B-Enterprising Business Start-Up School

This Easter a group of students and graduates came together for Bangor’s annual Business Start-Up School, organised by the B-Enterprising Project, part of the University’s Careers and Employability Service.  Over twenty-five students from a variety of academic subject backgrounds attended the series of workshops over a four day period. These were designed for students who were considering self employment during or after their studies.

The sessions focussed on the knowledge and specific enterprise skills needed to start up and run a successful new business. The topics covered included: sales and marketing; using social media for business start-up; business finance; negotiation skills and pitching/ presenting a business idea. Chris Walker from Venture Wales facilitated these interactive and experiential workshops.

Ben Jones, a Business School undergraduate, described the series of workshops as:

“An excellent course that provided an insight in to the real life challenges of setting up a successful business in the current economic climate, presented by easy to understand, knowledgeable and friendly staff.”

The attendees also worked together in groups to take part in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ competition, where the groups had to develop a business idea and pitch it to a panel of local entrepreneurs and employability experts. The Dragons’ Den judging panel included: John Jackson, Employability Award Officer; Charlotte Hall, Post-graduate student & Director of Twelfth Man Ltd.; Mici Plwm, Director of MP Events; and Gilbert Gillan, Director of Hinton Interiors. 

The winning group pitched an idea for a modern boutique hotel in a local tourist area and impressed the judges with their ability to respond calmly and coherently to fierce, on the spot questioning in the Den. The team members included; Emma Davies and Benjamin Jones, Business School; and Isabelle Marten and Olivia Whatley, Psychology.

Seidu Ahmed, a post-graduate student from the School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, said:

“I was a bit reluctant to attend the business start-up school but I would have missed a lot without attending. If you want to know how to reach your full potential, you need to join the next class.”

The B-Enterprising project runs regular workshops, competitions and other events relating to enterprise skills and business start-up. For more information, visit www.bangor.ac.uk/careers or www.facebookcom/b-enterprising, or get in touch with the team:

Email: b-enterprising@bangor.ac.uk

Tel: 01248 383651

Publication date: 12 May 2011