I am on a roll and back to blogging, it feels great, and I have missed it! Have you ever thought of being on a board or trustee of a […]

The phrase "deep social value" refers to the profound and lasting impact that an idea, action, organisation, or system has on the well-being, cohesion, and progress of society. It goes […]

Firstly, my apologies I haven’t blogged for ages, the truth is we have been flat out at the BEC with all sorts of issues and projects on the go. None […]

For Vivian Ebillah, founder of Nomie’s Kitchen, food isn’t just business, it’s memory, community, and love passed down through generations. Born and raised in Nigeria in a large family of […]

For Michael Pritchett, founder of Kemp Services, entrepreneurship wasn’t just a career move, it was a natural progression in a career built on ambition, hard work, and rolling up his […]

Starting a business often begins with a spark, an idea, a need, or a memory that just won’t let go. For Khadijat Fashola, founder of JHU Cleaning Services, that spark […]

Well technically our main event supported by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is not till 3rd April, for a good reason I hasten to add. We here at […]

Starting a business is never easy, and in a highly regulated sector like healthcare, the challenges can feel insurmountable. For Mustafa Hersi, Ibrahim Hersi, and their team at Bridge Care […]

Starting a community-focused initiative is never easy, and for Valeria Giannuzzi, the journey of founding The Magic Stock was no exception. As a chartered psychologist and researcher in social sciences […]

Well January came and went, and I can honestly say I don’t know whether it was lack of time, or lost mojo or a combination of both but January has […]

Well quite frankly I cannot wait to get to the end of the year, I don’t think I am alone in that much of the work of the BEC this […]

I have been having a dilemma with the team here for a few months now, and still, I am struggling where to take the issue. Through our experiences we have […]

Wedzerai Takawira, the Director of Recruitcare Professionals, started her journey to England in 2003 to join her husband. With a teaching degree already in hand, she aspired to pursue a […]

Tina Ussher moved to Barking and Dagenham 16 years ago after living in Goodmayes. Driven by her passion for hairdressing, she enrolled at Barking and Dagenham College to hone her […]

Growing up, Julie Cleijne  was deeply influenced by the concept of food as a crucial element for health and by the importance of preserving natural resources. In her native Australia, […]

It felt like the world and his wife had left this summer, the buildings were noticeably quiet, and we had no external meetings or events. I normally use this period […]

I am left home alone for most of August my esteemed colleague and work wife goes on holiday for a few weeks, and so I am left to my own […]

Whether you are starting up a business, or growing a business or even changing the direction of your business there is no denying that being a business owner can be […]

Sharon Mercieca Dasgupta, a dedicated and passionate Mind Body coach, began her journey in 2004. Hailing originally from Australia, she moved to Malta in 1993 before finally settling in the […]

I had a bit of a moment last week, it suddenly occurred to me that at the end of this summer it will be 40…yes 40 years since I started […]

As the long, lazy days of summer begin with hopefully some decent weather to coincide, we are planning our next few months here at the BEC we use this time […]

JP, the owner of JP’s Wild Honey Ltd, first met our Chief Executive at yoga of all places, they chatted and she mentioned our Amplify programme which was about to […]

Dear Gentle Readers, sorry I just had to write that and get my Lady Whistledown moment! Like many of us I have been hooked with the third series of Bridgerton, […]

Adult social care is close to my heart in Barking and Dagenham I made a career out of it for nine years and worked across a range of services during […]

Here at the BEC we completely understand that running a small business means multi-tasking, wearing different hats and that thinking about sustainability may not be top of the agenda. However, […]

Meet Karthik Durgaprasad, an integral part of the team at Essex County Council, where he serves as an Inward Investment Officer. Since April, Essex County Council has seconded him as […]

Meet Andre Arundell, a seasoned entrepreneur and dedicated business advisor at the Barking Enterprise Centre (BEC) since 2017. Andre's journey in the business world began at a young age, igniting […]

We all know that those pesky personal crises have a way of sneaking up on you, and with the joys of running a small business there really is not the […]

We have had a busy few weeks at the BEC firstly getting stuck into the delivery of Amplify which has seen twenty businesses start their journey with us across, food, […]

Meet Natalia, a seasoned digital marketing coach and entrepreneur who stands at the forefront of empowering others in the digital landscape and one of the BEC’s very own trainer’s in […]

The BEC is pleased to welcome our newly appointed board director Géraud de Ville de Goyet! Géraud brings with him a treasure trove of knowledge and experience in research, innovation […]

In early March we had some fabulous news which I am delighted to share. After a long and arduous process, it was confirmed that City Bridge Foundation would be funding […]

Doing what you love is not something you do; it is who you are, so they say. It’s how you want to live life—all of us create the life we […]

I don’t know about you, but I have been feeling pretty glum lately, a lot going on at home and at work and let’s not get started with the weather. […]

It was the BEC’s 8th Anniversary in February and that means that we have been celebrating International Women’s Day the same number of years. Of course, we go big in […]

Shanice’s previous experience Shanice has a diverse background in stakeholder management, research, data analytics, and project management. Beginning at Kingston University, she managed student satisfaction data, in early 2016 before […]

February is an exciting month for us at the BEC – it is our 8th anniversary! If you are not familiar with our history, then you will not know that […]

I think I have told you before I am a self-confessed foodie! For many years the hospitality industry was my career and I fell in love with exploring new concepts […]

Celebrating Social Enterprise Day If you know me well, you will know that I am passionate about business, its my job after all, but my greatest passion is business for […]

Years ago, a barista drew a smiley face on my coffee cup, and I’ve been loyal ever since. I had walked into this quiet independent cafe with my partner. As […]

I think I have mentioned this before but sometimes I struggle with blogs especially when the idea or theme does not flow. This happened with this one and then I […]

I’m not in control. I’m not perfect and over the last few weeks I have felt completely overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks… So maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I […]

The news, media and general wellbeing of businesses are not spreading the feeling of happiness. However, today is world environment day or as it is widely known Earth Day, it […]

I am working from home today, nothing unusual on a Friday it’s my catch-up day and planning time for the next week. It has taken me years to get in […]

As we all know the 8th of March was International Women’s Day over the last few years there has been an increase in supporters and a massive increase in objectors […]

I was so looking forward to February 2023 it felt as though I was emerging from the winter fog of post-Christmas blues and a remarkably busy January (unusually so for […]

As we approach the end of the year, we reflect on the confluence of crises and disruptions that have tested small businesses like never before: surging inflation, the war in […]

As it comes to the end of the year, I like to look back on the BEC’s achievements and what we did in the year. It is so easy with […]

Silvano Griffith always had a passion for the arts, despite being discouraged from pursuing it by those around him. Nevertheless, he went on to found SVG Productions, a film production […]

Gloria Prescod, a plus size lady herself, understands the frustration of plus size brides trying on beautiful gowns in a shop only to be disappointed that there are never any […]

As part of the Black History Month Spotlight Series, we at the Barking Enterprise Centre are featuring successful black entrepreneurs who are making a difference in the black community. Today […]

Bibiana Obahor is a black woman designer who is breaking barriers in the creative industry. In a profession largely dominated by white men, she is now leading a female-led studio, […]

Anna Opute's journey to becoming a natural health store owner began with her childhood in Africa. Her grandparents always seemed to stay well and healthy, despite not having access to […]

For over 25 years, Delia Muhammad has been helping women embrace pregnancyminus the fear.  As a speaker, psychotherapist, life coach, and birth educator, Delia has advised, counselled, and supported women […]

Meet Marcia Dixon, one of the most well-known PR specialists within Britain's black church community. A former journalist, and now a PR practitioner, she has worked with a number of […]

We got to do something quite marvellous on Easter weekend. We spent the day with our grown-up sons outdoors and well wrapped up when the sun went in, but it […]

I cannot believe that I am writing this, but it's one year since the first lockdown and I cannot quite believe it. I am sure we will all be writing […]

When I was 18, I went on my first ever girls’ holiday with friends to Torremolinos. Now to set the scene, this is in the early 1980’s, and Torremolinos like […]

So, it was the BEC’s 5th birthday on Sunday 27th February, like the rest of the world it was not the birthday we had planned, no grand celebrations or get […]

If you know me well, or indeed a little bit, you will know that one of my passions, hobbies and interests in life is food and drink, more commonly known […]

There is no denying that I think everyone has found this latest lockdown the hardest as we approach the first anniversary of COVID-19 restrictions. Days merge into nights and weekends […]

This is a blog of two halves, a duet so to speak! Bear with me…..I have a guest within this blog, who is keen to share her experience, but first […]

On Thursday, it is Time to Talk Day. A day to have conversations about well-being and mental health, timely right? And undeniably at some point, most people will have struggled […]

The title of this blog might as well be: Do you believe in fairies? But reality is, some business owners completely buy into business gurus and heed their advice religiously. […]

In a previous blog at the end of last year I shared that I had spent New years day 2020 planning the BEC’s year …big mistake as we all know […]

My digital marketing team who are fab by the way! Helpfully every month give me blog titles which I then go off and attempt to write. Madly it works mostly […]

Well if you are like me then you thought that all this would be over by the end of Summer, but clearly despite great news about potential vaccines and the […]

I had a pretty testing 2019 on a personal level, losing both the ‘outlaws’ within the year. I recall on New Years eve/day thinking through all sorts of plans both […]

In 2007, I was asked to join the Board of a local arts organisations, which led grassroots participatory arts in the borough I call home. To cut a very long […]

Stress in the workplace is a well-known problem widely written about and loads of material to help people cope, but now people are being advised to work from home where […]

The BEC CIC has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Our Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the BEC CIC receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.30 in the […]

Procrastinate ‘a verb – to delay or postpone action: put off doing something. Recognise anyone? Yes, without a shadow of a doubt we have all been there; and more recently, loss […]

Before COVID-19 over recent years, coworking spaces have seen a great surge in popularity as freelancers, sole traders and independent contractors alike have begun to recognise the benefits that come […]

The Barking Enterprise Centres (BEC) has a long history of supporting small businesses locally by providing affordable accommodation, mentoring, and training. COVID-19 has not stopped us and over the last […]

If there’s one thing that the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted, it’s the importance of coworking spaces for employees of all kinds. Over the years, research has been carried out into […]

Coworking spaces have grown enormously in popularity over the past few years and they are rapidly becoming the norm. There is an increasing demand for this way of working, and […]

One thing that the COVID-19 crisis has thrown into sharp relief is the importance of socialising at work. As more workers have been told to avoid their offices and to […]

As more workers have been forced into a remote working situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have come to realise that engagement can be a challenge. With workers no […]

The global pandemic has caused a host of problems for businesses all over the world, but it has also presented some exciting new opportunities too. Depending on which sector you […]

There is no getting away from it, we have tried! The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos for business owners all over the world. While some diversified and continued, and others […]

If there is one thing that the world of business and enterprise is going to take forward it’s the new normal of living with Covid-19 and the possibilities and potential of […]

The new normal of coping in an uncertain COVID-19 climate could still be just the right time to start up a business. There will be a strong demand for companies […]

If there’s one thing that we know for certain it’s that COVID-19 has changed the traditional office beyond all recognition. Now that organisations are considering all of the possibilities when […]

All businesses begin with an idea. Whether you’re dreaming of a new service or a brand-new product, inspiration is your starting point. However, your business idea can only be brought […]

Launching any new business venture can be a challenge, but with a co-founder on board, the way ahead can be smoother and easier. Nevertheless, you need to ensure you have […]

The world has joined forces to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, but when it comes to businesses, there has been one major difference – customer relationships. Now that the new normal […]

If there’s one thing that we can take for granted it’s that change is life’s only constant! Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has still caused a lot of disturbance for businesses […]

In the light of the recent George Floyd incident, it comes as no surprise that the world as a whole has been trying to balance the legacy of racial inequalities. […]

E-learning is a phenomenon that has become a common feature of the corporate world. The affordable and convenient alternative to more traditional classroom learning models, e-learning has been designed to […]

Whether you’re keen to improve your success at work or in your personal life, negotiation skills are key. However, it can seem difficult to know where to start when it […]

When it comes to the macroeconomic perspective, there is still a persistent perception that a social enterprise is more like a charity than a “proper business”. Yet, there is a […]

For any enterprise to be successful, you need to be able to network and form partnerships that offer mutual value and benefit. However, creating that partnership is only a first […]