YCF 2022 Beyond the Basics

YCF Scotland

YCF’s conferences are rated highly by delegates as rewarding and enjoyable networking events, helping make or renew valuable connections.

Surgeons Quarter

As always, we take a broad theme that gives a variety of quality speakers the opportunity to share their knowledge or experience in different ways. This year, we focus on the business essentials which are crucial to a young company’s ability to survive and grow. Over the lifespan of a business, founders have a number of critical decisions to make. Some of these, made early in the development of the company, have effects long into the future. Founders starting out need to know the basics (and many founders start with little business experience), but getting the basics right is essential for future-proofing the company’s continuing progress. Our speakers will be highlighting the issues which they consider basics in a number of different contexts – staffing, marketing, operations, and finance – and explaining how getting these right can accelerate a company’s development, and making the wrong call can create a legacy which takes a long time from which to recover.SpeakersThe conference will be chaired by Lynne Cadenhead, chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland.We have invited our sponsors to make joint presentations with client companies, so that they can highlight some of the ‘basics’ in different areas and discuss how they have been addressed succesfully in real world cases:Finance: 	Steedman with client company Letting CloudLegal: 		Burges Salmon with client company Curadh MTRIP: 		Marks &amp; Clerk with client company PneumagenWe are particularly pleased to welcome three company founders who have taken their businesses to a new level by means of an exit for their investors, and have taken a big step forward as they reach the next stage of development:Tommy Cook, Calnex Solutions (IPO on AIM in 2020)Willie Biggart, Spoonfed (trade sale to 365 Retail Markets in 2021)Mike Allan, Exterity (trade sale to VITEC in 2021)Additional speakers include:Kevin Parker, KKI Associates: The Past and Future: 25 years of technology commercialisation in ScotlandGary Torbett, Scottish Enterprise, Team Leader Financial Readiness: Prepare for funding; What is right for your business?Rowan Morrison and Svein Clouston, Rationale: Marketing early stage growth companies: Why brand mattersAdrian Smith: Then and now - from YCF’s first conference to its 20th anniversaryAudienceOver the past five or more years we have been able to fill the 150 places available (120 last year due to COVID restrictions). The audience is likely to be a mix of 25%-30% delegates from young companies, 20% - 30% investors, with the remainder professional advisers, universities, incubators, public sector agencies – all working with young companies to help them grow and develop.Those who are not yet subscribers can book a special package of a ticket to the conference plus a six-month subscription at the introductory rate of £250 + VAT.

Burges Salmon is the independent law firm which delivers the best mix of advice, service, and value.<a href="http://www.burges-salmon.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.burges-salmon.com/ </a>

Intellectual property for young companies.<a href="https://www.marks-clerk.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.marks-clerk.com/</a>

Provide proactive accounting, tax, and business advisory services, specialising in early stage start-ups in the tech and sustainability sectors.<a href="https://www.steedman.co.uk" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.steedman.co.uk</a>

Supporting exciting, inspiring tech and life sciences business growth with the very best talent.<a href="https://www.talentspark.scot" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.talentspark.scot</a>

There is a limited number of opportunities for organisations to co-sponsor or exhibit at the event, which will mean promotion through the conference website for ten weeks prior to the event, online meetings, lead capture, audience polling, and more. If you would like to consider taking one of these slots, please email editor@ycf.co.uk