Business & IP Centre

Business & IP Centre Visit our website for more information: bl.uk/bipc British Library information experts are on hand to guide you to the resources you need.

Your ideas, our support 💡 We're here to help small business owners, entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors to start, protect, and grow their successful businesses. The Business & IP Centre offers free access to the UK’s most comprehensive collection of business and intellectual property information. The information resources are estimated at some £5 million, giving small businesses access to the

same, if not better, resources than those of a large multinational company. The collection includes market research reports, directories, trade journals, patent, trade mark and registered design specifications and 30 up-to-the minute online databases with information on companies and markets. Anyone is welcome to use the Library; you just need to gain a free Reader Pass. The Centre also offers free and highly discounted workshops, advice sessions and networking events run by British Library staff and its partners, designed to give you the skills, tools and networks necessary to start up and run a business. These include ‘Beginner's guide to intellectual property’, ‘Beginner’s guide to business information’ and ‘Online marketing masterclass’. If you are an exciting and ambitious London-based small business, our free business support programme, Innovating for Growth can help. Expert advice and support, tailored to your specific requirements, the programme covers the essential skills needed to accelerate your business growth. From business strategy to sustainability and branding to developing your product, the programme will ensure your successful business growth. Meet our Business & IP Centre staff at stand 700 to find out how we can help you start and grow your business. Our staff will also be running two seminars during the show to tell you more about the businesses we’ve supported. Sign up to the monthly e-newsletter to keep up-to-date with all the Centre news, at https://forms.bl.uk/newsletters

Your next business opportunity could be one conversation away... Join us at our Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Against the Odd...
05/06/2026

Your next business opportunity could be one conversation away...

Join us at our Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Against the Odds event on Monday 15 June at the British Library (and online) and hear from entrepreneurs who have overcome challenges to build successful businesses.

Join us in-person to meet our speakers face-to-face, ask your questions during the live Q&A and connect with fellow entrepreneurs over drinks after the panel. Whether you're looking for fresh inspiration, practical advice or valuable new connections, you never know where one conversation might lead.

Book today: https://link.bl.uk/BIPC_IEAgainstTheOdds

02/06/2026

Knowledge. Connection. Inspiration.

Get honest insights from our panel of start-up founders at the British Library or online on 15 June.

Book now: https://link.bl.uk/BIPC_IEAgainstTheOdds

Don't miss the chance to learn from our panel? network with our community and walk away feeling inspired.

Tickets are selling fast! Have you secured yours? 👀 Let's see who else is joining us at the British Library  and online ...
21/05/2026

Tickets are selling fast! Have you secured yours? 👀

Let's see who else is joining us at the British Library and online on Monday 15 June for our Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Against the Odds event...

🌟 Alison Cork MBE 🌟

An entrepreneur, author and broadcaster, Alison has been building businesses since her student days and is the founder of National Women's Enterprise Week. Her latest venture, LEKA LEKA, reflects her continued focus on innovation and adapting to changing consumer needs. Alison will open the evening by sharing what she has learned from decades of entrepreneurship.

🌟 Leanne Pero MBE🌟

Leanne founded The Movement Factory at 15, growing it into a Nike London partner and raising over £500,000 to deliver dance programmes for young people across London. After her breast cancer diagnosis at 30, she founded Black Women Rising, supporting over 800 women of colour affected by cancer and raising over £1.1 million. She was awarded an MBE in 2023 and a Pride of Britain Award in 2025, and will be our moderator for the evening.

Don't miss out! Book your ticket now: https://link.bl.uk/BIPC_IEAgainstTheOdds

Next up on our speaker line-up... 🥤 We are delighted to welcome Yandis Ying, founder and CEO of Dot Dot Bubble Tea.Found...
14/05/2026

Next up on our speaker line-up... 🥤

We are delighted to welcome Yandis Ying, founder and CEO of Dot Dot Bubble Tea.

Founded as a small café in North London, Dot Dot has grown into the UK’s first premium low sugar ready-to-drink bubble tea brand, now stocked nationwide.

Yandis will share her experience of building a fast-scaling FMCG brand that blends culture, functionality and community

🎟️ Secure your ticket today to hear Yandis's story! Tickets available here: https://link.bl.uk/BIPC_IEAgainstTheOdds

Have you booked your ticket yet? 💥At our next Inspiring Entrepreneurs event on 15 June, we're spotlighting women who hav...
13/05/2026

Have you booked your ticket yet? 💥

At our next Inspiring Entrepreneurs event on 15 June, we're spotlighting women who have overcome barriers to build extraordinary businesses.

Find out more about our next speaker: Victoria Jenkins is the founder of accessible fashion brand Unhidden.

Drawing on her lived experience and extensive career in fashion, Victoria has built an adaptive clothing brand that challenges industry norms and centres accessibility from the start.

Victoria was recently a guest judge on The Great British Sewing Bee and launched a global partnership with Primark to bring adaptive design to the high street across 10 countries and 96 stores.

🎟️ Join us to hear Victoria share her journey - tickets on sale now: https://link.bl.uk/BIPC_IEAgainstTheOdds

Speaker highlight! We can’t wait for our Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Against the Odds event on 15 June. Meet one of our inc...
11/05/2026

Speaker highlight!

We can’t wait for our Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Against the Odds event on 15 June. Meet one of our incredible speakers who will be sharing her journey as an industry disruptor, sustainability champion and woman founder.

Esh*ta Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of By Rotation, joins the panel to share her journey from side project to leading platform in the circular fashion economy. Esh*ta founded By Rotation, the social network for renting lifestyle premium goods, as part of her mission to transform global consumption through community-led, sustainable fashion.

Recognised by Forbes and Drapers 30 Under 30, Esh*ta’s work explores how innovation, community and sustainability can reshape established industries.

Tickets are going fast – don't miss out! Get yours today: https://events.bl.uk/events/inspiring-entrepreneurs-against-the-odds

📢 New event announcement 📢 Celebrate National Women's Enterprise Week with our panel of Inspiring Entrepreneurs on Monda...
05/05/2026

📢 New event announcement 📢

Celebrate National Women's Enterprise Week with our panel of Inspiring Entrepreneurs on Monday 15 June at the British Library and online.

Be part of the conversation with women who have challenged conventions and built impactful businesses on their own terms, learn what it takes to turn an idea into a thriving enterprise and leave with fresh perspectives and meaningful connections to support your own entrepreneurial journey.

Speakers include:

⭐ Alison Cork MBE, founder of LEKA LEKA and National Women’s Enterprise Week, entrepreneur, author and broadcaster
⭐ Esh*ta Kabra-Davies, founder and CEO of By Rotation, the social network for renting lifestyle premium goods
⭐ Victoria Jenkins, founder and CEO of Unhidden, an adaptive clothing brand reshaping fashion through inclusivity and design innovation
⭐ Yandis Ying, founder and CEO of Dot Dot Bubble Tea, the UK’s first premium ready-to-drink bubble tea brand for retail and foodservice
⭐ Leanne Pero MBE, founder and CEO of Black Women Rising UK and The Movement Factory, an award-winning social entrepreneur, speaker, breast cancer survivor and your host for the evening

Whether you’re at the very start of your business journey, looking to grow or simply seeking inspiration from those who have paved the way, this event promises real-world lessons, plus the opportunity to put your questions directly to our speakers and connect with fellow entrepreneurs over drinks and networking afterwards.

Don't miss out! Secure your ticket now: https://lnkd.in/egBntfc6

29/04/2026

Want to stop someone from copying your brilliant idea? We can help! 💡

Following on Sunday, now is the perfect time to think about protecting what you’re building.

We hold the UK’s largest collection of intellectual property information and provide free support, workshops and one-to-ones to help you protect your idea from day one and turn it into a successful business.

📖 Book a free workshop or one-to-one for IP support: https://lnkd.in/e8vxuSp7
👉 Discover our free guides to IP: https://lnkd.in/esy5pZNv
💻 Explore our other resources and support: https://lnkd.in/eByu-h2N

The countdown continues to World IP Day this Sunday! This year’s theme focuses on IP and sport, and we’re diving into ou...
24/04/2026

The countdown continues to World IP Day this Sunday! This year’s theme focuses on IP and sport, and we’re diving into our patent archive where bold ideas have shaped the future. ⚽👟

From an 1893 concept using air-filled rubber balls to boost movement, to M. Frank Rudy’s 1977 design that gave birth to Nike Air and, eventually, the iconic Nike Air Force 1, these early ideas evolved into global game-changers.

At the Business & IP Centre, your idea could be the next breakthrough. Patented concepts have the potential to become industry-defining successes. With our workshops and one-to-one support, we’re here to help you turn your idea into something extraordinary.

Check out our programme of free workshops and start your IP journey today: https://lnkd.in/e8vxuSp7

Someone could copy your work if you don’t protect it 👀We're still counting down to   on Sunday 26 April. Not sure how to...
23/04/2026

Someone could copy your work if you don’t protect it 👀

We're still counting down to on Sunday 26 April. Not sure how to protect your business? Start here ⬇️

There are four main types of intellectual property every business should understand:
• Copyright
• Patents
• Registered designs
• Trade marks

The Business & IP Centre offers free guides and workshops for each type, helping you understand what protection is right for you.

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📖 Book a FREE workshop or 1-2-1 for IP support: https://lnkd.in/e8vxuSp7
👉 Explore our FREE guides to IP: https://lnkd.in/esy5pZNv

Address

96 Euston Road
London
NW12DB

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 8pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 8pm
Thursday 9:30am - 8pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

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