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Beverly Hurley, CEO, YTKO Group
Beverly Hurley: In the UK, we have about five million small businesses, and they create over half the jobs in this country. But 95% of them have only nine staff or less. So it's really important that we can encourage them to grow to 20 people, or a hundred people. YTKO is all about building businesses, building competence and confidence and ambition in the local community. J.P. Morgan are interested in this. They have an amazing approach to corporate social responsibility, which is all about proactive economic development.
Stephanie Mestrallet, J.P. Morgan
Stephanie Mestrallet: YTKO's programme for small business development was created and piloted in Bournemouth. It was so successful, J.P. Morgan and YTKO decided to build on this experience and support 1,000 businesses in East London.
Beverly Hurley: East London is a fantastically vibrant community. There's an absolute wealth of talent in both businesses and individuals.
Gregg Harding, Business Finance Advisor, YTKO Group
Gregg Harding: You have these amazing people who create things, who design things. At the end of the day, sometimes those talents can go to waste because they don't have those business skills.
Corinne Webb, Frame and Cover
Corinne Webb: How do you get an accountant? Where are you going to get the money from in order to be able to bring out your next collection? It's-- (sighs) "Okay, I need to think about that now."
Stephanie Mestrallet: All the staff within YTKO have been small business entrepreneurs themselves. It makes it easier for small business owners to share their issues. You've got someone to go with you and to hold your hand all throughout the journey and to make sure your company is going to be sustainable.
Tumaini Lawrence, Kai Percel Designs
Tumaini Lawrence: It gives you the confidence to really think big. It's like you've got a full team around you. So you're not just a small business.
Gregg Harding: We're very lucky because we get to see different businesses every day. And a lot of those will succeed. It's just fantastic to see.
Stephanie Mestrallet: Anywhere we are in the world, what matters to J.P. Morgan is how do we support the local community we're based in? And that's exactly what YTKO's small business programme is about.