06/03/2025
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, took part in the discussions, and helped make the event such a success this morning. It was great to see so many businesses in the room, sharing ideas, learning from each other and making new connections.
A special thank you to our fantastic speakers who brought so much insight and expertise to the sessions.
We started with Legal & Compliance Foundations for Business Success, where Vishal Mahay and Courtney Stephenson from Waldrons Solicitors were joined by Hassanatu Hawkins from High-End Health Care UK, Lukas Schlenker from Deltron Lifts Ltd., and Jessica Dunkley FCCA from RD Accounting Ltd. They shared real-life experiences of handling legal and compliance challenges and gave valuable advice on how businesses can protect themselves from risk.
Next, Smart Business Finance: Strategies for Stability & Growth, where Cara Powell of Dudley Building Society provided practical guidance on managing business savings, reducing financial risk and planning for the future.
We then moved on to Leveraging Technology for Operational Efficiency, led by Richard Johnson MSc, Cert Ed. from Halesowen College and Black Country Innovation Services, with insights from Matt Weston at Vantage 365, Tom May at Mint Technology, and Onkar Singh Cert CII(MP). AI, cloud solutions and cybersecurity were all key themes, with plenty of discussion on how businesses can use technology to work more efficiently.
Finally, Future-Proofing Your Workforce: Training & Development Opportunities, with Paul Nightingale from Juniper Training Ltd, Sam Shaw from BSN Group Construction and Martin Hough from DWP. They shared advice on tackling skills shortages, accessing funding and investing in people to build a stronger, more resilient workforce.
A big thank you to West Midlands Business Festival, Oxford Innovation Advice and West Midlands Growth Company for providing a great platform to bring the local business community together.
And of course, we can’t forget to mention the bacon cobs – they were well worth the wait!
If this was your first Waterfront Matters event, we hope you found it useful and left with some valuable insights (and hopefully a few new connections too!). We look forward to seeing you at future events, whether for another seminar or simply a chance to catch up socially.
Waterfront Brierley Hill Black Country Chamber of Commerce Dudley News Black Country Radio Vantage 365 RD Accounting LtdMerry Hill High-End Health Care UK Deltron Lifts Limited Dudley Building Society
Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill Dudley Halesowen College Mint Technology Juniper Training Ltd
