Vicky Brock

According to last year’s Global Entrepreneurship Survey, over half of Scottish adults not involved in business cited fear of failure as a deterrent from launching their own enterprises. This statistic underscored the pressing need for initiatives that cultivate resilience and confidence in potential business owners.

The session, taking place on 27 June at midday, is free to attend.

During the webinar, attendees will benefit from Ms Brock’s substantial business experience, including the challenges and setbacks she’s conquered. The pair will also provide practical advice on dealing with failure, cultivating confidence, learning from mistakes, and owning one’s ambitions. A Q&A segment will offer the opportunity for direct engagement with the experienced business duo.

Ms Brock, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of her fifth tech start-up, Vistalworks, has been recognised for her inspiring journey, earning the title ‘Inspiring Woman of the Year’ at the 2019 Scotland Women in Tech Awards. Vistalworks is a company that focuses on safeguarding consumers from hazardous, counterfeit, and illegal products when shopping online.

In 2018, she hosted a talk at TEDx Talk ‘Involuntary Pause - Embrace the Uncomfortable’ in which she explored failure, and the ‘grief’ she felt after losing her job as the CEO of the company she founded, after five years of dedication and more than 20,000 hours of work. She is also an Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland and regularly talks about technology and startups at conferences and on TV and radio.

Mr Lightbody said: “We are in one of the toughest climates for business, especially small business owners, between the ongoing financial worries, and the continued recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. We are all too aware that many businesses out there may be feeling isolated and afraid of what the future holds, which can often lead to doubt, so we hope this session can bring some much-needed clarity on how to tackle challenges head-on.

“As a nation, we notoriously struggle with a fear of failure - we want to change mindsets and encourage more business owners to own their ambitions, build belief in themselves and their business, and continue to stay motivated for the future with support from organisations such as Business Gateway.”

Ms Brock added: “As a business owner, I understand how tough it can be to captain the ship during challenging periods. I have experienced tough business failure, which has given me solid insights on facing challenges and importantly, how to tackle our mindsets around failure.

“I know Business Gateway is driving the charge in supporting businesses development in Scotland, especially navigating the current climate, and this latest webinar should provide a really valuable session.”