Only Connect Business Networking Podcast

Talent Lab / Urbano Network

Urbano has been bringing together company founders, entrepreneurs, directors and senior professionals across all sectors to connect, engage, learn, share, and develop mutual business opportunities from our beginnings in Shoreditch in the early 2000's.Urbano's Only Connect Business Networking Podcasts are recordings of our speaker and speaker panel events, where we explore topics of interest to SME founders, owners, directors and senior professionals across a range of services and sectors. All Urbano events are facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano's Connector-In-Chief. For more details, visit www.urbanonetwork.co.uk and www.talentlab.co.uk.Urbano events and podcasts are produced by Talent Lab.

  1. Oct 14

    Changes to the Employment Rights Act and their impact on SMEs

    Small business owners and directors face a raft of changes that will affect the rights of their employees from October, 2026, and into early 2027.  This podcast is a live recording of an Urbano speaker panel breakfast that discussed how these changes, including liabilities around workers’ rights, unfair dismissal claims, sexual and third-party harassment, tribunals and union recognition for employees, will affect businesses and to explain how to ensure the correct procedures and safeguards are in place. The two main speakers you will hear are Debra Spurway and Hayley Preedy, directors of HR Dept London City & Central, both experienced advisors on matters relating to HR, Employment Law and Training & Development, with well-earned reputations for providing pragmatic and commercial advice to employers from a variety of sectors. The event was hosted at SAGAL Showroom in Clerkenwell, with the session was facilitated by Mark Herring, Connector-In-Chief at Urbano Network. You will also hear contributions from those with HR and People responsibilities at different member companies. For more details on HR Dept services, including a free download on the changes covered at this event, and to send enquiries to Debra or Hayley, please visit: HR Dept London City & Central For more details on Urbano, including upcoming events, please visit Urbano Network. Urbano Network is supported by Stewart Title, the specialist insurance company providing a suite of title insurance products for residential and commercial property transactions.

  2. Mar 10

    How can SMEs demonstrate their purpose beyond profit?

    At our most recent Urbano speaker panel event, we brought together a cross-section of member and other companies to look at how they can show their commitment beyond making a profit. Most small business directors and owners share a belief that their companies should be kind to their employees, support their communities, and have the minimal impact on the environment. They are also generous supporters of charities and charitable projects.  Without the resources that larger companies enjoy, demonstrating purpose can be costly and complex for SMEs. Social value - the measurement used by the government and its agencies to measure such activities for tenders - can appear onerous and dissuade smaller companies from tendering. Measuring sustainability can be challenging. B Corp certification divides many and is introducing new scoring that will stretch smaller businesses. CSR. ESG. EDI. The list goes on and on.   Our panel for this event was Michelle French - Director at CAMA AssetStore, who works with many leading production houses in film and TV, Steve Drury, Director at Rooff Construction, whose role includes leading on social value as part of the company's ethos and its tender submissions and Ben Schneider, Founder of IT Guys, a B Corp certified company. The discussion between the panellists and contributions from the audience was facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano’s Connector-In-Chief. This event was hosted at workplace designers SAGAL's showroom in Clerkenwell and sponsored by CAMA AssetStore. Urbano is supported by Stewart Title, which offers insurance solutions to the residential and commercial property sectors.

About

Urbano has been bringing together company founders, entrepreneurs, directors and senior professionals across all sectors to connect, engage, learn, share, and develop mutual business opportunities from our beginnings in Shoreditch in the early 2000's.Urbano's Only Connect Business Networking Podcasts are recordings of our speaker and speaker panel events, where we explore topics of interest to SME founders, owners, directors and senior professionals across a range of services and sectors. All Urbano events are facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano's Connector-In-Chief. For more details, visit www.urbanonetwork.co.uk and www.talentlab.co.uk.Urbano events and podcasts are produced by Talent Lab.