NLCCE Networking Event & Talk:
Life Lessons Through Franchising, Skills and Partnership
In conversation with Paul Lewis, MD of Pitman Training
Join us in July for a live hosted interview with one of the UK’s most experienced franchise professionals – no slides, no sales pitch, just a frank conversation about what really goes into building a business that lasts.
Paul Lewis, Managing Director of Pitman Training, will be talking with local franchisee and host Andries Diener about the lessons that 20 years in franchising – and 187 years of business history – can offer every SME in the room. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of:
- How franchise systems work, and what they teach any business owner about building with discipline and local knowledge
- Why the one thing that holds most businesses back isn’t funding, location or the market — it’s procrastination
- How a £725 million apprenticeship fund is going largely unclaimed by small businesses in North London — and how to access it
- What employers with a payroll under £3 million can actually get: zero training costs for apprentices under 22, a £3,000 government grant for hiring 18–24 year olds on Universal Credit, and up to £5,000 in stacked incentives from October 2026
- Who carries the apprenticeship compliance burden (spoiler: not you)
Details
| Event: | NLCCE Networking Event & Talk: |
| Poster: | |
| Date(s): | 16/07/2026 |
| Start Time: | 11:00am |
| End Time: | 13:00pm |
| Venue: | North London Business Hub. |
| Address: | Barnet and Southgate College, High Street, Southgate, N14 6BS |
| Map: | View Map |