DESIGN legend Wayne Hemingway MBE has been in Cornwall inspiring local businesses with his message of philosophy, hard work and face to face meetings with contacts.

Wayne, co-founder of HemingwayDesign and designer fashion label Red or Dead, took to the stage to inspire 150 business people at one of Unlocking Potential’s popular Connect Events, held at the Pavilion Centre, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge.

Famous for ground-breaking fashion and award-winning urban design, business leaders, graduates and undergraduates were inspired by Wayne’s vibrant rags to riches story and his energising approach to entrepreneurship. The talk was filled with practical advice and entertaining anecdotes, leaving the audience with an invigorated feeling of bravery and creativity.

Much of Wayne’s talk boiled down to three key messages; having a philosophy, meeting contacts face-to-face and working hard.

He told the audience about his belief that ethics and values are the most important thing to consider when starting a business, and how deciding what you stand for should always come first.

“Start with understanding what you stand for, what your product stands for and your target customer. Have a vision for where you want to go with the product or brand, and have an underlying unique selling point or raison d'être of why you’re doing what you do. Then you can start to connect with other people who appreciate what you do. Once you have that, then the business plan comes.”

Wayne acknowledged that many business leaders can become isolated and highlighted the importance of meeting face-to-face and building real relationships; not only with your customers, but with your supply chain too. He pointed out that it is essential to put yourself out there; people have to know you and like you.

This piece of advice resonated with the audience, particularly with a delegate from Absolute:

“We were considering exhibiting at a trade show but as any business knows, it’s a real investment. Wayne’s glowing endorsement of the importance of face-to-face contact and exhibitions gave us the push to sign up!”

Wayne also emphasized there is no substitute for hard work, citing working through the night as a way to balance time with his children and spending months researching as key contributors to his success.

During the networking lunch, Wayne took the time to speak with many delegates, giving Wayne a real sense of the Cornish business community.

When asked what he thought of Cornwall as a place to do business, Wayne said: “Cornwall is interesting because it’s developing a very interesting creative brand. There’s a colour about it. There’s a real feeling of a small business community and a chance to operate somewhere away from the issues of a big city, but has got a community and a quality of lifestyle.

"That quality of life is showing through in a lot of the products. Cornwall has an identity, and its young businesses that have given it that identity.”

Connect events are part of Unlocking Potential’s commitment to develop people and grow business in Cornwall. Unlocking Potential services are fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF), and are managed by Plymouth University and Cornwall College.