April 2014
Business Enterprise students become entrepreneurs
Read time: approx 2 mins
Final year students on the BA Business Enterprise degree had to deliver business plan presentations to their lecturers and external assessors for their research project module.
The Business Enterprise degree gives students the choice of either writing a dissertation or developing their own business plan – beginning with their own ideas for starting up a business and drawing on all of the knowledge they have obtained throughout their degree.
Once they had their core business idea, it was up to the students to examine it from every angle with a strategic eye. This included considering the overall business model, the USP, the location, target audience, marketing, finance and projected profits.
The students then had to present their business concept to a panel of lecturers and external assessors – each with their own wealth of business experience – with a ten minute ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentation followed by questions from the panel on various aspects of their business proposal such as legal and operational issues, marketing strategy and financial forecasts.
“I have been a guest lecturer at UCB for nearly a decade and I am always surprised by the innovative ideas evolved by their students” said Richard Fallon, Director of Marketing the Midlands. “It is this combination of great ideas and a pragmatic ‘both feet firmly on the ground’ approach which distinguishes UCB business students. They know where they want to get to and how to get there.”
Business Enterprise student Gazala Kauser said “After months of preparation for my business venture Colour Blush Mobile Hairdressing, finally the day was here. Choosing a name for the business was challenging, and the logo. To prepare for the presentation, all necessary research was carried out and financial reports were drawn up. I printed a t-shirt to reinforce my brand image. My feelings on the day, well, what can I say apart from 'nervous'! I did several rehearsals but, with each rehearsal, it became more and more nerve-wracking. Now that I’ve done the presentation, all that’s left to do is wait...”
The Business Plan is essentially an independent study module that students can choose as an alternative to the dissertation. Lecturers support them and offer guidance throughout the process to help students put their skills into a real-life practical scenarios. Our business courses differ greatly from normal run-of-the-mill business courses. There is a strong emphasis on developing a business idea, considering all the factors and then using the business plan to start up a business.