Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme
The University of St Andrews has received substantial funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to deliver a programme of educational events focusing on enterprise, innovation and entrepreneurship for the researcher community. A programme of events has been developed by the Knowledge Transfer Centre and The Careers Centre and is now being coordinated by CAPOD.
The programme includes a range of engaging workshops and seminars intended to explore different aspects of enterprise and innovation. So if you think you have a great business idea, why not come along and find out how to turn it into a reality? To find out more and to book a place on any of the four courses running during Semester 1, click on the course title below, which will take you to the relevant page on the on-line course booking system. For information about the whole range of planned events, including Semester 2, see the programme outline below.
Semester 2 events
The World of Business - Myths and Misconceptions – Friday 17th February, 10.00 – 12.00
This workshop will give a focused, practical introduction to the world of business (including social enterprise), dispelling some of the negative misconceptions you might have and offering some practical advice on how to put your best foot forward. Our views of "the business world" often come from media stories such as the financial crash, bankers' bonuses, etc, or entertainment shows such as Dragons' Den or The Apprentice - not necessarily the most realistic representation of what the business world is really all about!
In this workshop Stephen Westwood will outline the main aims of business and social enterprise and explain how they provide value to the average "person in the street". The workshop will also include practical advice such as effective use of the professional networking site LinkedIn and managing your online presence. (Note: GRADskills hopes to run a full workshop on online identity management later this semester.) Bonnie Hacking, Enterprise & Employability Adviser, will also be on hand to give an idea of the support and guidance the University's Careers Centre can offer.
The World of Business - Myths and Misconceptions – Monday 27th February, 2.00 – 4.00
This workshop will give a focused, practical introduction to the world of business (including social enterprise), dispelling some of the negative misconceptions you might have and offering some practical advice on how to put your best foot forward.
Our views of "the business world" often come from media stories such as the financial crash, bankers' bonuses, etc, or entertainment shows such as Dragons' Den or The Apprentice - not necessarily the most realistic representation of what the business world is really all about! In this workshop Stephen Westwood will outline the main aims of business and social enterprise and explain how they provide value to the average "person in the street".
The workshop will also include practical advice such as effective use of the professional networking site LinkedIn and managing your online presence. (Note: GRADskills hopes to run a full workshop on online identity management later this semester.) Dr Ben Carter will also be on hand to give an idea of the support and guidance the University's Careers Centre can offer.
Become a Confident Networker, Tuesday 28 February 2012, 09:30 – 12:30
When you hear the word networking, people often associate it with marketing, selling and promotion. Whilst that is partially true everyone builds new and strengthens existing relationships by networking. It’s all about communication and these days with the growth of social media, the mobile phone and e-mail, the art of face to face networking can sometimes be overlooked. There can never be a substitute for making good connections by attending both internal and external events.
This session, run by Kintish, will show you how to work a room and when you spot a potential opportunity to move the relationship forward.
Kintish have created a networking system to make it simple for you to learn. Extensive research shows 99% of people fear networking; your 3 key fears are fear of rejection, fear of failure and fear of the unknown. This session will destroy those fears for you ensuring you attend every event, both external and internal, in the right frame of mind.
How to Follow Up Opportunities, Tuesday 28 February 2012, 1:30 – 4:30
How often, having been at an event, have you sensed an opportunity that you have not actually followed up?
Prospects don't buy 'on the spot', it takes time to create trust and build a relationship. If you don't call after spotting that chance to work together, why did you go? Was it simply for the free food and drink?
This session will convince you, with an entertaining and powerful presentation, that, forever more, you will just want to follow up those initial leads.
How to Succeed in the Business World - Friday 16 March, 9.30am – 5.00pm
Do you have an idea for a business? Want to find out whether it's feasible to take it to market? Are you finishing your PhD or research contract and thinking that academia isn't for you? Want to find out more about the alternatives? If you answered Yes to any of the above questions, then this intensive, one-day event is for you!
The presenter, Stephen Westwood, will share his experiences to increase your awareness of how the commercial world operates, with the following objectives:
- Increase your know-how and understanding
- Remove some misconceptions
- Show how business and career opportunities can develop
Through a mix of presentation, case studies and group work you will cover the key themes of Market, People and Money. eg Market: who will buy and why? What are the routes to market? People: skills, experience, expertise and leadership. Money: funding sources and investment return.
Outcomes:
• Each of you will be better placed to seek out opportunities in the commercial world
• Each of you will be more articulate and more confident in presenting yourself and your views
School for Apps, 19 March 2012, 2:30 – 5:00
How to use blogs, wikis, apps & other social media to engage the public and enrich your research!
This event for early career researchers will provide an authoritative introductory session to using blogs, wikis, YouTube, apps and other potential research dissemination media. This session is intended as a thought piece to stimulate members of the audience into considering if any of these new approaches might be appropriate in their own areas of research. The session also focuses on mobile phone Apps and their potential use for research studies and in disseminating results in an interesting and novel format - a great starter-session!
The presenters for this session are:
- Dawn Carmichael Ph.D. https://portal.abertay.ac.uk/portal/page/portal/SHARED/d/D510879 Lecturer, Com Arts, School of Computing & Engineering, University of Abertay Dundee
- Per Ola Kristensson, Ph.D. http://pokristensson.com SICSA Lecturer and EPSRC Research Fellow, University of St Andrews, UK
I'm an Entrepreneur..., Monday 2 April – Wednesday 4 April 2012, Fairmont Hotel
This residential course, taking place at the superb Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, is an opportunity to try to turn an interesting idea, which may arise from your research, into a venture; and if you don’t have an idea yet it is just the place to be inspired by like-minded people.
Because you are an entrepreneur!
- As a result of attending delegates will be able to:
- Figure out how feasible an idea really is
- Develop a plan for turning your good idea into a venture
- Take the first steps to developing your idea
- Develop relationships with like-minded entrepreneurial researchers
Content on this residential event includes session on developing and delivering your ‘pitch’, customers and competitors, developing your idea, expert entrepreneur coaching, making money and planning your enterprise.
Participants on this event will also take part in two half-day follow-up sessions.
Applicants can register for this course on the University course booking system. Following registration applicants must forward a short outline explaining why they should be selected for the course by e-mail to Bonnie Hacking (bsm9@st-andrews.ac.uk).
Applicants will be notified of their success and advised of further details during w/c 12th March 2012.
Semester 1 events (already taken place)
- Ideas Generation, Tuesday 1 November, 15:00 - 17:00
Would you like to be your own boss? Or would you like to do something to improve the world? In this session you’ll get a chance to think about where good business ideas come from and you’ll learn some techniques to help you come up with ideas of your own.
- Pathways to Venture Creation, Tuesday 8 November, 15:00 - 17:00
Every great venture, whether it’s Google, Innocent Drinks or Oxfam, started with an idea which its founder then worked hard to turn into reality. In this session, we’ll be considering what makes one idea good and another bad. Then we’ll be using an Idea Map to think through ways of turning an idea into a venture.
- Academic Freedom and IP Rights, Friday 11 November, 15:00- 17:00
As your career develops you will need to appreciate both your own and other’s freedom to access background rights for your work, and have some understanding and appreciation of intellectual property and the rights associated with its ownership.
- Business Basics, Tuesday 29 November, 15:00 -17:00
Every venture - whether it’s a large, international corporation or a local community project - needs to be able to work out what it’s going to do and how it’s going to do it. But just how do they formulate strategy and take decisions? In this workshop, you’ll get a chance to use tools taught in business schools to explore how three very different organisations operate. This session is particularly relevant to those with limited business experience. You don’t need any prior understanding to take part.
