BE SUPPORTED. BE AMBITIOUS. BE CONNE- CTED. BE EMPOWERED. BE FUNDED. BE EN- TREPRENEURIAL. BE INSPIRED. BE PASSION- ATE. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE. BE MENTORED. BE ENCOURAGED. BE ENTERPRISING. BE BOLD. BE SUPPORTED. BE AMBITIOUS. BE CONNE- CTED. BE EMPOWERED. BE FUNDED. BE EN- TREPRENEURIAL. BE INSPIRED. BE PASSION- ATE. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE. BE MENTORED. BE ENCOURAGED. BE ENTERPRISING. BE BOLD. BE SUPPORTED. BE AMBITIOUS. BE CONNE- CTED. BE EMPOWERED. BE FUNDED. BE EN- TREPRENEURIAL. BE INSPIRED. BE PASSION- ATE. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE. BE MENTORED. BE ENCOURAGED. BE ENTERPRISING. BE BOLD. Students and graduates Be The Boss is here because we know your ambition and creativity can change things. With the right help and enough motivation and drive, it can change everything. An idea is all it takes. And whether you were born for business or need a little support in finding your entrepreneurial feet, we’d love to be part of your journey. Meet our Enterprise Adviser for your bespoke business consultation and action planning session. Be The Boss Through a combination of action Secure 1:1 advisory Attend workshops and seminars planning, one-to-one support provided sessions with an on a range of topics ranging from experienced business business planning to marketing by experienced business advisers, professional, who strategy and sales. All delivered a series of workshops and other activities, will support you in by experts within their field. Be The Boss will help to develop the skills all aspects of your business. you need to confidently set up and run your own business or enterprise and take the first steps to working for yourself. £1500 Receive £1500 in start-up funding when you successfully complete the programme. Ola Fagbohun Leanne Enterprise Manager Stevens Enterprise Core Be The Champion Boss Team Jo Wheldon Chris O’Gara Head of Student EDRF Project Employment and Co-ordinator Enterprise (part-time) Part of the University of Derby Careers and Employment Service The journey so far 257 2845 Workshops September 2016 held 191 131 Hours of business support Students Start-ups enrolled created 20 4 BTB BTB roadshows networking £177,000 events Bursaries claimed £ March 2019 From nearly 200 aspiring entrepreneurs that have pursued their dreams with Be The Boss, we’ve handpicked nine success stories to inspire the next stage in your journey. Be The Boss, – Danielle Vassell – David Hambling – Amit Gill – Tyra Tucker – Julie Cole – Freya Whittaker – Danniebelle Gunter – Adrian C Andrei Meet The Boss. – Tom Storey LittleMIGHT makes custom Danielle clothing for premature babies. Each garment is adorned with empowering Vassell and uplifting messages to breathe hope and positivity LittleMIGHT into the heads and hearts of families and healthcare professionals. Tiny clothes. Hugely inspiring. and perseverance, and I was help me understand my market determined to learn the skills and stand out as a business.” I would need to make LittleMIGHT a big success. That meant The Future Danielle Vassell understanding business strategy “LittleMIGHT isn’t just a clothing and making informed strategic line – it’s a ray of hope for families. decisions.” The past 18 months has been the www.daniellevassell. LittleMIGHT most amazing journey, and the wixsite.com/home future will be international. “Joining Be The I want to make sure that parents of premature children anywhere Boss is one of in the world can feel part of an The Background when I finally took the leap and Danielle Vassell started LittleMIGHT in August 2018. the most important online community where their voice “I weighed one pound when I was and experience can inspire and born – about the same as a block My parents had run a successful decisions I’ve training business that operated support others. The clothing line of butter. The doctors warned of across the UK, and it was them who ever made.” is just the start.” brain damage, blindness… and all Danielle Vassell gave me the confidence and belief sorts of other health implications. The Programme to start my own business. So thanks But somehow I defied the odds, “Joining Be The Boss is one of the to the University of Derby’s Be The The Impact and I want other families to Boss programme, LittleMIGHT was most important decisions I’ve ever know that their children can too. born and I haven’t looked back.” “First and foremost, having the made. And if anyone reading this is @DanielleVassell I suppose that’s the mission of backing and belief of the University in two minds, I would say ‘go for it!’. LittleMIGHT – glimpses of hope The Discovery of Derby brought me a lot of If you have the passion to launch and humour even in the most “I heard about Be The Boss confidence. And that in itself a new venture, the hard work and difficult of circumstances.” after receiving an email from encouraged me to embrace every effort will eventually be worth it. the university, and I signed up opportunity that the programme And the University of Derby has all @danielle_ Vassell The Beginnings in a heartbeat. I just knew it was presented. I was given an initial the expertise and advice that any “I’d been studying a full-time right for me. Running the business start-up fund of £1500, and learned aspiring entrepreneur could ever degree in Business Management takes a lot of time, knowledge all sorts of techniques that would need. So what’s stopping you?” Amit Gill is an independent Amit Gill photographer who specialises in imagery for the performing Photography arts industries across Derby and the East Midlands. His photographic style is focused on head shots and portraits for actors, theatres and production companies. so I joined the programme, confidence and I could definitely grasped every single opportunity relate to their challenges.” and never looked back. They helped me gain funding in the The Future Amit Gill early days – and without that “It’s early days for Amit Gill support I don’t think I’d be the Photography, so I’m still in this business owner I am today.” continual cycle of working hard www.amit-gill.format.com to save money to spend on more Photography sophisticated equipment and technology. And at the same “If you get the time I’m continuing to build my opportunity to portfolio and connections across Amit Gill The Background of studio and location photography, enrol on Be The the industry. My immediate future is “I come from an acting and it was during my third-year about building more hands-on work background, and although that degree show that I gained the Boss, please experience, but also connecting particular career path took a confidence and conviction to start with like-minded photographers so just do it.” A.G.Photography different direction, I’ve always my own business that focused in I can learn from their work too.” a sector that I truly loved. I had no wanted to be involved in the arts The Programme and build my own independent equipment and very little business business and brand. That’s where my acumen, but I had nothing to The Impact “If you get the opportunity to focus on commercial photography lose either, and my course tutors “Be The Boss gave me rounded enrol on Be The Boss, please just @Gil61725904Amit comes from, and the niche focus were incredibly supportive and advice that was tailored to my do it. You obviously need to take on performing arts gives me a USP encouraging.” personal circumstances. From the time to research your market setting up a website to developing opportunity, but once you decide that I’m passionate about and that The Discovery helps me to stand out too.” a business plan, building my that the life of an entrepreneur and “I discovered Be The Boss through professional network, and business owner is right for you, this The Beginnings my course after a recommendation attending all sorts of workshops is the perfect programme to guide @britishlions2016 “I was studying a BA in Commercial from a tutor. I could immediately and events. I learned an awful lot your first steps and beyond. The Photography at the University of imagine how it would help me through the success stories of other opportunities they’ve given me have Derby. I’d learned all the essentials to learn invaluable business skills, students too – that gave me real been brilliant – simple as that.” Julie Cole runs a circuit Julie Cole training class that focuses on weight-based exercises Fitness blended with dumbbells and boxing. Her focus is on helping people to maintain the optimum form, posture and technique to improve strength and avoid injury when using weights. a full-time job at Derbyshire The Programme County Council. It’s hard work, but If you get the opportunity it’s all part of a longer-term plan.” to join Be The Boss, my advice would be simple: do it, embrace The Impact Julie Cole it, enjoy it. From a personal “The programme has been perspective, their funding and brilliant. I’ve been introduced support has been invaluable. Fitness Mrscoley14 to other like-minded people, In terms of advice, it’s definitely gained plenty of new knowledge important to plan your time from different trainers and properly, and remember – advisers, but above all it’s given business can sometimes be The Background me the confidence and skills to a cut-throat world – so you become self-employed. Although “I haven’t always been a fitness need to have thick skin I purchased a lot of the enthusiast, but having been to continue driving forward!” equipment from my own savings, overweight for a large part of my The Future the grants received through Be life I managed to lose 102lb – the “The business is already really The Boss allowed me to invest weight of an average 13-year-old! busy, but I’m eager to continue in more equipment, room hire As part of that personal journey building my skills through and new qualifications.” I developed a genuine passion more advanced training and for fitness, as well as a real I’m planning to build a USP understanding and appreciation by developing a bespoke “From a personal Julie Cole of what people are going through menopause course.