News / By Fire Up / 26th February 2025
Welcome to the Fire Up Rochdale February Newsletter! We're thrilled to bring you the latest news, events, and updates from our vibrant community. As we step into March, let's take a look at what's happening at Fire Up Rochdale and how you can get involved. Whether you're a long-time member or new to our community, there's always an opportunity to connect, learn, and make a positive impact.
In This Issue:
- Blog: International Women's Day 2025: Accelerate Action
- Upcoming Events – Mark your calendars with the latest networking opportunities and workshops
International Women's Day 2025: Accelerate Action
International Women's Day takes place on Saturday 8th March. Our latest blog celebrates the occasion. It's packed with inspiring stories of local heroes, tips on empowering future female leaders, and much more.
Freelance Friday - February
Date: 28th February 2025 | Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Location: Fire Up Co-Working Space
Connect, collaborate, and ignite your freelance potential. Explore our co-working space, network with other freelancers, and join our 15-minute “Pitch Your Project” session.
What to expect:
- Breakfast and networking
- Insightful guest speaker presentation by Garry from 33 Percent
- Inspiring freelancer spotlights
- Exclusive GM Business Growth Hub opportunities
- Ample time for networking.
Guest Speaker: Garry, founder of 33 Percent, will share marketing wisdom with actionable strategies for authentic and effective marketing.
Thriving in Hospitality: A Wellbeing Event for Business Owners
Date: Tuesday 4th March | Time: 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM | Location: Fire-up Co-working Space, Rochdale
Join GM Business Growth Hub for a unique event supporting wellbeing in the hospitality sector. This free event is perfect for restaurant and café owners, hotel managers, catering entrepreneurs, and other hospitality professionals.
What to Expect:
- Keynote Speaker: Chef Mary-Ellen McTague will share her journey and focus on staff wellbeing.
- Interactive Wellbeing Workshops: Participate in hands-on workshops to prioritise wellbeing for yourself and your team.
Don't miss this opportunity to create a healthier, more sustainable approach to work in the hospitality sector. Limited spaces available – register now
First Friday | Rochdale
Date: 7th March 2025 | Time: 12.30 PM – 2.00 PM | Location: Fire Up Rochdale
Businesses of all sizes are welcome, to make connections, talk about our businesses and find ways of helping each other.
First Friday Network events are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people in an informal, friendly atmosphere with face-to-face networking.
Everybody is welcome! Bring plenty of business cards and some promotional material and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this unstructured networking group.
There is no prior booking, no registration, no attendance fees and no pressure!
Discover Your Purpose 101: A Women’s Workshop & Networking Experience
Date: 11th March 2025 | Time: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Location: Fire-up Co-working Space, Rochdale
Are you a woman living or working in Rochdale or the surrounding area? Thinking about starting a business, just getting started, or already leading a female-run venture? This event is for you!
Join us for an empowering workshop and networking event designed to help female entrepreneurs gain clarity, build confidence, and connect with like-minded women.
What You’ll Learn:
- Align your business with your deeper purpose
- Make confident decisions
- Focus on what truly moves you forward
- Stay motivated and clear on your next steps
Why Attend?
- Connect with like-minded women
- Share experiences and build a supportive community
Guest Speaker: Toni Eastwood OBE – Award-winning business mentor and leader.
The Self-Employed Leader: Developing Your Unique Leadership Style
Date: 12th March | Location: Rochdale | Time: 09:00am - 2:00pm
Think leadership is just for big teams? Think again! Whether you're a freelancer, consultant, or business owner, leadership plays a key role in how you manage clients, make decisions, and grow your business. Join Enterprising You for a FREE interactive workshop exploring leadership from a self-employment perspective.
This half-day event will help you:
- Understand your natural leadership style
- Influence clients & collaborators effectively
- Strengthen decision-making & business growth
- Communicate as a one-person business
You'll also receive a comprehensive workbook to apply what you’ve learned.
Starting a Business in Sport and Leisure
Date: 18 March 2025 | Location: Rochdale | Time: 09:00am - 01:00pm
Turn your sports passion into a successful business at this workshop. Delivered by industry experts, you'll cover:
- Key considerations for starting a sports and leisure business
- Market research and identifying target clients
- Insurance, professional bodies, and legal requirements
- Financial basics including breakeven analysis
- Equipment, resources, and marketing strategy planning
- Developing an action plan for securing your first clients
This comprehensive workshop will help you overcome challenges and bring your innovative ideas to life.
Fire Up Business Clinics
Throughout March, our drop-in business clinics are continuing. These include FREE one-on-one sessions with GM Business Growth Hub specialist advisors covering Finance, Technology, Sustainability, Innovation, Manufacturing and startups. These clinics are designed to provide valuable insights and personalised guidance to help businesses navigate the ever-evolving landscape.
Find out all the upcoming dates here
Office Space Available
"Great location. Plenty of parking. Friendly staff. Affordable. What's not to like?" - Chris Maguire, BusinessCloud
Looking for the perfect office space for your small team? Look no further!
One of our popular offices has become available at Fire Up Rochdale. Each office offers modern furniture, superfast internet, numerous plug points and USB connections. Each office is approximately 136 sq ft and costs just £400 per month plus VAT.
Located in the heart of Rochdale town centre, Fire Up is just a stone's throw from excellent transport links to Manchester and beyond. Enjoy the convenience of a tram stop outside, a train station five minutes away, and free on-site parking. Plus, there's a kitchen with tea and coffee-making facilities!
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Visit here or call us at 01706 614848 to arrange a visit.
We'd love to hear your Fire Up Co-working stories
If you would be interested in providing a short piece, to showcase your experience in future newsletters, please email info@fireuprochdale.co.uk
Don't forget, you're always welcome to pop in and visit Fire Up Co-working space.
The Fire Up Co-Working Team 🔥