Many of you will have seen some our previous Breakfast seminars, or even been to one. The new season is beginning in 2 weeks time with “Entrepreneurship, The Recession and 2010”- a special and engaging look at the entrepreneurial sector.

This recession has hit SME’s and entrepreneurial businesses the hardest. Whether you consult to these organisations, are one of these organisations, or are simply part of the business community, you need to know what the implications are for this key part of the economy.

Our speaker, Rebecca Harding, is an independent economist, founder and Managing Director of Delta Economics Ltd and the World Entrepreneur Society. Previously Rebecca was a Director of Research at Deloitte, Chief Economist at The Work Foundation and she has held senior academic roles various prestigious institutions, including London Business School and Oxford University. She has been a specialist adviser to the Treasury Select Committee on Regional Productivity between 2004 and 2005 and Chief Policy Adviser to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship (APPGE) (2007-2009). Recently she was engaged in round table discussions with the German President and senior business leaders and policy makers on the future of the East German economy. She is a prolific author, and recent media work includes appearances on Radio 4, Radio 5 Live and the World Service. She is frequently cited in the Financial Times, the Telegraph and the Economist.

Delta Economics are a research-led economics consultancy whose goal is to promote sustainable economic development through entrepreneurship and corporate responsibility. They work with organisations such as Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, HSBC, Grant Thornton and Barclays. All their research is focused on the end user and they specialise in “translating” complex economic and econometric concepts into an accessible format

On Tuesday 19th January 2010, at BLT’s office, Rebecca will look at the impact that the recession has had on entrepreneurs and their businesses across the world. Based on interviews with practitioners from the entrepreneurial sector and a large scale survey of business founders in the UK, she will look at how turnover, demand for finance, recruitment and management have all been affected over the last 12 months and discuss the coping strategies that entrepreneurs and the support services industry (accountants, banks, lawyers and consultants) have adopted to deal with the ‘perfect storm’ of financial crisis and economic downturn. Her talk will also look ahead to the prospects of recovery during 2010 and the implications for the entrepreneurial sector.

The event will begin at 8:00am, with coffee and croissants. Rebecca will speak from 8.30 for 25-30 minutes, followed by an opportunity for questions. There will also be time to meet the other guests and network with them. We hope that you’ll be able to join us for the event and that you’ll find Rebecca’s insights very valuable.

If you would be interested in coming, then please contact the organiser, Stephen Humphreys, by January 13th to srh@blt.co.uk to let us know if you would like to attend. Please use the Subject “BLT Breakfast Seminar”