Looking back on our first 15 months as the Northern Education Business Forum

At Freeths we listen carefully when we have conversations with business leaders. We learn about the opportunities that get you out of bed in the morning and the challenges that exist when driving business growth, securing and maintaining an excellent workforce and maintaining great relationships with customers.

We offered a place to meet, to learn from leading individuals in the sector, and to have conversations with others who share your passion for education. The Northern Education Business Forum was born with its first meeting on June 4th, 2024. 

Five meetings later, this newsletter reflects on what we have achieved so far and provides you with a preview of future events. At the last meeting we asked you to provide feedback and thank you for that. We also share with you some of the information we gained.

What we have achieved together!

We have had great insights including:

• Learning about the entrepreneur’s journey from start up to exit through Anthony Coxon
• The importance of demonstrating educational impact in your sales strategy with Michael Forshaw
• In the run up to BETT 2025, an insight into the contribution marketing consultants make to education businesses through Georgia Halston
• Hearing from Sarah Ledger about selling into international markets
• Finding out how YPO provides door opening opportunities in the education sector with Simon Hill

What we have learned from you about your experiences: 

We asked you to tell us the key outcomes you are experiencing from being part of the Northern Education Business Forum. The top outcomes you are experiencing are:

• Networking opportunities
• Knowledge sharing and discussion
• Keeping up to date on legal developments

What you look forward to from future events

We asked you to score in priority topics what you would like to see covered at NEBF meetings. We are following your lead on this and pleased to announce the next Forum meeting is to be on Tuesday 7th October 2024 – once more in Central Square, Leeds at 8.30am.

The theme will be having great relationships with your people – learn about the key ingredients to having a committed and engaged team around you, and how to address forthcoming reforms to employment law.

And planning is underway for further events taking us into 2026. In the first two meetings of 2026 we will be covering:

• Intellectual property and AI – how regulation is impacting on creativity and commercialisation
• Data as a key driver to business success – how to manage the use and protection of data in your business

You have also given us some great ideas for future events – thank you!

A WhatsApp Group for Northern Education Business Forum members

Within Freeths we are alive to the importance of businesses becoming aware of developments affecting their business quickly. A key consideration on our part in providing the Northern Education Business Forum has been the rapidly changing legal and regulatory landscape that is developing around businesses generally but in many cases having real impact on the education and skills sector.

We are currently experiencing developments that include:

• The implementation of the Online Safety Act
• Reforms to data protection law to take effect over the next 12 months
• Labour’s manifesto commitments relating to employment law now being implemented
• The potential for new routes to market for EdTech with CMA’s likely designation of Apple and Google carrying strategic market status through their app store activities
• New consumer rights – important where you provide products and services to consumers on a subscription basis

We have suggested a WhatsApp group to share developments in these and other areas with you and to allow you to react as a community. We aim to take this group live in early September and more information will follow directly to those who have shared their smartphone numbers.

Look forward to the next Northern Education Business Forum

Make a diary note for our next meeting on Tuesday 7th October. The programme is close to finalisation and invites will be out to Forum members shortly. In the meantime, feel free to share with us issues and opportunities that you might like to see discussed with Freeths and other Forum members.