“Inspire to Success” was launched by “ABDN – Network of Influence” in association with “Business Link” and “Sharing the Success” to give potential entrepreneurs the chance to get free advice, motivation and support from local key business figures who themselves have overcome similar challenges and obstacles to kick start their ideas for business.

The four speakers came from a variety of backgrounds and offered their advice and help to attendees by talking about their experiences, that included a Question and Answer session, as well as one-on-one interaction.

Amar Latif for example set up a global tour operator catering to the blind and has directed TV programmes, most recently for Channel 4, showing that being blind himself has only inspired and motivated him further to achieve his goals in life.

The other speakers were Deidre Bounds who started a the world’s largest gap year holiday provider “i-to-i.com” from her bedsit, Anna Raynor who overcame years of mental health difficulties before setting up her holistic therapy practice “Ray of Light”. Final speaker, Saeeda Ahmed, founder of “Trescom”, a social enterprise delivering equality and diversity training, overcame the challenges that being a young, Muslim, female entrepreneur posed and advised attendees not to allow themselves to be pigeonholed.