The Guardian Business Made Simple event series

Join our Business Made Simple event series in a city near you. Photograph: Alamy

If you run your own small business, this is an opportunity to learn from top entrepreneurs, industry leaders and experts. Let the experts guide you and your business through the tech world, gain new skills, listen to industry leaders debate the big issues and put your questions to them at our new event series, supported by Vodafone, in cities around the country – kicking off in Edinburgh on Thursday, 28 September 2017.

In an inspirational masterclass, you will learn how to transform data into engaging infographics at a workshop led by our data visualisation expert, designer Laura Knight.

For our panel discussion, esteemed industry leaders will debate whether accelerators and incubators are the holy grail for startups looking to grow. The panelists include Mostafa Afgani, co-founder, pureLiFi; Christopher McCann, chief executive, snap40; Vicky Brock, chief executive, Clear Returns; and Steven Drost, chief strategy officer, CodeBase.

Sign up now to be in with a chance of winning a place at this unmissable free event - the first of a series taking place around the UK, including in Bristol (October), Reading (November) and London (January 2018).

Our Business Made Simple events are an opportunity to take your skills in the right direction.

Programme

6.00pm-6.30pm: Attendee arrival, registration, refreshments, networking

6.30pm-6.35pm: Chair’s welcome from Emma Sheppard, journalist, Guardian Small Business Network

6.35pm-6.40pm: Vodafone welcome

6.40pm-7.20pm: Panel discussion: Are accelerators and incubators the holy grail for startups?

Accelerators and incubators can offer an opportunity for a fledgling company to grow, develop ideas and attract investment. But there are pitfalls, and the help you get can come at a price.