At Elite Business Live 2026, experts from government, finance and business support organisations shared how the right advice, funding and connections can help small businesses overcome barriers, unlock growth and make entrepreneurship easier
From paper trails to digital trust – how innovation is unlocking a traditional market
Ronnie Dungan
Jul 14 '26
Whisky cask investment specialist VCL Vintners, has transformed the secondary whisky market in the UK by digitalising ownership, improving transparency and giving investors end-to-end visibility of their assets. Founder Ben Lancaster, explains how technology is reshaping one of Scotland’s oldest industries…
Innovation is not the tech – it’s the discipline to use it
Georgina Taylor
Jul 14 '26
Speaking during an Interactive Live Session at Elite Business Live 2026, Sweeny challenged one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding innovation today
How Manolo Blahnik unified global operations with NetSuite
Latifa Yedroudj
Jul 6 '26
For luxury brands, scaling internationally is about more than expansion. It means maintaining consistency, control and craftsmanship across every market. At Manolo Blahnik, visibility across the business became essential as the company expanded internationally
You’ve got to be in it to win it
Ronnie Dungan
Jul 2 '26
The online prize competition sector is booming, thanks in no small part to pioneers like Alex Beckett, founder of Elite Competitions, which now boasts annual turnover of £100m and lifetime sales exceeding £175m. He spoke to us to explain his winning formula…
Forget the AI hype
Georgina Taylor
Jun 30 '26
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of day-to-day business for UK SMEs, but successful adoption isn’t about chasing the latest technology
Improve your business one slice of toast at a time
Georgina Taylor
Jun 22 '26
When Dave Stubberfield walked onto the Elite Business Live stage on the second morning of the event, he posed a simple but thought-provoking question: Why is great customer experience still so rare?
The business professor teaching business leaders what AI can never replace
Professor Oliver Yue Zhao
Jun 22 '26
Professor Oliver Yue Zhao advises Alibaba and Tencent, has 20 million followers, and believes the leaders of tomorrow need wisdom more than intelligence
The beauty economy: What every founder can learn from a £400 billion industry
Georgina Taylor
Jun 16 '26
According to the founders and industry leaders gathered on stage at Elite Business Live 2026, the industry’s success isn’t really about beauty products at all. It’s about understanding people
Anthea Turner on reinvention, resilience and starting again
Georgina Taylor
Jun 9 '26
Explore the journey of Anthea Turner from television star to successful skincare entrepreneur with By Anthea
Taking the UK investment community to task
Ronnie Dungan
Jun 2 '26
The co-chairs of the Invest in Women Taskforce say the real barrier facing women entrepreneurs is not capability but capital allocation, and they intend to fix both
High street wars! Dead or alive?
Georgina Taylor
Jun 2 '26
87% of business leaders believe the UK high street is dying, but retail experts at Elite Business Live 2026 argued the reality is far more complex
