Female Business Festival set to launch in Trafford

A TRIO of Greater Manchester-based entrepreneurs is bringing the first ever Female Business Festival to Trafford.

Female Business Network (FBN) founder Janine Friston has joined forces with members Hazel Woodward and Suzi Brown to stage the event on Friday, 14 October.

Held at the historic Flixton House, the festival will culminate with the inaugural FBN Awards, which will be hosted by Trafford entrepreneur Liz Taylor. One of Manchester’s most well-respected businesswomen, Liz created her multi-million-pound events empire on a start-up budget of £200.

“Having set up the FBN to recognise and help women to start and grow their audience and business, I am excited to celebrate our first business birthday with this in-person day and evening event,” said Janine, who is from Sale.

“Our focus is on giving women access to practical guidance that can transform their business and, in turn, their lives. In most cases, attendees can implement the expert, actionable steps from our guest speakers there and then – including our daytime keynote speaker, multi-award-winning entrepreneur Charlie Day.

‘To make the event as accessible as possible, Flixton House is located 10-15 minutes outside of Manchester, with on-site parking and a train station opposite. It is also a conscious decision to schedule the festival from 9.30am to 3pm to fit around the school run for those who are parents. In the evening, we are looking forward to celebrating our ‘best in class’ award winners.”

Designed for micro to small business owners, as well as freelancers, the Female Business Festival will cover a variety of topics including social media, finance, productivity and mindset. Numbers are limited to 150 people during the day – allowing for networking, interactive workshops and delegate Q&As.

“Suzi, Janine and I have sponsored the event alongside JH Brand Photos and VCM Graphic Design, but we welcome interest from other companies who would like to get involved,” added Hazel, who is from Urmston and the owner of Lift Social.

“There are also opportunities for inspiring female-run businesses to join those who have already signed up to host our expo stands.”

During the FBN Awards Gala, which begins at 7pm, winners will be announced across multiple categories – including ‘Professional Service Provider’, ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Overall Business of the Year’.

“Nominations for UK-based female business owners are welcomed until 31 August,” said Suzi, owner of The Smart Bear Digital, which is based in Urmston.

“There is no cost to enter, as we wanted to remove any financial barriers for women who deserve to be recognised for their hard work and achievements.”

Early bird tickets for the Female Business Festival and FBN Awards are on sale at £81.44 (including booking fees) per person.

For more information, and to enter the FBN Awards, visit femalebusinessnetwork.co.uk/female-business-festival or follow the official event hashtag #FBNFestival on social media.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Photo Captions:
(From left) Trafford entrepreneurs Suzi Brown, Hazel Woodward and Janine Friston have co-founded the Female Business Festival.

Festival Founders Bios:
Janine Friston, Female Business Network (FBN)
Janine Friston is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, mum of two and founder of the Female Business Network (FBN). After 20 years of climbing the corporate ladder, Janine started her first business in 2018. She was featured in local and national radio and press, as well as being recognised by the Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce.
Janine launched the FBN in 2021 and was quickly recognised by ex-‘Dragons’ Den’ star Theo Paphitis in his ‘Small Business Sunday’ #sbs initiative. She mentors start-up and small business owners to launch and grow their business, as well as hosting women in business networking events.

Suzi Brown, The Smart Bear
Suzi Brown is the founder and owner of The Smart Bear – and now author of the book Website Planning from Concept to Launch. The Smart Bear was launched in 2013 with a mission to demystify and simplify website design, development and search engine optimisation for small businesses.
Since 2021, The Smart Bear has aimed to be more ethical and responsible – offering eco and accessibility options for websites, as well as adhering to The Ethical Move’s pledge.
Qualified in adult training, Suzi also works part time as a small business mentor. She uses her neurodiversity to her advantage as a detail-focused problem solver.
Hazel Woodward, Lift Social
Lift Social was founded by award-winning, data-driven ‘Social Media Queen’ Hazel Woodward in November 2020. Operating UK-wide and internationally out of Manchester, the Lift Dental division specialises in organic social media marketing for dentists and dental practices, and has managed over 200 social media accounts since its inception.
A former science teacher, Hazel’s corporate background in the dental sector is complemented by her Biochemistry degree and Master’s in Digital Marketing. Having rapidly grown to 14 team members, Hazel now intends to expand Lift Social into North America and the UAE – offering full-service social media management and training in other sectors.

Keynote Speaker Bios:
Liz Taylor
Liz Taylor is CEO of the award-winning event management company The Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), whose exclusive clients include global business leaders; music, TV and sports stars; and a Royal guest or two. For Liz, this journey began in Trafford 35 years ago, with a start-up budget of £200 – newly divorced and two young daughters in tow.
In 2020, Liz developed Liz Taylor Consultancy – releasing her biography, Taylor Made, the following year. A star of the hit Channel 4 show ‘Millionaire Party Planner’, Liz sits on the Business and Enterprise Advisory Board at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Business School. She is a recipient of the Manchester Evening News ‘Business of the Year Award’.

Charlie Day
Charlie Day is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur who has built three children activities businesses from the ground up. Charlie’s last venture saw her and her sister launch preschool Phonics classes (‘Phonics with Robot Reg’), which started in a village hall and now has 60 franchisees internationally within three years.
In 2019, at just 31, Charlie won ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Essex’. She has been featured in Elite Franchising, The Guardian Series and The Independent.
Charlie is the host of The Entrepreneurs Growth Club Podcast, and runs The Entrepreneurs Growth Club, which helps mums in business reach their true potential.


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About The Smart Bear Websites and Content

Run and founded by Suzi Brown in 2013, who is neuro-diverse (ASD), The Smart Bear can help with all things digital from consultancy, to developing websites and social media plans, to training on how to use systems and social media. With a team of sub-contractors, we can work to the budgets of micro/small businesses and freelancers. We pride ourselves on being ethical by not only being as 'green' as we can be but also, being transparent with our pricing - never knowingly overselling or overcharging.


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