademarks, and design rights for new products and services. The curator of the exhibition and the British Library’s resident patent expert, Stephen Van Dulken says: ‘The British Library hopes this exhibition will inspire a generation of aspiring inventors to explore their ideas and turn creativity into a reality.’

Inventing the 21st Century: Celebrating British Ingenuity will run from 6 September – 28 November 2010 in the British Library’s Folio Society Gallery.

The inventions featured:

• The Double Broom
  A double-headed broom invented by Samuel Houghton, who was just three years old at the time, after he watched his dad struggle to sweep up leaves in his back garden.

• SeaRaser Wave Power Generator
  A self-cleaning, low maintenance wave energy device that uses just the motion of the waves to pressurise water through a system of floating pistons to create energy. Creators Dartmouth Wave Energy Limited say 11,000 units could generate enough power for the whole of Britain and reduce energy bills by as much as three quarters.

• Magnamole DIY Solution
  Produced by a Dragon’s Den winner, the Magnamole enables building contractors and home improvement enthusiasts to pass cables through cavity walls more quickly, easily and most importantly more safely.

• Karbon Kinetics Gocycle®
  An innovative electric folding electric bike which allows users to go for up to an hour without recharging and reaches speeds of 15 mph.

• Money Saving Ewgeco Energy Monitor
  Attached to a domestic or commercial power supply, this single device makes monitoring your usage of electricity, gas and water easy through a simple traffic light warning system.

• All Terrain Trendy Trekinetic® Wheelchair
  With a wide wheel base and a shock absorbing rear wheel, this radically redesigned wheelchair not only looks much cooler than traditional designs but has been designed with an active user in mind.

• Lifesaver Portable Water Filter
  Using a triple filter pump activated system to remove bacteria and viruses, as well as mud and dirt, Michael Pritchard’s chemical free Lifesaver is literally saving lives – enabling victims of natural disasters quick and easy access to clean water.

• Pop Open Packaging
  Packaging involves many often unseen innovations to ensure a cheap yet reliable product. Developed by the British Library’s own Inventor in Residence, Mark Sheahan, Pop-i packaging provides easy access, re-sealable containers for all sorts of confectionary and cosmetic products.

• Dyson’s Bladeless Fan (pictured)
  Known as the Air Multiplier®, the latest product from Dyson is 15 times more efficient than standard existing fan technology, producing air in the base and amplifying it over an aerofoil hoop to create a smooth, powerful, un-buffeted blast of air.

• Yoomi Self-warming Baby Bottle
  At the press of a button this innovative baby bottle warms baby milk to the correct temperature every time, wherever and whenever required. Using a rechargeable warming device, the feed is heated in through a series of channels on the outside of the warmer – heating just the milk being drunk, whilst keeping the rest fresh.

• Mosquito Security System
  Emitting a high-pitched series of pulses, at 15.5 to 17.5kHz, which can only be heard by young people, this controversial device was designed to tackle anti-social behaviour by preventing groups of teenagers from hanging around in public places.

• Road Refresher® Dog Bowl A specially designed water bowl for dogs, the Road Refresher enables dogs to drink as you drive and prevent the motion of the car spilling water everywhere. Despite failing to secure funding from the Dragons’ Den, inventor Natalie Ellis has gone on to crack the US market with her product – even the Whitehouse now has one.

• Speedo’s Shark Inspired Swimsuit
  At the 2008 Beijing Olympics 94 per cent of races were won by competitors wearing Speedo’s high-tech new swimsuits. Designed to improve times by up to 4 per cent, the cutting edge, water repellent design has been so effective that as of this year they are now banned from competitions amid allegations of ‘technological doping’.

• Revolutionary Retinal Scanner
  Using an ellipsoidal mirror to reflect a laser beam and provide high-resolution images in a single scan, the Optos retinal scanner has now been used in over 24 million eye examinations world wide and even helped to save the sight of one of the inventor’s sons.

• Rail Track Leaf Laser
  In 1999 Railtrack announced they had spent £50 million tackling the disruption caused by autumn leaves, concluding that they would ‘never beat nature’ and relying on the costly method of ‘lineside vegetation management’. Unwilling to give up on the challenge, LaserThor have developed a much cheaper but yet to be commercialised system of lasers and mirrors to blast debris from the line.

Back2workmum, a Surrey-based coaching and recruitment agency, is holding a black-tie charity ball where around 100 female guests will wear their wedding dresses instead of the obligatory ball gown.

Held in memory of Back2workmum founder Naz Lewis’ friend Gillian Redman, all money raised will go to Meningitis UK.

Gillian (and her baby daughter Grace whom she was pregnant with) died six years ago when she contracted meningitis at the age of 31.

Naz says: ‘Gillian was a wonderful person whose untimely death was a shock to us all. Meningitis is a dangerous and frightening disease which can strike at any age quickly and without warning and if left untreated can cause death or serious disability.’

Now in its third year, the event will take place on Saturday 9 October at the Hilton Cobham Hotel in Cobham, Surrey. Tickets are £50 each and include a welcome drink, three course meal and disco.

Gillian’s mother, Alice Austin says: ‘The past three events have been such fun and a real celebration of Gillian’s life. It is so nice to see women enjoying the opportunity to wear their wedding dress again as very often they only get one airing.’

To purchase tickets for the charity ball please contact Naz Lewis on 01932 589 943 or email naz@backtoworkmum.co.uk.

www.meningitisuk.org

If you need an excuse to party AND make valuable contacts – this is it! A fabulous lead into your weekend!

A truly unique and stunning venue the glamorous St Pancras Grand Champagne Bar is Europe’s longest and is situated below the magnificent Barlow Shed, giving full view of the amazing architecture of this historic Victorian station as well as the modern speed of EuroStar.

1230 The Women’s Company is very honoured to be joined by our special guest, renowned film, stage, TV and radio star Jenny Agutter whose huge success in the Railway Children film encouraged us to link this year’s theme to railways.

We are proud to have Ovacome as our Charity Partner – the charity supporting those affected by ovarian cancer – for the fourth year.
If you have joined us in previous years at our charity events you will know that the entertainment is always superb – this year is no different, and in fact the best yet, but it needs to remain a surprise! You will love it!

This is a great opportunity to network and have some fun in a truly amazing setting, all in an excellent cause.

Fabulous Raffle Prizes, Hand massages, goody bag items and special offers from Neal’s Yard – proceeds from this events go to Ovacome.

Booking deadline – 20 August. For further details and to book visit: www.1230.co.uk or email: events@1230.co.uk or call: 020 8650 8015.

The awards, which are in their eighth year and are backed by Financial Mail, recognise female entrepreneurs who have overcome personal or professional adversity to run successful businesses. There are ten awards, including four that are categorised by age and named after Greek goddesses.

Former winners include Elaine Fairfax, of ethical pet insurance company Animal Friends Insurance, in Amesbury, Wiltshire; and Kate Craig-Wood, founder of web hosting company Memset, in Guildford, Surrey.

Lyn Cecil is the founder of Secretaries Plus and the Plus team, a central London-based recruitment business. Last year she won the Hera award, for the most inspiring female entrepreneur aged 50 or over. Lyn, 62, launched Secretaries Plus with a £1,000 loan in 1975.

In 2002, at the peak of the company’s success, Lyn discovered her financial director had embezzled more than half a million pounds from the business. She was forced into receivership. Borrrowing money to buy back her business, Lyn then built the firm back up and last year saw a turnover of £2.1 million.

She says: ‘Being forced to put my business in receivership and then restart at the age of 55 was the hardest thing I’ve ever done..I now work with a small but brilliant team and I appreciate their endeavours daily as they have made me what I am. It was an honour to win the award.’

>> The deadline for entry is 30 July. Go to everywoman.com/natwesteverywomanawards.

Current RSA Fellow Louise Burfitt-Dons contacted the RSA with an idea for an RSA Women’s Speakers Network and has started to put the initiative in place.

The RSA currently has a public events programme on pressing social issues and hopes that the new RSA Women’s Speaker Network can compliment this.

Louise says: ‘The communication of ideas and opinions through public speaking is one of the most influential ways of inspiring and progressing social change. It seems an ideal time for developing a network of this sort because the topics that were once considered “women’s domain” like bonding, networking, pacifying, empathising are emerging more and more in corporate leadership lectures.’

She adds: ‘The female workforce is now over fifty per cent in some countries and women mostly run the households affected by the million or so job cuts coming up shortly so their awareness of the perils of climate change are essential. With the economic recovery dependent on public spending and women responsible in some categories up to 80 per cent of that decision making, women’s influence is no longer just a gender topic, but a planet issue. So there’s a lot to talk about and initiate here.’

>> If you are interested in helping expand the RSA’s initial ideas contact Louise Burfitt-Dons by email: l.burfitt-dons@btconnect.com.

In celebration of the importance of small and medium-size enterprises, the awards – organised by startups.co.uk – will acknowledge the best fledgling businesses that Britain has to offer.

Last year’s winners include online credit lender Wonga, sustainable products firm Go Sustainable, touring theatre production company Three Sixty Entertainment and nuisance call blocker Truecall.

David Lester, startups.co.uk’s founder, says: ‘Each year we unearth a whole set of innovative, disruptive new businesses and entrepreneurs that continue to make people sit up and pay attention to the start-up market.’

The awards contain 16 categories, including Green Business of the Year, Women in Business Award, Product of the Year, Best Use of Technology and Business Plan of the Year.

There are also five new categories this year: Home Business of the Year, Mobile Business of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, Angel/VC Backed Business of the Year and Craft Business of the Year.

The closing date for entries is 3rd September 2010.

>> For more details: startupsawards.co.uk.

Women taking part will ride through the Rift Valley – from the slopes of majestic Mount Kenya to the shores of magnificent Lake Victoria. And as if that isn’t exciting enough – they will visit an elephant orphanage too.

To take part you need to pay a registration fee of £250 and raise minimum sponsorship funds of £2,800. £100 of the funds you raise will be added to a donation of £25 per cyclist from Action for Charity and used for a project to help Kenyan people.

For information and to register online go to www.actionforcharity.co.uk.

Email: events@actionforcharity.co.uk.

Telephone: 0845 408 2698.

The ‘Manufacturing and Innovation’ webinar, which is co-hosted by Smarta.com, will be held on Wednesday July 8 at 2.15pm.

It will include a live panel debate with Martin Temple, chairman of EEF, the manufacturers’ association; Sir Richard Needham, entrepreneur and former trade minister; and Peter Ibbetson, chairman of small business at NatWest.

Topics on the agenda for discussion include access to finance, exporting opportunities, and how to overcome barriers to innovation, as well advice on funding. The event will be broadcast live online and firms will be able to submit questions to the panel both before and during the debate.

NatWest’s Ibbetson said: ‘Through these events we want to encourage an open dialogue with businesses. There are over 168,000 manufacturing companies employing more than 2.5 million people in the UK and this sector has been hit hard by the recession.

‘We’re holding events such as these, along with our £1 billion manufacturing fund, to increase support for these businesses as conditions begin to improve.

Firms can register to take part in the webimar at natwest.com/businessknowledgewebinars.