Think Enterprise Publication | January Edition
READ INSIDE
SFEDI AWARDS
PASSPORT TO
ENTERPRISE & EMPLOYMENT
CE2018 AWARDS
HEADLINE SPONSOR ANNOUNCED
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP IOEE SUPPORTS NEW
QAA ENTERPRISE
& ENTREPRENEURSHIP GUIDANCE
Vol. 15
MAGAZINE January Edition Vol. 15
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SARAH TROUTEN, IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Happy New Year! I hope the first month of 2018 has been a great one for you and your business! With the cold and dark days it’s easy to feel those January blues creeping in so let us cheer you up with this month’s update on all things enterprise from IOEE. This issue is packed with great features and news including a wonderful mentoring case study, showing the powerful impact mentoring has in all manner of settings. We hear from two new IOEE Academies who have joined our national network providing opportunities to deliver IOEE programmes and gain professional recognition. Both Citadel Associates and Lights Camera Fashion have fantastic programmes and I’m really looking forward to showcasing their great work in the coming months. We shine the spotlight on an enterprising learner, Sophie Bennett, who shares her experiences at IOEE Academy New College Durham and we speak to new IOEE Fellow Nick Sladek about the old and new world of marketing and the 24 hour nature of social media. I was delighted to see the new QAA Guidance for enterprise and entrepreneurship launched in London this month. We were honoured to be invited to contribute to the review of this valuable resource and pleased that we able to represent the views of our members. January also saw the finalisation and approval of funding for the SFEDI Awards Passport qualifications, brilliant news and hopefully will enable lots more learners to undertake these exciting and very worthwhile programmes. I am very pleased to include this month a blog from one of our Academic Fellows, Dr Yaz Iyabo Osho, an interesting read on widening participation for BME learners - we love to include our members views and thoughts and look forward to seeing many more over the coming months. Finally, we have announced our nominations open for this years Celebrating Enterprise Awards event being held at the Houses of Parliament on the 2nd May. We have two new categories this year with one for our IOEE Member of the Year so please get nominating! The closing date is the 1st March, you can find out more by visiting celebratingenterprise.com I hope you enjoy reading this January issue as much as we have making it! x
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Content 07 Celebrating Enterprise Awards: Headline Sponsor Announced!
08 SFEDI Awards Helping to Imagine the Future
11 IOEE supports new QAA Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Guidance
12 Driven to Succeed: Citadel Inspires the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
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14 Lights, Camera, Fashion: IOEE Academy puts Equality on the Catwalk
16 Spotlight On... Enterprising Learner Sophie Bennett
18 Spotlight On... Nick Sladek
20 Enterprisingly Me x
22 Widening Participation and Enterprise Education: Support for BME Learners
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24 Wandering Brian Earns its Superhero Status as a Unique Dyslexia-Friendly Comic for Young Adults
CAMPUS
Enjoy our online enterprise courses, wherever you are and whenever you want. Learning content is available on mobile, tablet or desktop and we’re publishing more content all the time! Enterprise Answers, Groups, e-Learning, Business Plan Builder, Mentoring and Factsheets are all available through our new online campus.
Access now at http://campus.ioee.uk 6 | Think Enterprise
Leading figures from the worlds of enterprise learning and skills will gather on Wednesday 2 May for the Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2018. Recognising the endeavours of learners, educators, entrepreneurs, mentors, policy-shapers and others making an outstanding contribution to the UK’s enterprise and skills landscape, the Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2018 takes place in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster. We are proud to announce that Lloyds Banking Group is the Headline Sponsor of the Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2018. This sponsorship builds on a long-established relationship that has seen SFEDI and the IOEE working together closely to promote mentoring as an invaluable support tool for small businesses. Lloyds Banking Group is dedicated to helping British businesses prosper and colleagues are sharing their skills every day through mentoring in local communities. Jo Harris, Managing Director of Retail Business Banking at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Mentoring continues to play a critical role in supporting Britain’s small businesses, charities and social enterprises. SFEDI and IOEE promote the engagement and quality of learning within the UK’s entrepreneurial communities. Lloyds Banking Group is proud to work closely with SFEDI and IOEE once again, to encourage, support, and inspire enterprises across the UK, as part of our ongoing commitment to Helping Britain Prosper.” As the Headline Sponsor of the awards event, Lloyds Banking Group, have sponsor recognition of the highly respected Lifetime
Achievement Award. Previous winners of this award have included Kanya King MBE from the MOBO Awards, John Timpson from The Timpson Group and Toni Mascolo OBE from TONI&GUY for their contribution to developing enterprising skills within their industry. Award Sponsors for the Celebrating Enterprise Awards event include the International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) and the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE). Award nominations are now open, with SFEDI and IOEE welcoming nominations from their networks, partners and the wider enterprise community. The nomination criteria and online nomination form is available here. The closing date for nominations is Thursday 1 March. Shortlisted nominees will be notified in April and a full list of nominees will be available at celebratingenterprise.com Ruth Lowbridge MBE, Executive Chair of the SFEDI Group, said: “The Celebrating Enterprise Awards is our most significant event of the year celebrating the achievements of the most enterprising individuals and organisations across both across the UK and Internationally. We are delighted to work alongside Lloyds and be able to welcome them once again as the Headline Sponsor of the event. Lloyds Banking Group share our ambition to support and help small and medium businesses across the UK start, survive and thrive.” For further information on sponsorship, please contact the IOEE team on 0845 467 4928 or visit celebratingenterprise.com to download our sponsorship pack.
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Helping to Imagine the Future
SFEDI Awards have kick-started the year by expanding their suite of Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualifications with brand new opportunities to develop enterprising abilities, behaviours and skills at Levels 1 and 2. These qualifications continue to put the emphasis on personal and social development, by focusing on how developing these skills are equally as valuable as traditional business skills when successfully securing employment or setting up your own company. We spoke to SFEDI’s Director of Quality, Nic Preston, to find out more. Q. The Passport to Enterprise and Employment sounds like a qualification with a difference – what exactly sets it apart from other SFEDI Awards qualifications? A. This qualification is different to our other offerings, and it’s quite ‘in your face’. It’s a new, innovative and exciting approach to preparing
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people for the future, by focusing on developing the individual’s personal and social skills, as opposed to only concentrating on their practical ‘work’ skills. Essentially, the idea is that if you don’t build yourself as an individual, how are you then going to progress? Q. What sort of personal and social skills will learners develop through this qualification? A. Learners will look at such things as self-reflection, confidencebuilding, and reviewing their own enterprising abilities, skills and behaviours. Everything in the Passport is underpinned by building yourself as a person, so that you’re then equipped to be able to go out and play your part in society and your community, by either being employable and securing work, or becoming self-employed and giving others the chance of employment. Q. How do learners with little or no work experience decide which employment route is right for them? It depends on the individual, but all learners will be guided and supported in making this decision, by exploring either, a) how to search for sustainable employment through the development of the knowledge and skills to be a productive member of staff, or b) whether self-employment is a valid option as a career pathway and what would be involved in taking this forward.
Q. Where has the Passport been rolled out so far? A. Our main target for the Passport so far has been in prisons. Of course, there are often a lot of personal barriers that prisoners need to overcome before entering the world of work, but this qualification supports them to be a productive member of society and job or selfemployment ready upon release. This is one qualification that really does it all, rather than having to use lots of little different ones to get a balanced experience. Q. What are the core objectives of the qualification within prisons? A. There are three core objectives in prisons: to build a feeling of self-awareness and self-belief, to build a sense of ethical thinking and community spirit, and to help to reduce re-offending rates on release from prison. The Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualifications support individuals through the development of the abilities, behaviours and skills relating to their own enterprise development - and it can ultimately play a part in benefiting our communities and wider society. Q. Who else can undertake the Passport to Enterprise and Employment qualifications? These qualifications aren’t exclusive to prisons, it has been
created to support people from all sorts of backgrounds through the embedding of wider enterprise and entrepreneurial abilities, behaviours and skills. This is a flexible learning programme that has been designed to meet the needs of diverse learners, by teaching personal development as well as encouraging the development of a community and socially conscious mindset. These are qualifications that truly transcend age, background, personal circumstances, location and aspirations. Q. The qualifications have been featured internationally, where can people read more about this? Following our invite to speak at last year’s EU Commission Entrecomp conference, the Commission is producing a Best Practice Guide for the embedding of enterprise skills in education, and the Passport to Enterprise and Employment is being featured – it’s a new qualification and it’s already being recognised across Europe for its innovative work in prisons, so this is an incredibly exciting start to our journey.
To find out more about the qualifications, please visit sfediawards.com/types/enterprise-skills-development/ or contact the SFEDI Awards team on 0845 224 5928.
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IOEE supports new QAA Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Guidance When universities foster a culture of enterprise and entrepreneurship, it equips students with the skills for a rewarding, self-determined professional life.
‘Educators are often tasked with preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, and spotting and solving problems that we have yet to define clearly,’ says Professor Penaluna.
It also has significant benefits for the institution itself, says new guidance from the UK’s independent quality body QAA, which was published earlier this month. The guidance will also be available in Mandarin, following widespread use of the previous version.
‘For enterprise and entrepreneurship to be meaningful and effective requires new approaches to teaching and assessment within a whole university culture.
IOEE’s Chief Executive Sarah Trouten and SFEDI Group Chair Ruth Lowbridge MBE were invited to be members of the advisory development group for the new guidance.
‘The best opportunities for students occur when universities create a central environment that supports collaborative working across different areas.’
Sarah Trouten says: ‘IOEE were delighted to contribute to the refinement of this valuable resource. Enterprise and Entrepreneurship education is vital in ensuring the next generation are fully equipped to survive and thrive in the challenging environment that lies ahead.”
While the last five years have seen significant progress in enterprise and entrepreneurship education, Professor Penaluna believes universities can do a lot more to prepare graduates who want to run their own businesses or hit the ground running as graduate employees.
QAA Chief Executive Douglas Blackstock says: ‘Since we published our original guide to enterprise and entrepreneurship education in 2012, there have been substantial developments in UK and international policy and practice.
‘We need to allow students to learn in a way that enables them to identify and solve real problems, perhaps starting a business as an integral part of their programme or responding to challenges set by a local enterprise,’ he says.
‘Alongside providers’ adoption of new types of learning and new metrics for success are recent policy drives to apply entrepreneurial approaches to STEM subjects and the government’s new Industrial Strategy. This updated guide responds to these changes.’
‘And, allow them to fail, especially when learning is the result. Being able to experience failure in order to find new ways forward is a valuable life lesson that increases resilience, helps flexible thought development and brings innovative new ideas into play.’
The revised guidance, led by Professor Andrew Penaluna of the International Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship, captures the latest thinking on how to embed enterprise and entrepreneurship in higher education.
To find out more about QAA, please visit http://www.qaa.ac.uk/ The new guidance is available to download here.
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Driven to Succeed: Citadel Inspires the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
In 2014, David Brazer established Ignition Automotive Training; an innovative training centre fused with a real working garage, where unemployed or marginalised people could gain hands-on experience of a real work environment alongside qualifications to help them back into employment. In 2016, the IOEE named Ignition the Enterprising Learning Provider of the Year at its annual awards ceremony in the House of Lords, and Ignition’s umbrella company, Citadel Associates Ltd, has just been awarded its IOEE Academy status. This month we chatted to David about his new book release, having an entrepreneurial mindset, and why mentoring really matters. Ignition originally started off as a personal project for David. He saw that people seeking employment were being put onto certificates such as Health & Safety, which offered no marketable skills to go alongside them, meaning these new qualifications didn’t actually help them to achieve their ultimate employment goals. David says: “I saw that people needed skills, accredited qualifications, something on their CV, real work experience and a strong reference. It motivated me to create something that could make a real difference. Ignition was the only way that I could think to give people everything and more and, what began as a personal mission, has grown into the company it is today.” Ignition and Citadel have now supported over 1000 people through their innovative projects, giving marginalised people the opportunity
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to develop skills and work experience to help them get jobs; people with physical disabilities or mental health issues, people who’ve struggled with addiction, ex-offenders, or young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who struggled to get qualifications in the traditional school system. David says: “Our learners benefit from being in a practical environment, where it’s about gaining much more than knowledge - things such as teamwork and confidence. It’s not been an easy journey getting here, but it’s been worth it - when I first told people I was going to open a garage, everyone said I was an idiot! But I told them it wasn’t about me being a mechanic; this was about supporting people, and that was something I was passionate about doing.”
“
I saw that people needed skills, accredited qualifications, something on their CV, real work experience and a strong reference. It motivated me to create something that could make a real difference.”
This passion fills the pages of David’s new book, Anyone Can Do Easy, where he focuses on the importance of believing in what you do, and David tells us about the outstanding achievement of becoming an author:
“Anyone Can Do Easy is about my entrepreneurial journey, but I wanted to stay away from it being a ‘how to’ guide. The book is about mindset and motivation, rather than the nuts and bolts of starting up or running a business, because the right mindset is key to success. Even writing the book itself reminded me of that lesson - it took about six months to write and I really had to get myself in the right headspace every time I sat down to write it. “One of the messages in the book is, ‘it’s never about can or can’t it’s always about will or won’t’, because you have to have that ‘can do’ attitude. You can acquire practical skills as you go, but you’ll not get anywhere without the passion or belief to succeed. I’ve fallen down all the pitfalls there are to fall down, and I wanted to help people to know about these beforehand, so they didn’t fall down the same ones too. You can always get people in business to do the mechanics, but you can’t always get people in there who have that passion to keep getting knocked down and getting up again, time after time. You can give someone a blueprint of exactly how to open a business, but passion is the thing that makes it take off and succeed - I really believe in that.” Citadel and Ignition have many prestigious awards under their belts, but 2018 certainly won’t be the year that they’re putting on the breaks, with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline. David says: “One of our biggest plans is to open a Skills Centre with other social enterprises, offering a range of skills development opportunities. We’re also going to introduce an MOT qualification this year. I’ve recently done a Manager course and my colleague’s done a Tester course for this, so we’ll be able to roll out teaching MOT qualifications to our learners soon. We’re also finalising some arrangements with the Council - fingers crossed we’ll be in our new premises next month too.” Despite his success and the prospects for the year ahead, David says that it can still be very challenging work, and he employs his own positive mindset techniques, such as visualising the future and thinking of the bigger picture, on the days when he asks himself, ‘should I have opened a burger van instead? It’s got to be easier than this!’. However, seeing how much difference his work makes to people is what makes it all worthwhile for him. David says: “One young lad came to us at Ignition after he’d been at college for
two years - he didn’t have any work-related skills or qualifications, and I didn’t understand why after he’d been in education, but some people just need to learn in that hands-on environment. After a while, his uncle came down to see us and said, ‘what have you done with him?!’, as he was thriving for the first time. The lad also came to see me a couple of weeks ago, telling me he was working full-time and had bought car and got a girlfriend - and he was so excited! But I told him, ‘if you lost your job now, you wouldn’t need to come back here, would you?’, and he said, ‘nah, I can do it myself now’ - as he’s gained all the skills to support himself and stand on his own two feet. This is exactly the sort of thing that makes it worth it for me. “However, I couldn’t do this alone. It’s a team effort and I want to thank my incredible team for their hard work. I may have been the one to start this, but you need good people around you in business if you’re going to keep it going and build it and grow it. You can’t do it alone, whatever your business venture might be, it’s down to getting the right support.” At the end of last year, Citadel was accredited as an IOEE Academy, and David tells us what this means to him, both personally and for the company going forward: “It’s fantastic to be accredited as an Academy, it’s definitely kudos for the company to have that stamp of approval and I’m really looking forward to working with the IOEE. On a personal level, it’s also quite nice timing for me too - I started Citadel in 2008, so 2018 marks my tenth anniversary in business, and I feel like I’ve now officially ‘graduated’ to the point where I can take what I’ve learnt over the last decade and pass it on. It’s my time to support the next generation of entrepreneurs, and working with the IOEE will help me to do this. “I’m incredibly passionate about supporting people, especially young aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get into work or set up on their own. I’d had a couple of mentoring experiences where it had felt like they were only ticking a box by doing it – and people deserve so much better than that.”
More information on IOEE’s new Academy, Citadel Associates Ltd, is available at http://www.casyltd.co.uk/
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Lights, Camera, Fashion: IOEE Academy puts Equality on the Catwalk
Hamra Alam is the founder and CEO of Lights, Camera, Fashion; a new International IOEE Enterprise Academy with a conscience, that ensures fashion is inclusive of everyone, regardless of disability. Based in the Middle East, Hamra’s passion is for people, and she is committed to empowering women and entrepreneurs through her innovative and inspirational fashion design courses. This month we chatted to Hamra about the challenges of being a female Asian entrepreneur, achieving the elusive work-life balance, and the importance of devoting your career to what you really believe in. Hamra grew up in England and attended the University of Leeds, but always found herself drawn to the Middle East, studying both Fashion Design and Modern Arabic in her degree. Hamra says: “I didn’t know what would happen, but I loved the idea of living in the Middle East and found the fashion over there completely alluring. There was that sense of mystery and intrigue in the way that the women dressed and covered themselves. However, when you’re out here it’s completely different. The women have private parties where they wear gorgeous glamorous dresses and little outfits and the contrast is amazing. It’s a very interesting and exciting place to be working in fashion.” In 2012 Hamra set up Lights, Camera, Fashion in the Kingdom of Bahrain. With a history of disability in her family, Hamra wanted to create a company that gave equal opportunities to people with disabilities and challenge an industry that can imply beauty and talent comes in only one shape and size. Hamra says: “I believe in working in such a way that helps the community and the people around me, I believe in empowering people, and I want to do this through fashion. I call it the Individual Social Responsibility.
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Lights, Camera, Fashion is here to show the fashion world it’s not just about ‘pretty clothes’ - fashion is an extension of your soul, and we shouldn’t just keep catering for what we call ‘able-bodied people’ or ‘size zero’ models. I wanted to give opportunities to people who had disabilities; people who had this rare and unique talent for fashion, but no one was really sponsoring them. I wanted to be that person, and Lights, Camera, Fashion gave me the platform to do this.” Two years ago Hamra decided to develop her company to also begin offering fashion design workshops and courses and include business networking events; a journey that led Lights, Camera, Fashion to become accredited as an IOEE Academy. Hamra says: “I am so thrilled to be part of the Institute and to be a part of this community and support in the UK. It will help me not only to grow, but also to give back, and I’m looking forward to being able to reach out to even more people, provide internships, and help to create more opportunities. “This is truly my passion. I love being a fashion designer, that feeling of creating something all the way from the first design concept to the illustration to the runway - but I felt like it was the right time to share my talent and I wanted to empower other people on their journeys. The courses include such modules as Illustration, Sewing, Tailoring, Pattern Making, Costume, Business Fashion etc., but it really is the empowerment that motivates me. So many people come to me and say, ‘I love fashion, but I don’t know where to start!’, and I want to help them recognise that talent they don’t think they have, and really understand the importance of themselves.” Hamra has been on her own personal journey of empowerment in the world of parenthood, both as a daughter of very traditional Asian parents and then being a single mother to her own daughter. It is these challenges as a woman that Hamra says have helped to
“
I am so thrilled to be part of the Institute and to be a part of this community and support in the UK. It will help me not only to grow, but also to give back, and I’m looking forward to being able to reach out to even more people, provide internships, and help to create more opportunities.”
Hamra Alam recently visited the IOEE office to meet with Sarah Trouten (left), IOEE Chief Executive, and accept her IOEE Enterprise Academy Approval Certificate.
shape her business ethos as well as her outlook on life: “These experiences have definitely made me want to reach out to other women. I married young and we ended up getting a divorce, which my parents were very, very against. They had very traditional values and I had to say to myself, ‘it’s okay not to be accepted in this society that has conditions on love’, and then just leave them for a while and let them wake up! It was also a struggle raising my daughter on my own, and having a daughter has made me even more aware of the pressures women face. But, you know, your personal life is part of your entrepreneurial journey too, and the experiences taught me that when there are pebbles on the road, you slowly work towards clearing your own path. My daughter is now 16 years old and I remarried 10 months’ ago and I’m incredibly happy.”
Lights, Camera, Fashion is flying today, but Hamra isn’t showing signs of slowing down, and has some impressive and inspiring plans in the pipeline. She has set up a textile-based initiative in Pakistan where widowers create fabrics for Hamra to then sell on their behalf, using her position and marketing resources to generate an income for them. She is also working on a book with her daughter, to tell her story as a female Asian entrepreneur, and to further spread the message for people to believe in themselves: “Never underestimate your talent, because you won’t know until you’ve tried. Every single millionaire in the world still only has 24 hours in their day, so eradicate excuses! People often give up when money is tight, but keep going - treasure your talent and happiness, and the money will follow. If you love what you do, don’t you ever, ever stop - and I’ll keep on saying that, so people have to listen!”
As well as teaching Fashion, Hamra also delivers seminars on confidence, which she feels is especially important in the Middle East. Hamra explains:
Hamra visited the UK at the start of the year and we were delighted to welcome her to the IOEE offices. Sarah Trouten, IOEE Chief Executive, said:
“A lot of women over here lack confidence in speaking up and saying how they are feeling, as the culture doesn’t encourage it, and growing up with traditional Asian parents means that I can relate to that. I believe that true beauty is within yourself - fashion and make-up are fun, but they are costumes and should be used as an extension of you. You could wear the most beautiful dress in the whole world, but you won’t look beautiful if you look unhappy.”
“We are delighted to welcome Lights Camera Fashion to IOEE as an Enterprise Academy. Upon meeting Hamra her passion for fashion and enterprise was clear as was the fact her values and beliefs were very much in line with those of IOEE. We’re really excited to be working alongside Hamra to provide these empowering opportunities to learners within the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
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Spotlight On... Enterprising Learner
Sophie Bennett
Sophie Bennett is a talented and hard-working student at New College Durham, who has mastered the art of successfully juggling two full-time pursuits; Sophie is working full-time as a waitress and barmaid at a local pub, whilst also studying for her Foundation Degree in Business and Management, and she is still coming out on top and getting distinctions in her assessments. With the IOEE accrediting the course’s Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship modules, we chatted to Sophie about what innovation means to her, thinking creatively, and how working and studying together has mutual benefit.
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Sophie started her Foundation Degree in Business and Management in 2016 and is now in her second and final year. She is excelling in the innovation elements of the course, but she explains that she was less sure of it when she first began: “In my first year I took the Innovation and Enterprise module and didn’t know what to expect, but one of the things we were asked to do at the end of it was to discuss what we thought innovation meant before the module, and what we thought now. And it was so different! It really showed you just how much you’d learnt and how
New College Durham
much you’d developed your thinking. We studied a lot of theory in that class, such as breaking down the different levels of innovation - there’s Incremental Innovation, Transformational Innovation, and Radical Innovation - and it was really helpful to have that academic balance alongside the more creative elements.” As part of Sophie’s assessment for this module, the students were asked to put together a proposal for a product or service that they had created, and would be graded accordingly to the viability of their innovation and the strength of their pitch, in a Dragon’s Den-style set-up. Sophie thought outside of the box and created a proposal that would not focus on the consumer directly, but would be appealing to the National Health Service. Sophie says: “I wanted to create a pitch with a difference, so I developed an idea surrounding a product that would help patients who suffered from tremors, because of various types of conditions or diseases, and the product itself would send out vibrations that would ease these tremors in order to make everyday tasks easier and improve people’s overall quality of life. Of course, I don’t have the medical grounding, but the purpose of the exercise was about that creative thinking and pitch, and I wanted to make something that could be pitched to hospitals and the NHS. It was challenging, but the proposal went better than I thought, and I got a distinction for the module - which I’d hoped for, but wasn’t expecting! It can be really nerve-racking giving a proposal, but I find that the idea of it is worse than actually doing it. And you work together as a team with other students, so it always helps the nerves knowing that you’re in it together.” Whilst Sophie is studying for her Foundation Degree, she is also is working full-time as a waitress and barmaid in her local pub at the same time, which involves both day and night shifts. However, whilst it can be difficult to balance working with studying, Sophie says she feels like both benefit each other: “I have my own house and I need to work, but it can be really challenging meeting deadlines when you have a full-time job, and I’ll be coming home late and then sitting down at my desk to work
on an assignment. However, I really enjoy my job and the people I work with are lovely and very supportive. Having this job actually helps my studying in some ways - for example, I’m currently doing a module called Work-Related Learning, where you have to do a placement, and I’m able to do that at my current place of work. I get to sit down with the pub’s Manager, the Marketing Manager, the HR Executive and the Accountant, and learn about all of the different areas of the business.”
“
I wanted to create a pitch with a difference, so I developed an idea surrounding a produt that would help patients who suffered from tremors.”
Sophie has studied a number of modules on her course so far, including Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Managing People, Human Resources, Event Management and Entrepreneurship, but she is taking her time to figure out which elements of the course she might continue to further after she completes it. Sophie says: “I get really excited about most things - which is the problem! I enjoy different aspects of different modules, and I’m really interested in Marketing, Accounting, and also Events Management - but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with them yet. I might do a top-up year here at New College Durham, or go to Northumbria University, or I’m quite keen to do an AAT course - which is the Association of Accounting Technicians. Way down the line, I think I’d eventually like to run my own pub, but for now, there’s going to be a lot more studying!”
For more information on IOEE Enterprise Academy, New College Durham, please visit http://www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk/
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Spotlight on…
Nick Sladek Nick Sladek is a versatile player in the field of marketing, being both the founder of his own email marketing business and working as a freelance or ‘virtual’ Marketing Consultant, Director and Board Advisor for a variety of clients and companies. He has a no-nonsense attitude and is determined to ‘cut through the fluff’ and strip back often complex and confusing marketing jargon and techniques back to get to the heart of the matter - how to sell. Nick recently became an IOEE Fellow, and this month we chatted to him to about the Old and New World of advertising, consumer power, and the 24-hour nature of social media and email marketing.
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“Selling is often seen as a dirty word,” says Nick, “and these days people don’t like using it. Yet, whilst it might seem obvious, it’s the single biggest thing people are missing - businesses are failing to understand why people actually buy things. And this is usually because they are talking about themselves rather than their customers; they’re showcasing their business as ‘we are a firm of…’, ‘we are experts in…’, ‘we are passionate…’, or ‘we do this differently to everyone else’. When I buy a product or service, I don’t care about any of that! I just want to be assured that what they’re selling me is exactly what I want. So that’s the single biggest thing that businesses miss - they’re looking inward all the time, when they should be looking out.” Nick first began his marketing career in what he calls the Old World of marketing, cutting his teeth at London advertising agencies in the 80s; ‘the heady days of Lambos and Bentleys parked on double yellows - not quite Mad Men, but not far off!’. Nick is now based in Bristol, where he runs his business, and he explains how much the marketing landscape has changed since he began, and how his early corporate career has given him the foundations to succeed today: “I think of where we are now as the New World of marketing. These days everyone is a ‘marketing expert’, everyone’s got a point of view and an opinion, and social media is accessible to everyone - so accessible that people often veer off the point of it entirely, and I have to steer them back. Sure, you can put stuff on Facebook or Instagram - but what are you actually achieving? Yeah, you can get an impressive number of Likes on a post, but is that really adding value to your business? I.e. Are you actually making any sales as a result of it? Because that’s what counts. As an ‘old ad man’ I have a really diverse and broad experience of what it means to run a business and make sales under my belt. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs over the years, but it’s given me a great deal of knowledge and wisdom, and taught me exactly what works and what doesn’t.” Nick runs his email marketing company, Essentiamail, and his consultancy service under the name - My Message Works. He is driven by being able to help businesses succeed, and says that getting people to step back and look at what they’re offering from the customer’s point of
view is the jumping off point for their working partnership: “We’re all consumers at the end of the day, we’re all giving our time or money to products or services. We all buy things. We all know how it works. But when it comes to running your own business, people often forget all of this. With my email marketing company, that’s always our focus - we write all the emails for the Essentiamail clients and we know we need to be humble and look at things from the email recipients’ point of view; people want to know what’s in it for them.” Nick has recently become an IOEE Fellow and tells us how he is looking forward to being able to use the relationship and new opportunities to help him mentor more companies and individuals over the next year: “Working as a consultant means I already feel like I’m a sort of mentor already. When people come to Essentiamail, there’s always a bigger conversation about the customer journey; after all, there’s no point in sending a potential client to a poor website. I end up in an advisory and mentoring capacity naturally, and it will be great to be able to do more of that and pass on my experience.” Whilst Nick has made a successful career in the New World of marketing, he admits that the 24-hour nature of social media can be intrusive, and he has to exercise a certain amount of discipline to ensure that it doesn’t infringe upon his personal life - especially now he’s become a father again, and has a seven month-old little boy. Nick says: “Of course, it’s totally changed my life. I’ve got three adult children and now I have a baby again - and you know what, you should see how much he loves a mobile phone already! If a phone comes out then his eyes light up, and you can see his eyes following it, darting around the room like a little laser beam! It’s quite scary! But I think you have to put limits on work at home - my partner and I have a ‘no emails after 6pm’ rule that helps keep the work-life balance. I saw a sign in a restaurant the other day that said, ‘we have no WiFi here, so why don’t you just talk to each other?’, which I thought was fantastic. Am I addicted to my phone? Absolutely! Do I need help? Probably! But you have to find that balance so that everything can work together.”
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‘Enterprisingly Me’ is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and running a successful business isn’t about being perfect. It’s about loving what you’re doing, learning from your mistakes and keeping the faith!
I’ve had my ups and downs this month. Downs include: • Running out of cash and berating myself for letting it happen • Losing my son to university life – how can he be so excited about leaving home when I feel like I’m losing a limb? • Attending a ‘networking’ event filled with men in suits trying to sell me something – there must be a better way of ‘networking’. Ups include: • Having a very successful meeting with the bank manager who has agreed to extend our overdraft – I was very well prepared with a plan to ensure that we were cash positive once the quiet months were over • Developing a proposal with Chris to take to our local funding partner, which will involve helping local business owners to develop their skills. • Working with Marie and Clare to develop a plan to generate more income by hiring out our training facility • Developing some great marketing materials with the help of my friend Beryl • Giving myself a kick up the proverbial and reflecting
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on what I’ve achieved in a relatively short space of time. I’m my own worst enemy sometimes… just wish I had someone to talk to about it to help me get things into perspective. I did try to speak to my mentor but she hasn’t returned my call or my emails. Wondering if she has left – make a note to try and contact her employing organisation before I forget again. My personal life has gone from bad to worse with every waking hour being taken up by work. It seems so much easier to throw myself into it even going into the office on Sundays when I don’t really need to. I think I’m using work to fill a gap in my life and know that it’s probably not good to do this in the longer term but I find it so much harder to try and meet people socially. I wonder at myself sometimes – how can I be so confident at work but yet feel so out of my depth when I meet people socially? Why would they be interested in talking to me about my work and do I sound as if I’m showing off? I think this goes back to my parents always telling me not to show off when I was younger - these things really do stick with you. I was always a bright and bossy child and my mother loves to recount the story of when, growing up in their guesthouse, I shouted at one of the guests when I thought he wasn’t listening to me. This was a long-term guest who almost lived with us – I also used
to dress him up when he was having his afternoon nap. What a precocious child I must have been as well as super annoying. Just when I felt like I’d probably made the biggest mistake of my life by thinking I could start and run my own business, the luck fairy showered me with good fortune and a bit of luck. Chris contacted me to say that our proposal has been accepted and the new work will start next month. The local council I have been working with wants us to do more and I’ve had two new customers contact me who have been given my name by one of our existing customers. Brilliant news – all wanting to start next month so now I have the added problem of making sure I have enough time to do everything! OMG I’ve gone from the problem of not having enough work to the possibility that I’ll have too much. Maybe time to think about taking on another trainer to help me. I decide to put an ad in the local paper – do you know how much that costs??? I couldn’t believe it, so although I had designed a lovely ad in a fancy box I ended up with 3 lines which I hoped wouldn’t get lost in the ether. The luck fairy was on my side as just as the ad was about to be featured on the jobs page I received a letter from Arlette, a trainer from the local area who had just left a major national insurance company. Turns out she’s just what I’m looking for on paper so I’ve made an appointment to see her next week to find out more. What I didn’t expect was to receive so many more applications – seems like there are lots of people looking for jobs so thinking it may not be too difficult to get the right person to help us. I’ve decided to wait until I’ve met Arlette (love the name but realise this is probably not the best basis for a recruitment decision) as although I should keep my options open whilst looking for the right person to join us, I feel that she looks so good on paper
and that I would be hard pressed to find anyone better. I always find recruitment a bit of a lottery – lots of people are really good at putting a cv together and say all the right things at interview, but its only when they start working for you that you see all of the things that just don’t fit with you and your business. I make a note to myself to try and stay focused on the skills and characteristics that I know will work well for the business, instead of judging potential members of staff on whether I like what they are wearing, they have a good sense of humour (although that’s a really good sign in terms of some of the situations they will have to deal with) or they just seem like canny bairns. This is a term my staff have learnt doesn’t bear well when justifying why I would either take someone on as a customer/supplier or employ them in any capacity. I’m so pleased with how Marie and Clare are taking on responsibility for creating income from our training facilities. I’ve recognised that the more I trust them to make certain decisions for the business the easier it is for me and the more involved they feel in our success. I’ve started to feel more positive and I’ve just received an email from my mentor who has been on sickness leave but is now back at work. I’m wondering if I need her now things are going better, but I’ve decided to meet her anyway as can’t do any harm to get her views particularly as I’m considering taking the next step in growing my business by employing another member of the team. Really excited for the future again – I’m shocked at how quickly my mood can change from day to day, week to week and all linked to how well the business is doing. Note to self: definitely need to get out more and find either a man or a hobby! Problem is my business is both my man and my hobby – is that a bad thing? Definitely something to discuss with my mentor. Me x
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Widening Participation and Enterprise Education: Support for BME Learners GUEST BLOG BY DR. YAZ IYABO OSHO, IOEE ACADEMIC MEMBER
One of the challenges in teaching enterprise education is ensuring that teaching is embedded in action and active learning, and that students are exposed to the experiential learning opportunities which can help hone their enterprise skills, entrepreneurial capability and knowledge. The very basis of action learning enables students to work on real problems individually, as a team or as an organisation. As is well-known, enterprise is more than just entrepreneurship; it is about fostering a range of skills that can make students the preferred candidate at an interview and beyond. It also cultivates an attitude of risk-taking, creativity, resilience and self-reliance which stands them in good stead in the turbulent voyage of business startup or the equally choppy shores of employment. At present, the field of enterprise education is vibrant with a growing community of academics and practitioners who regularly share best practice on a range of key issues, such as embedding enterprise and employability in the curriculum, exploring the value of enterprise education and building a bank of QAA mapped enterprise resources. Working in a truly widening participation institution as a programme leader in Enterprise and Small Business Development at GSM London, I have found it crucial to foster to embed practical realities of entrepreneurship within the curriculum. In an institution where the majority of students are from a BME background; first in family to enter Higher Education; come from a low socio-economic background; have caring responsibilities; are in employment whilst studying full time and are mature learners, it is even more important to maximise the opportunities given to time restricted students. Research has shown that students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds may lack the soft skills, confidence, human capital and personal networks which are crucial within the context of enterprise, employability and entrepreneurship (Brown, 2007; Reitz, 2014) Eighty-five percent of foundation and first year students at GSM London have the study goals of either starting a business or growing an existing business. This finding is significant for a number of reasons: 22 | Think Enterprise
Firstly, a glaringly obvious implication relates to the motivations of students wanting to take control of their employment situation, which is unsurprising given that BAME graduates are 2.5 more likely to be unemployed compared to their white peers. There is also “massive pay gap” that is experienced by black workers that widens as they achieve more qualifications. While taking the leap into self-employment can offer a welcome alternative to joblessness and disproportionate pay, it can also trigger both the push and pull results of self-employment, for instance, offering the graduate autonomy, a better quality of life. It can, conversely, result in an ill-prepared venture resulting in business failure due to push factors. Limiting the risk of failure, a second implication could suggest that not content on continuing on the path of an entrepreneur, our student entrepreneurs are also motivated in obtaining academic knowledge to support their business ventures. This is not surprising given that many students have boldly stated that they want to use their studies to verify actions taken in their businesses. Some have also expressed frustration at failed ventures in the past and want to learn what they “could have done differently” before they take the plunge again. BME student entrepreneurs not only have to contend with the issues mentioned above, but also have to successfully negotiate the multiple identities and demands (parent, employee, business owner, mature student) upon them whilst undertaking full time study and should be thoroughly commended. Providing support through enterprise education should therefore be multi-faceted targeting the needs of a distinct student group facing specific challenges. Support mechanisms include a range of activities such as, a business incubator which offers guidance and free business workshops, exposure to a range of business events on and off campus and access to Nat West Start-Up business advice. Indeed, the campus at GSM London hosts the Nat West Start-Up bus during term time and student engagement is extremely impressive The targeted support is also benefited from the expertise of Enterprise Manager, Nick Howe, who understands the needs of GSM London’s students. Howe has met with many students on previous
visits and is a self-confessed BAME business advocate. Mirroring the statistic above, Howe met with a range of students who had established businesses and also those who wished to startup in the near future. When asked about the practicalities of student start-up, Howe cautioned that “anyone can start a business” but it is important to have a business that will survive and as such, starting a business is “not the right thing for everyone.” Taking the time to study for a degree can offer the breathing space to assess if business start-up is a suitable pursuit. To help in this process, students are encouraged to hear from a range of business owners, including those that they can relate to in terms of business type and also ethnic background. It is arguably important to contextualise learning opportunities where possible to be framed within the context of issues that will affect students on a daily basis when they start up their businesses. Moreover, it is incredibly beneficial for BME student entrepreneurs to establish a wide variety of networks, including those from a varied background, thereby fostering the social capital that is needed within widening participation student groups. Third, it is imperative to embed opportunities within the curriculum for students to partake in real-world challenges which develop entrepreneurial and problem solving skills. For instance, Virgin Lifestart is launching a new online resource which aims to build entrepreneurial and employability skills at the same time as offering real-world entrepreneurial challenges from companies such Samsung and Virgin Money. Fortunately, Enterprise and Small Business students at GSM London are part of this pilot project and this can students’ opportunities and entrepreneurial capabilities. The Virgin Lifestart and GSM London collaboration also presents a great opportunity to share best practice with other HEIs who are involved in the pilot. Adopting an integrated approach to embedding real-world opportunities into the curriculum will continue to be a central concern in the running an enterprise degree programme, thereby marrying theoretical considerations with the practical know-how which is needed in enterprise and entrepreneurial education.
Lastly, through the incorporation of teaching and learning resources which have been already mapped to core competencies needed in entrepreneurship and employability, not only enhances the curriculum, but also takes aim at some of the key issues and challenges surrounding widening participation in Higher Education insitutions, such as retention, progression, attainment and the overall student experience. Research has shown that making the link between employability and academic tasks can be advantageous for widening participation students. Likewise, integrating students’ rich experiences of entrepreneurship within learning and teaching opportunities can help foster a student-led community of practice and can also tackle issues relating to self-confidence and selfesteem. Indeed, mature students enter into Higher Education with a wide-variety of skills which are of benefit not only to their peers, but also to the lecturer in their teaching approach. This could provide a relatable framework in which to understand abstract concepts and scenarios central to coursework assessment. In my role as a programme leader, I have recently joined the HEA’s community of practice on retention to discuss and explore issues around supporting student success. I hope this will enhance my own professional practice as well as to provide a space in which to shape ideas and share best practice. To tackle some of the issues faced by students from a widening participation background, it is incredibly important to focus on solutions that are based on students’ needs, approaching widening participation from an intersectional approach which takes into account the intersection of a variety of forms of identities and discrimination, which encourages a variety of interventions. These interventions therefore need to be tailored towards the needs and specificities of student body therefore avoiding a one-size fits all model of approach.
References Brown, Sue (2007) Leadership and Legitmacy: The Transformation Audit 2007, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, London Hollifield, James et al. (2014) Reitz, Controlling Immigration: A Global Perspective, Third Edition, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California Think Enterprise | 23
Wandering Brian Earns its Superhero Status as a Unique Dyslexia-Friendly Comic for Young Adults
Mathew Burbidge is the creator of Wandering Brian; a comic book designed to offer dyslexic readers material to help improve their reading skills, without being patronising - a problem Mathew encountered as a dyslexic person himself. Mathew was paired up with mentor Keith Willett, a Relationship Director in Manufacturing for Lloyds Banking Group (LBG). This month we chatted to Mathew and Keith about how confidence is key, and how the merits of mentoring goes both ways. Mathew’s Story Mathew, 25, is studying for his Master’s Degree in Creative Futures at Staffordshire University, where he is due to graduate this year, and it is here that he began his work on Wandering Brian. However, the inspiration for this dyslexiafriendly comic books goes all the way back to Mathew’s childhood as a dyslexic person himself, he often found the reading material he was given to be somewhat patronising. Mathew says: “Being dyslexic at school was the catalyst for this whole idea. You’d be given really inappropriate material for your age, such as when I was in Year 7 and I would be given books that were for five yearolds. Obviously, this didn’t capture my imagination at all, and it was also at a time when Harry Potter had just come out and I wasn’t able to read it, and these things made me feel like I was left out and couldn’t be a part of what everyone else was reading.
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“Wandering Brian began as a university project, but through my research and my own experience it quickly became evident that this was something that needed to be in the market, and so I turned it into a business. It’s an exciting story for the right age group, and it is tailored to the needs of dyslexic readers.”
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I don’t want to focus on Wandering Brian as a money-making machine, I’m doing this because I believe that it will make a difference.”
Last year Mathew was matched up with Keith. The two have phone meetings every six weeks as well as regularly emailing each other, and one of the key areas that Keith has helped Mathew with the most is his confidence, as Mathew explains: “Personally, I’ve grown a lot over the last year. For example, I wouldn’t have been able to hold this conversation properly this time a year ago. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome last year and I’ve battled with holding in and supressing all the urges to shout things, which meant I was stopping and starting a lot when talking. I became really self-conscious about it and thought that people would think I’m just really bad at talking. But being able to go to Keith and talk through ideas before I entered into conversations with other people really helped me, because I was able to feel confident in what I was saying first, so I knew what I was talking about mattered. “Having a mentor is like having an informal manager - there’s someone there to support you when you’re doing the right thing, but also to say, ‘reign it in, Matt, you’re going in completely the wrong direction - let’s get you back on track!’.”
Through becoming more confident in speaking, Mathew was also able to discuss Wandering Brian at networking events and pitch his project to potential funders, successfully scoring almost £20k of grants to develop the comic. It will be published in hard copy form this year, but Mathew is also looking at digitalising Wandering Brian, which will use software that enables dyslexic readers to tailor different elements, such as changing the size and colour of fonts, making the comic easier to read.
through, but I see being a mentor as a chance to help the mentee to develop to a point where they don’t actually need me there anymore.”
The funding has also enabled Mathew to take on a new team of illustrators, artists and writers, and the team is working on a completely new script for Wandering Brian’s release. Mathew is currently in talks with publishers on getting the comic distributed in various schools, businesses, and even as a learning tool in prisons. It’s a very busy time, and Mathew tells us what’s next for Wandering Brian:
“There were so many elements that made Wandering Brian such an admirable endeavour, and although Mathew didn’t want it to be a money-spinner, he needed to be able to present it to the right people in order to secure funding, so we used a template to create a business plan - and it worked; Mathew secured £17k of funding for five issues of the comic, which is an incredible achievement. The funding has enabled him to take on staff, and now Wandering Brian is fully underway and due to be released this year.”
“I don’t want to focus on Wandering Brian as a money-making machine, I’m doing this because I believe it will make a difference. The plan is to finish my Master’s and go into teaching, whilst continuing Wandering Brian on the side. I have funding for five issues, so now I’m focusing on getting everything in place for that. 2018 is the year of Wandering Brian’s release, and will hopefully be the year I actually meet Keith face to face too, so I can thank him in person for all of his help through this exciting journey.”
Keith’s Story Keith’s background in commercial banking and his role as a Relationship Director has given him a lot of experience in dealing with SMEs, but although this helps him in his mentoring role in some respects, he has also found that putting aside his day job can be the key to being a good mentor. Keith says: “My day job is all about exploring possibilities and offering solutions, so it’s important for me to put that process to one side - being a mentor is about helping your mentee to do that for themselves; to look at the options, explore possibilities, and then make informed decisions. It’s a very rewarding thing to be able to do, and you see how people’s confidence develops - the first time they have to make a big business decision may be challenging, but the next time a similar scenario comes along they’re already starting to come up with ideas on their own, so you really get to see how people grow. It’s almost my goal to make myself redundant after about a year - of course, there’s no harm in touching base and chatting things
When Keith first met Mathew, he saw what an admirable project Wandering Brian was, but knew that Mathew needed to be able to access funding and support to enable the comic to evolve, and so he introduced Mathew to a business plan template. Keith says:
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I see being a mentor as a chance to help the mentee to develop to a point where they don’t actually need me there anymore.”
Another of the key areas Keith has helped Mathew with is looking at getting the comic digitalised, and Keith explains how playing with tailoring the different elements has helped him to get a first-hand understanding of its benefits: “It’s really interesting stuff, and playing with some of the changeable elements showed me what works. For example, blue text is particularly challenging if you’re dyslexic, and so I changed the main page colour from blue to orange and black, and it’s amazing how something like that can make it so much easier to read, even if you don’t have dyslexia.” The other main area Keith focused on with Mathew was communication, and says that Mathew has come on leaps and bounds over the last year: “Mathew is a very intelligent and capable guy, but there was a barrier with communication. I’ve watched his confidence grow in this area with everything from email conversations where he’s cc’d me in, so I can see how he’s getting on, all the way to networking. Seeing this change is what makes mentoring matter to me. Being able to help somebody grow and make a difference to their business is why I do it. For me, being able to do this through my role at Lloyds is amazing - and it is genuinely worth so much more than a bonus at work ever could be.”
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