Aldermore marks launch of first business lounge with SME essentials seminar

– Leeds business lounge open to all SMEs

Aldermore has launched its new Business Lounge in Leeds city centre. To mark the occasion, the Bank held an enterprise seminar for SMEs to discuss the key essentials for business success.

The aim of the Business Lounge is to support local SMEs by giving something back to the business community and to encourage entrepreneurialism. The Bank’s first Business Lounge, which is located at Aldermore’s Leeds office on 76 Wellington Street, is a free to use space which offers meeting rooms, event space and access to the Bank’s business experts.

At the seminar to mark the opening, guest speakers Tony Robinson, OBE, from Enterprise Rockers and Ian Digby from The Pensions Regulator talked to SMEs from across Yorkshire around essential tips for their businesses and the new pensions auto enrolment changes.

Tony Robinson, a small business champion who has owned multiple businesses over the past 30 years, talked about his ‘rocking enterprise tips’ for small business such as creating networks, income streams and remaining proactive when a business’s market changes.

Ian Digby from The Pensions Regulator discussed SMEs’ roles and responsibilities around pension changes including automatically re-enrolling eligible staff every three years and keeping sound records to ensure compliance with regulations.

Adam Oldfield, managing director, Force24, said: “It was really helpful to hear from Tony and Ian today. Both are experts in their fields and raised a number of points which got me thinking about how they apply to my own company. I was also very impressed with Aldermore’s new Business Lounge which I can see proving very popular as a meeting point for local SMEs in Leeds as well as those travelling to the city for business.”

Rob Lankey, director of group distribution, Aldermore, said: “The opening of our business lounge in Leeds is a milestone for Aldermore and we are very proud to have hosted today’s seminar, the first of many we hope to hold for local SMEs. The opening of our Business Lounge gives SMEs in and around Leeds a space, free of charge to allow them to hold meetings and access our facilities and experts at Aldermore. We aim to give back to our communities and our Business Lounge offering is another way we are doing this.”

Tony Robinson, OBE, from Enterprise Rockers

Ian Digby from The Pensions Regulator