Are you a small business owner but feel as if you are stuck in a rut? Do you think you need a kick-start or new connections?

Then this year’s BASE conference in Amsterdam later this month could be exactly what you need. 2024 marks the fifth time BASE, a small-scale conference focusing on start-ups and scale ups which want to make a social impact, has been held, and the event is going back to its roots this year with face-to-face meetings.

“Coronavirus forced us to move online but we do miss the face to face contact, so we are back now in real life, inviting people to be curious, to meet and to network,” says organiser Veronica Guguian, from marketing agency Spin Ideas.

Creating communities

She launched the first BASE conference in 2019 to bring people in the same situation together. “It’s about growing and creating a community,” she says. “Our attendees are people who want to have a social impact but understand they are still running a business, not an NGO.”

Attendees are often people who have been doing what they are doing for a long time but have become stuck, Veronica says. “So we want to help people get unstuck, get reinspired and to reconnect with what is important to them, to make new connections.”

The conference will focus on four core pillars, each designed to tackle pressing business challenges through the lens of social value.

1. Build: Together We Are Stronger
   This pillar will explore topics related to company culture and stakeholder relationships.
2. Advance: Provide a Different Perspective
   With a focus on marketing and sales, this pillar will encourage attendees to embrace creativity and innovation, offering fresh insights into how businesses can stay competitive and adaptable in 2024.
3. Sustain: Discover the Difference
   This pillar will dive into the delicate balance between sustainability and profitability, exploring how businesses can build loyal communities of clients and ambassadors to drive long-term success.
4. Elevate: Always Be Curious
   Innovation is at the heart of this pillar, where participants will explore the importance of curiosity and continuous improvement, with a special focus on sustainable marketing strategies that ensure future growth.

Studies indicate that it is often small businesses which have the highest social impact and generate the most money for the economy, Veronica points out. “Everything started with an idea, we were growing our companies… and we knew there are people out there who are smarter than us that we could learn from and who were inspiring.”

Among this year’s speakers are Nour Shabaan, who built and sold a $1 million company and micro-event strategist Marcel Wijermars the founder of “No More Networking”. You can also find out how to implement AI for small businesses while staying true to your values.

This year’s BASE conference takes place at the Social Impact Factory in Amsterdam on October 25. Find out more.