Businessplus Spring 2016 | Page 26

START UP a warmYORKSHIRE From sweet West & North Yorkshire Chamber welcome dreams to at milly’s sweet success ECOFAIR 2016 If you have a passion for a good cup of coffee, a tasty snack and love socialising, then you will enjoy the welcome and atmosphere at Milly’s. Our annual Eco Fair will return to Leeds on Wednesday 15th June 2016. Milly's is not just for breakfast, however. Bernadette Samuel, who launched the café, realised people and the community are the centre of all things and locals need somewhere to go throughout th e day. As a result, the café covers all needs, from lunch on the go, a quick coffee, a catch up with friends and free Wi-Fi for the kids. Join us at Elland Road for our biggest event of the year and find out how your organisation can reduce its environmental impact, reduce costs and secure contracts with customers who choose to buy green. Eco Fair is free to attend, so please put the date in your diary. A successful business may be fuelled by coffee and passion, but planning and research are central to getting it right. When Bernadette was introduced to the Chamber’s Start Up team, they worked together on the business and financial planning to make sure that the numbers added up. The Eco Fair exhibition will showcase environmental goods and services and our seminar programme will include technical advice and case study presentations across the following themed zones: Energy & Carbon; People & Property; The Circular Economy and Policy & Regulation. Milly's Café can be found at No 1 Hunsworth Lane, Cleckheaton. Interested in attending? Over 600 people attended last year and feedback tells us that Eco Fair 2015 was “inspirational” and the seminars were “excellent”, “really useful” and “very professional”. Together, they explored their idea and, inspired by their own ‘big momma’, Jas, they developed their brand around their love for all things sweet; something different to get the taste buds watering and attract all ages.  At Big Momma’s Waffles, they have developed their offer and menu to include a range of sweet as well as savoury waffles, toasties and delicious milkshakes. As they say, a little something special for everyone to complement the shopping experience. Having met the Chamber’s Start Up team, they were able to run their idea past a business adviser to make sure they had everything in place for a successful launch. To experience the taste, the business can be found at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds. START UP Interested in exhibiting? Last year 87% of exhibitors generated new sales leads, with an estimated value of 16 times the cost of their exhibition fee. They also said that Eco Fair 2015 was a great event to exhibit at to “meet local businesses” and they were “impressed at the variety of enthusiastic people who attend”. If you are looking to put your dreams into practice, research a business idea or need help to identify a gap in the market, contact the Chamber’s Start & Grow team. They will help you develop your idea, source start-up funding and put a business plan together with you. Support is also available for a newly-launched business. Eligibility criteria apply. West & North Yorkshire Chamber Visit www.eco-fair.co.uk or call 01274 206660 to register or book your exhibition space. ENVIRONMENT Harpreet and Gurvinder recognised an emerging trend for people looking for “dessert spots” while they are shopping and found a gap in the market. Start-up and grow your own business YORKSHIRE Come along for the day or call in for an hour or two to talk to experts and suppliers and to network with local businesses. 26 Big Momma’s Waffles is a business dream come true for entrepreneurial sisters, Harpreet and Gurvinder Kaur. They have always wanted to launch their own business and with Big Momma’s Waffles, they feel they have found the perfect recipe. West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce T: 01274 206656 E: [email protected] W: www.startupandgrowyorkshire.co.uk SUPPORT 27