Edition 5 NEWSLETTER | Summer / Autumn 2012 It’s been another busy few months in Student Enterprise, as Here’s a rundown of the 15 SPEED you’ll see from the range of Plus businesses: activities that have been going on! Undergraduates Happy reading! • Ben Richardson: Manufacture of crystal and wooden neck bead and bracelet sets • Chris Maiden and Josh Drumm-Roberts: Following on from the success of SpeedWM and EFS, Event tickets website which we ran between 2009 and 2011, the Autumn • Nicola Bibbey: Bespoke cake catering semester has seen the start of a new business start up • Sriya Katechia and Josh Drumm-Roberts: scheme for Keele students, recent alumni and staff in Public use mobile phone charging units the form of SPEED Plus. Postgraduates A number of cohorts will be recruited for six month long intakes from now until 2015. Each will consist of an • Jennifer Pearson: Physiotherapy exercise for the intensive residential induction weekend, business elderly development workshops, access to a hot desking office, a registered business address at Keele Alumni University Science & Business Park, access to business consultants and the opportunity to bid for up • Stephanie Harrison: Unique cake displays and to £1500 of financial support. luxury fillings • Karen Rowe and Sue Fleming: Counselling service Funded by the European Regional Development Fund • Luke Spolander: University clothing and (ERDF), Keele is one of five universities from across merchandise the West Midlands taking part in the programme. • Thomas Blakey: Sequential art website • Kanval Nissa: Pretzel stand Student Enterprise Manager, Dee Frankish, said: • Phillipa Beckett-Robertson: Online social network “We're thrilled that we've been awarded further funding for work placements to continue helping budding Keele entrepreneurs to • Richard Haslam and David Hampshire: Art dealers learn how to set up and run their very own companies. supporting communities in developing countries by selling local art/artefacts in the UK “The course is intensive and requires participants to • Dr Ian Wimpenny and Deepak Kumar: Stem cell learn to time manage their academic work as well as to regeneration development juggle with the trials and tribulations of trying to develop their passion, but to see how much progress they Staff Members make, how much they learn and how great that makes them feel, is hugely rewarding.” • Claire Norris: Bespoke cake and tray bake products • Amy Callan: Dance classes for vulnerable adults Fifteen new companies comprising of nineteen and recovering addicts individuals will be supported in the first cohort, which started this October. You can see a list of the new companies taking part in the first cohort to the right. If you're interested in applying for the next intake, or you'd like more information about SPEED Plus, contact Dee using the details at the bottom of the page. T: 01782 733441 E: [email protected] W: www.keele.ac.uk/studententerprise NEWSLETTER | Summer / Autumn 2012 | Edition 5 Keele University’s Santander Awards Santander Award Winners: of Entrepreneurship 2012 1st (joint): Gavin Rutlidge (Biology and English In May we held the final round of the Santander Awards at Year 3) for his board game idea called ‘Game Keele’s Hub for Sustainability. We received some great entries for this year’s business ideas competition and Gavin’. invited the top five entrants to present their ideas to a panel of judges. 1st (joint): Jarren Yau (Economics and Finance The panel comprised of Mike Cole (Business Year 2) and Chris Davies (Economics and Development Manager of Michelin Development Ltd), Business Management Year 2) for their idea of Josie Humphreys (Branch Manager of Santander on having a book of Keele knowledge called Keele campus) and Peter Hooper (Head of Research and ‘Pumpkin Hamster’. Enterprise Services at Keele University). The Pro Vice- Chancellor (Research and Enterprise Services), Professor Mark Ormerod, also attended. 3rd: Liam Sloyan (Economics and Finance Year 3) for his website idea called ‘Masters of Finance’. Joint winner, Chris Davies, said: “It was slightly nerve- racking giving the presentations but fun at the same time. It all provided great experience for future work and was great to add to my CV.” Santander National Awards In addition to Keele’s own Santander Awards, one business idea from the initial entries to the competition was submitted to the “it’sNational not Santander what Awards you of know Entrepreneurship it’s in May. Congratulationswho you know...”go to Gavin Rutlidge (Biology and English Year 3) who was chosen as Keele’s choice for his board game idea, which he has been working on since he was 12 years old. Although he wasn’t shortlisted for the final, he has a great idea, which we hope he continues to develop in the future! The finalists with Josie Humphreys, Professor Mark Ormerod, Dr Peter Hooper and Mike Cole Speaking of the awards, Student Enterprise Manager, Dee Frankish said: “As ever, the business ideas submitted for Our Student Enterprise Manager, Dee, was invited to the Santander Awards showed how imaginative our attended the national awards ceremony at the Opera House students are. They ranged from a complex board game to in Covent Garden on 4th July. Dee attended alongside 300 a Chinese tea drinking house. other attendees, which included 55 Vice Chancellors from 60 of the Santander Universities. Dee had a great day and “Whilst it can seem a bit scary to have to do a even got to see Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, whom presentation in front of judges and the other finalists, all you might be able to spot in the picture above! the participants said they'd enjoyed it and learned a lot from the experience! T: 01782 733441 E: [email protected] W: www.keele.ac.uk/studententerprise NEWSLETTER | Summer / Autumn 2012 | Edition 5 Ben Gee Status: Business Studies and Criminology (2011) Business: Autoline Accessories Limited Website: www.autolinegroup.com and www.vanmods.co.uk Business overview: Ben started up his business, Autoline Accessories, which sells commercial vehicle and 4x4 accessories to customers in the UK, Europe and North America, in 2009 while in the second The business achieved a turnover of £115,000 in its first year of his degree. We’re pleased to write that his business is year, which increased to £163,000 in its second year. going from strength to strength, with his turnover for the Having outgrown his family’s garage, Ben’s now based at a current year expected to be just under £300,000. business park in Stafford where he has office and warehouse space. He’s also recently been accepted to Where did the idea come from? volunteer as a Special Constable with his local police force. Ben’s always shown entrepreneurial spirit, starting by selling sweets in the playground at school. However it was when he What does Ben say? was on holiday in America that he noticed the range of “I think younger people are in the best position to start up different accessories on cars and vans, compared to what their own business. Without the burdens of mortgages or he’d seen at home in the UK. dependents, you’re in a much better position to take a risk and really go for it and, if it doesn’t work out, there are still What support did Ben receive? many opportunities and you will have learnt a great deal – Ben saw posters for the SpeedWM scheme at Keele probably much more than by taking up a conventional job. University in his first year and decided to apply for it. After completing an application form and presenting to a small “The biggest obstacle to starting my business was not panel of business experts, he was offered a place on the knowing where to begin. I’ve always had loads of business programme for the 2009/2010 intake. Ben gained access to ideas but never any idea of what to actually do to make weekly business development workshops, expert business them a reality. The SpeedWM scheme gave me that consultancy and, following a proposal on how he would spend knowledge and support to help me get my idea off the his funding, he received a grant of £4200 for the development ground. There is so much you need to do in terms of the of his business. He was also given a business address at legal side and navigating the complex tax system. Without Keele University Science and Business Park and access to a support from schemes like this, I’m not sure how new hot desk service when needed. businesses manage to get going as the expertise and insight has been invaluable.” What’s happened so far? Ben soon registered as a Limited Liability company and was The Education and Careers Editor for the Daily Telegraph, able to develop a new website with the financial support from Louisa Peacock, recently interviewed Ben for a feature that SpeedWM. we hope will be appearing in the newspaper soon. Students say a fond farewell to SpeedWM and EFS Student Enterprise attended the final farewell event for the previous business start up programme, SpeedWM and EFS, in May, which was held at Aston Villa Football Club. You can see the You Tube video at http://www.youtube.com/speedplusprogramme The programme allowed 30 new companies to be set up by Keele students, alumni and staff, with a total of 198 companies being established in the eight partner universities across the West Midlands. Over 50 of the business start ups from the various universities attended the event, with David Hyner of Stretch Development attending as guest speaker. Sarah Taylor from lead partner, Wolverhampton University, said: “The event was a celebration of all that is great about entrepreneurs in the West Midlands.