Helm (formerly The Supper Club)

As proud advocates for female founders, we are delighted to spotlight member Clare Harris, co-founder of Talking Tables Ltd | B Corp 👏 in light of Women's History Month. Clare has been a valued Helm member for 10 years, consistently contributing to the community and working on challenges. Over the years Talking Tables has grown from strength to strength, below are a few golden nuggets from Clare: 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬? I am not sure there has been one single big challenge as over twenty-five years, one has faced many challenges of growth. A curiosity to keep learning, a tenacity to hang in there and the competitive desire to hit new milestones drives me on to push through each blocker as it comes in. Specific growth challenges have, of course, included careful management of cash especially in a stock orientated business; staying close to what the customer wants; and having the right team in place for the current stage of the business. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬? It is a calling rather than a straightforward career choice. It does eat into your evenings, weekends and holidays. However, you set your own culture and “rules”, and can choose to work around school pickups and half term breaks if you so desire. I did this myself. This may become harder as the business scales, but again you define those choices. It is a privilege and pleasure to work with people you respect as you hire them and set the value system you recruit to. I am very fortunate to have my partner, Mark McCormack, share the business with me, and we have complementary skills. I can’t imagine doing it solo. And yes, it overspills way beyond 17:30, and many of our great holidays have snuck in a factory visit. Our son, as a result, has probably seen more Asian factories than many young people. So running your own business is great for those happy to live it and breathe it. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬? Helm has made it is a less lonely environment. Unlike your own brother or sisters, or those at the school gate, every Helm members run a business too, so they have empathy for the unique challenges we all face each day – be that handling a tricky employee; choosing the right banking partner or setting up an office in America. Access to the forums, dinners and WhatsApp group allows you insights into what hurdles others are facing at any one moment in time; so you feel less alone in your own daily progress. There is also someone who can help with an answer! To celebrate Women's History Month at Helm, we are running a female founders series of events to bring together our brilliant members, kicking off with an exclusive Wine Tasting at Claridge's🍷. #founders #femalefounders

7 Talks. 7 Minutes. Endless Insights. 🚀 Last week, we brought together some of Helm’s most dynamic founders for an exclusive evening of TED-style talks, where each speaker had just 7 minutes to share their most powerful, thought-provoking ideas for scale-up leaders. From game-changing strategies to hard-earned lessons, the room was filled with energy, inspiration, and bold ideas, sparking conversations that will shape the future of entrepreneurship. A huge thank you to our incredible speakers, guests, and the wider Helm community for making this event one to remember. And of course, the drinks, canapés, and networking at our exclusive venue didn’t disappoint! Looking forward to the next one—who’s in? #Helm #ScaleUp #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Innovation

An event that’s stood the test of time🥁… Many Heads Dinner! Last night ten of our members met at The Delaunay to share their challenges of running scale-up businesses. Industry agnostic, these dinners certainly make for interesting conversations. Some of the topics that we sunk our teeth into: 👩💻Hybrid work 🌟To exit, or not to exit? 📣Alternative funding 💰UK as an attractive market 👥Managing co-founder relationships Expertly facilitated by our brilliant Forum Chair, Richard Eagleton, our members got stuck into each other’s challenges over some delicious food. Helm (formerly The Supper Club); the UK's leading Club for Scaleup founders. #scaleup #foundersnetwork #foundersclub #entrepreneur

FINAL COUNTDOWN - 24 hours to the deadline if you're looking to close a round or raise Angel investment? Pitch to 15 angel investors with a chance to raise up to £1m SEIS/EIS with Helm Investment Day. 👉 https://lnkd.in/exiK8fTU Apply before Thursday 20th February at midday. We all know how difficult it is to raise our first round. Helm angel investors have scaled and exited their business and have now turned to active investing. They know the difficulties and can add true value to your business. Apply here 👇 to pitch https://lnkd.in/exiK8fTU Helm (formerly The Supper Club); the UK's leading Club for Scaleup founders. #fundraising #funding #angelinvestors #investors #seedround #pitchday

The Elite Business Top 100 SMEs for 2025 is here! 🏆 Britain’s definitive league table highlighting the top SMEs across the UK is back! Congratulations to all the Top 100 brands that have been ranked this year. 🌟 We're proud to be a partner of the EB100 Annual Guide for 2025, the league table serves as more than just a ranking; it stands as a testament to the hard work, groundbreaking ideas, and transformative efforts of these companies. From pioneering start-ups to well-established industry leaders, these businesses are at the forefront of shaping the future of British commerce. View the Top 100 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSWVCF6j #EB100 #SME #Entrepreneurship #EB100Judge #Top100Businesses

🔥 What does it take to build a €5 BILLION company? 🔥 Last night, Helm (formerly The Supper Club) founders had the rare opportunity to hear directly from Justas Janauskas, co-founder of Vinted —now Lithuania’s largest company and a powerhouse in 21 countries. In an intimate, closed-door dinner, Justas shared the raw, unfiltered story of scaling Vinted to €5𝐁+—from the earliest challenges to the pivotal moments that defined its success. 🚀 3 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬. We’d love to share more, but… Chatham House Rule. 😉 If you weren’t in the room, you missed out! The dinner was chaired by Alex Cheatle, and our CEO Andreas Adamides. 🙏 Many thanks Justas Janauskas for joining us at Helm ✨ At 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐦, we create these exclusive opportunities for scale-up founders—connecting them with world-class leaders, tackling challenges together, and accelerating growth. With 180+ 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 2024, we’re building the UK’s most powerful founder network. Want to be in the room next time? 👉 Learn about joining at www.helmclub.co #founders #startups #scaleup #growth #leadership #Vinted

Looking to close a round or raise Angel investment? Pitch to 15 angel investors with a chance to raise up to £1m SEIS/EIS with Helm Investment Day. 👉 https://lnkd.in/exiK8fTU Apply before Thursday 20th February at midday. We all know how difficult it is to raise our first round. Helm angel investors have scaled and exited their business and have now turned to active investing. They know the difficulties and can add true value to your business. Apply here 👇 to pitch https://lnkd.in/exiK8fTU Helm (formerly The Supper Club); the UK's leading Club for Scaleup founders. #fundraising #funding #angelinvestors #investors #seedround #pitchday

Raising Our Glasses to a Great Year Ahead!🥂✨ Two weeks ago, we brought together Helm members for an unforgettable evening in Mayfair. It was a night to reflect on incredible memories from last year, while also looking ahead to an even bigger, bolder, and more exciting year to come. With more events than ever, a growing and more diverse community, and a few exciting surprises up our sleeves, 2025 is shaping up to be a year full of opportunity and momentum. At Helm, we believe that the best ideas and partnerships often spark in settings like these. Here’s to more inspiring gatherings, shared successes, and a thriving founder community in the months ahead! 🚀 Already looking forward to the next one—who’s in? 👇  #Helm #FoundersCommunity #Networking #Entrepreneurship #ScalingTogether

Networking at 10,000 Feet: Founders on the Slopes ⛷️🏔️ What better way to connect with fellow founders than skiing down the breathtaking slopes of Madonna di Campiglio, high in the Dolomites? Our Helm members returned energised, inspired, and (let’s be honest) well-fed on Italian cuisine & wine after an unforgettable ski trip. This wasn’t your typical business retreat—it was a perfect blend of gourmet meals, exhilarating runs, mountain-top Aperols, and lasting friendships. We’re excited to soon announce the location for our next ski adventure! Stay tuned as we’d love to see you there! 🎿🏔️🍷  #Helm #SkiTrip #FoundersNetworking #BusinessBeyondTheBoardroom #founders

Exciting news! We're delighted to announce that we are proud partners of Elite Business Live 2025, the UK's premier conference for SMEs, fast-track start-ups, and high-growth business owners.   Mark your calendars for March 12th-13th 2025, for an extraordinary event!   Secure your virtual or studio audience tickets now 👇 https://lnkd.in/ef8wqBww   🚨 Use code: HELMEBL50 for 25% off!   #EBL2025 #founders