Vol 7 Issue 4 2018
Adolygiad Busnes De Cymru
Start-Up Nation Joining the dots: Andy Penaluna on being enterprising in education
Connecting the dots
BeTheSpark’s Caroline Thompson wants to empower Wales’ entrepreneurial ecosystem
Swansea Business School Ysgol Fusnes Abertawe
Building an enterprising economy: UWTSD and the International University of Malaya-Wales
inside | SOUTH WALES BUSINESS REVIEW
Autumn 2018 Volume 7 Issue 4
3 Editorial:
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4 The Big Interview:
THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO START-UPS, EMMA GRAY
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BEING ENTERPRISING IN EDUCATION, WHERE ARE THE DOTS TO BE JOINED UP?
START-UP NATION
CAROLINE THOMPSON
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WHAT THE LARGE PRINT GIVETH, THE SMALL PRINT TAKETH AWAY
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WILL YOUR BUSINESS SURVIVE BY LUCK OR DESIGN?
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OUR BUSINESS IS FUTURE-PROOFING CONSTRUCTION SKILLS EIN BUSNES YW SICRHAU SGILIAU ADEILADU AT Y DYFODOL
BOOSTING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP - THREE INITIATIVES TO KNOW
10 In Conversation:
JO ASHBURNER FARR ON DOING BUSINESS
Alternative formats If you require this document in an alternative format (e.g. Welsh, large print or text file for use with a text reader), please email swbr@uwtsd.ac.uk Fformatau eraill Os hoffech y ddogfen hon mewn fformat arall (e.e. Cymraeg, print mawr neu ffeil tesun i’w ddefnyddio gyda darllenydd tesun), anfonwch e-bost i: swbr@uwtsd.ac.uk
ISSN 2049-5544 Disclaimer: The articles in this publication represent the views of the authors, not those of the University. The University does not accept responsibility for the contents of articles by individual authors. Please contact the editor if you have further queries. Ymwadiad: Mae’r erthyglau yn y cyhoeddiad hwn yn cynrychioli barn yr awduron, nid rhai UWTSD. Nid yw’r Brifysgol yn derbyn cyfrifoldeb am gynnwys erthyglau awduron unigol. Cysylltwch â’r golygydd os oes gennych gwestiynau pellach. © Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant / University of Wales Trinity Saint David 2018. All rights reserved/ cedwir pob hawl. Registered Charity Number / Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 1149535 Cover image: ©Rawpixel.com/shutterstock
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BUILDING AN ENTERPRISING ECONOMY – THE CASE FOR MALAYA-WALES
21 Review:
“JUST START: TAKE ACTION, EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY, CREATE THE FUTURE”, DR. COLIN JONES
22 News and Events 24 Next Issue
‘BE MY GUEST’
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PRODUCTION TEAM Editor: Kathryn Penaluna Editorial Board: Manjit Biant Sian Harris Christopher Thomas Jayne Woodman Rebecca Weicht
Editorial: Start-Up Nation
Design & Print: UWTSD TEL Department
Kath Penaluna Editor
Does it take a village to make a start-up thrive, or could it take the region? In this issue of South Wales Business Review, we are excited to connect the dots and celebrate many great home-grown initiatives that support entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in Wales! Here at UWTSD we are extremely proud of our graduate businesses, with 567 businesses in 2016, we were ranked third in the UK. Their creativity and innovation keep us connected to current thinking, and you can hear from one of them, Jo Ashburner Farr (page 10). In our Big Interview, we hear from BeTheSpark’s CEO Caroline Thompson and get a personal insight into her vision to empower Wales’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. BeTheSpark wants to ensure that innovation and commercial opportunities are visible, that key influencers, decision makers and financiers connect with each other, and make the entrepreneurial landscape in Wales as simple as possible to understand and navigate for everyone. It’s a vision for all. Also in this issue, we discuss the importance of contracts (page 6), networking (page 7), and social media (page 13) for start-ups. We highlight three organisations that boost entrepreneurship (page 8).
CONTACT US / CYSYLLTWCH Â NI Web/Gwefan: www.uwtsd.ac.uk/swbr Email/E-bost: swbr@uwtsd.ac.uk Twitter: @SWBusReview Post: Kathryn Penaluna
South Wales Business Review Adolygiad Busnes De Cymru Swansea Business School Ysgol Fusnes Abertawe University of Wales Trinity Saint David Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant High Street / Stryd Fawr Swansea / Abertawe SA1 1NE
But learning to start up does not just begin with kicking off an entrepreneurial venture! Did you know that Wales and its UWTSD is among the leading regions in Europe on entrepreneurship education? Exciting entrepreneurial skills-building already takes place in our primary schools (page 14). And we are exporting our knowledge far afield (page 20)! In our next issue, you are invited to Be My Guest, as we explore the tourism and hospitality industry. If you are interested in contributing, please email us at swbr@ uwtsd.ac.uk. Best wishes, Kath Penaluna
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The Big Interview: Caroline Thompson SWBR Editor Kathryn Penaluna met BeTheSpark’s CEO Caroline Thompson to talk about BeTheSpark’s vision to empower Wales’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. SWBR: Tell us a bit about your background and career history? CT: Prior to taking up my position as CEO
with BeTheSpark, I was the NatWest lead for the Entrepreneurial Spark accelerator hubs in both Bristol and Cardiff. I have over 28 years of experience in banking with NatWest in variety of roles – cross division – ranging from Risk & Regulation to Human Resources, and 12 years of experience in leading teams.
SWBR: What is BeTheSpark and how/why was it formed? CT: BeTheSpark is a movement to stimulate and engage everyone in the Welsh ecosystem to drive entrepreneurship through innovation across the whole country. In achieving these aims we want to ensure that innovation and commercial opportunities are visible; that the key influencers, decision makers and financiers connect with each other; and make the entrepreneurial landscape in Wales as simple as possible to understand and navigate for everyone.
SWBR: What is BeTheSpark’s vision and how do you plan on achieving this vision? CT: BeTheSpark’s vision is to embed a national imperative for entrepreneurship and innovation across Wales by all stakeholders to create more home grown profitable companies creating wealth. In order to achieve this we need to identify and engage a core set of stakeholders that will be energised and enthused to start a movement around the twin pillars of innovation and entrepreneurship.
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SWBR: BeTheSpark is made up of; government, corporate, academia, risk capital and the entrepreneurial community – how do each of these stakeholders play their part in driving the movement forward? CT: Each of our stakeholder groups have their own knowledge, skills and network – the power is not in one but connecting these. To date, we have received over 330 pledges from each of our stakeholder groups. These pledges range from open spaces, mentoring, specific expertise and resources to seconding or allocating members of their team to BeTheSpark as part of their development or to help drive specific initiatives in line with their existing CSR activities and goals. People have also pledged to promote BeTheSpark via their Newsletter and/or social media. They provide us with news stories about business successes as well as send us thought leadership pieces relating to innovation, intrapreneurship, and entrepreneurship.
SBWR: Tell us more about the generational change that you are trying to achieve? CT: We want entrepreneurship to be accessible to everyone. The only way we are going to create more prosperity within Wales is to create a generational change. At the start of the year we brought together over 120 people from higher and further education institutions across Wales to share best practice and ideas on igniting that spark while people were still in education.
SWBR: What does a visible, simple and connected ecosystem within Wales ideally look like? CT: I refer to BeTheSpark’s vision again: we want to ensure that innovation and commercial opportunities are visible; that the key influencers, decision makers and financiers connect with each other: and make the entrepreneurial landscape in Wales as simple as possible to understand and navigate for everyone.
There are so many amazing things that contribute to the Welsh ecosystem including support services, funding, co-working spaces and mentoring , that we want to connect and amplify each of these to help create a visible, simple and connected ecosystem which is easy to navigate.
SWBR: BeTheSpark promotes and encourages innovation-driven entrepreneurship throughout Wales but as CEO how do you stay innovative and ahead of the curve? CT: I spoke on this topic back in March at the BioWales conference – I believe you should schedule time in your diary whether that be daily or weekly for innovation. It’s so easy to get caught up in work and forget to take step back and look at how it could be done differently or who you could speak to/collaborate with to make things easier. Everyone has the ability to be creative and innovate, it’s just about making time to do so. I also attend events regularly which gives me the opportunity to learn what others are doing within the innovation entrepreneurship space and talk to like-minded people within the industry.
SBWR: What’s next for BeTheSpark? CT: BeTheSpark are working closely with key influencers and decision makers across our five stakeholder groups to amplify the movement further and together create a more visible, simple and connected ecosystem throughout Wales. In doing this we are sharing success stories, case studies of cross stakeholder collaboration and support, news articles and promoting events within entrepreneurship via our social media platforms. Our presence can also be found at key events such as the Digital Festival 2018. This year we also worked in collaboration with the Wales Festival of Innovation.
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In addition, we are also focusing on several long term generational changes that were raised at the BeTheSpark launch event under the headings of ‘Must Win Battles’. These encompass all five of our stakeholder groups and cover a wide range of actions helping to drive forward innovationdriven entrepreneurship. We are also working on the release of our first edition blueprint map which houses coworking spaces, accelerator hubs, business services and tech facilities available to entrepreneurs throughout Wales. As well as collaborating on the creation of an exciting pan-Wales mentor platform. Watch this space...
SWBR: How can each of us play our part in BeTheSpark? CT: To date we have received over 330 pledges ranging from open spaces, mentoring, specific expertise and resources. People have also pledged to promote BeTheSpark via their Newsletter and/or social media. Provide us with news stories about business successes and alike as well as sending us some thought leadership pieces on anything innovation, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurship. With so much going on in Wales, let's amplify what's happening.
Visit their website for more information: www.bethespark.wales
"BeTheSpark's vision is to create a visible, simple and connected ecosystem throughout Wales to help ignite more innovation-driven entrepreneurship" Vol 7 Issue 4 2018 | 5
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What the Large Print Giveth, the Small Print Taketh Away
Michael Green, Phillips Green & Murphy Solicitors Starting and running a business can be very exciting and challenging. Being an entrepreneur and your own boss is seen by many as an attractive goal. It can also be extremely rewarding. However, there is another, much more mundane, if not downright boring, analysis of starting and running a business. That is to see the process for what it is, a series of legal contracts.
Running a business largely relies on contracts Everything you do from buying your first stationary, renting your premises and taking on your first employee involves entering a contract. Contracts are two (sometimes more) sided agreements where one party agrees to do something for the other party usually in exchange for money. Buying a cup of coffee, from your favourite chain of coffee stores, is a contract. The Coffee shop provides you with the coffee and you pay them. Most other business contracts are, however, far more complex than that. They contain lots of what lawyers like to describe as terms and conditions, and can be quite complex and boring to read. Largely because they have been written by lawyers.
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Reading them is, however, a must if you are not to fall foul of unexpected consequences. Take, for instance, a recent example I came across. It involved a lady who set up a business. She needed a website to sell her goods. She entered into a contract with a website provider. They were a smaller, independent company who agreed to build the website and provide hosting for a period of five years. There were detailed terms and conditions on their website, which, presumably, she did not read. After a couple of months the website crashed. It is her case that she lost around £10,000 worth of business over Christmas and the problems continued. Reading the contract revealed that it contained a force majeure clause. Force majeure is French for “superior force” and relates to matters which are beyond the control of the parties. It relieves parties of their liabilities for breach of contract if the contract cannot be performed for specified reasons. These clauses relate to such matters as war, earthquake and “acts of God”. In this contract for the provision of an e-commerce website and hosting, hacking and malware were listed among the examples of force majeure. So the website providers seemed to be suggesting that having their system hacked or infected by a computer virus
is in the same category as items which are genuinely beyond their control such as loss of power from the National Grid and earthquakes. Such a clause should raise alarm bells with any potential purchaser of their services. But as most people don’t read contracts before they enter into them, the majority will never know until it is too late.
Why reading your contracts pays off in the long-term There are very few business contracts into which you will enter that do not have alternative suppliers. That gives you an opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contracts before you enter into them. The cheapest might seem appealing at first, but that is not the only criteria against which a supplier should be judged. Go through what you are signing up to carefully, and if you need clarification, seek it by email rather than telephone so you have a record of the questions you asked and the responses you received. If the contract is particularly significant in terms of the importance to your ability to run the business (as in the website example) or is of high monetary value, it may well be worth you seeking professional advice. That might seem an expensive option initially, but in the long run, it is better to be safe than sorry.
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Will your Business Survive by Luck or Design? David Griffiths
MSc (Edin), PhD (Edin), CMgr FCMI Day one. You have invested time and money in designing your website. You have designed your logo and business cards. You have designed your social media presence. But have you designed your network? I opened my company nine years ago, and during that time I have seen many people in my network take the plunge and open their own business. Of those people, I can count on one hand the number still operating after three years. The question is, why? There are many reasons, but there is one in particular that is critical.
How your network of contacts contributes to your business success Imagine your world as a network, where every person you meet is a node in that network. Now, imagine each node as a magnet. You, as a node, will attract people and other nodes will attract you. That strength of attraction is based on a synching of knowledge, skills, experience and needs. The problem is that when starting out in business too many people focus on building networks of strong ties - people with high levels of similarity (strong magnetism), who reinforce their view of the world. At this point you might be thinking, where’s the problem; if people have a similar view of the world then it naturally follows that they are more likely to engage you? However, those strong ties can serve to constrain your ability to survive and thrive.
For example, meet Richard. Richard was 43 and had worked for ten years as an internal Learning and Development consultant for a multi-national firm in London. After being worn down by years of restructuring, he opted for voluntary redundancy and opened a consulting practice. He networked with consultants who delivered similar services and mined his existing network for opportunities. Within eighteen months Richard had exhausted opportunities in his network and found that instead of being collegiate, his fellow consultants were cutthroat (after all, they were competing in the same space). Within another twelve months, Richard had gone back to work as a Learning and Development Manager in a medium-sized company in Birmingham. One of the secrets to longevity is the diversity of your network. A diverse network of strong and weak ties (think of this as lower levels of attraction or magnetism) will allow you to challenge your thinking about your service or product offering. Such diversity allows you to sense and anticipate changes and opportunities in the market, which leads to growth and resilience.
network. I took an empathetic approach, engaging on social media to understand what people were saying, what they were hearing and what they were seeing and what they were feeling. Such an approach enabled me to build a sustainable business model of emergent opportunities that has allowed me to work in 17 different countries over a nine-year period. Longevity, resilience, can happen by luck or design; if you want to out perform the competition, invest the time and money in designing and developing a diverse network. On the other hand, you could leave it to luck. David Griffiths is the former Programme Director for the part-time Doctor of Business Administration at Swansea Business School. If you are interested in resilience (longevity by design), check out the UWTSD part-time DBA. Contact gareth.hughes@uwtsd.ac.uk.
How I built my professional network to help my business grow In contrast to Richard, I took the design approach to network development. I started by observing the market space, building a political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental and legal
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Boosting Local Entrepreneurship – Three Initiatives to Know The Centre for African Entrepreneurship Boosts Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship in South Wales The Centre for African Entrepreneurship is a south Wales based organisation that aims to inspire, support and promote ethnic minority entrepreneurship and leadership. Our offices in Swansea offers a Business Community Space with a meeting room available for business workshops and meetings for up to 14 people, and IT suite with computers available to use by the public. Our main project is funded by ESF through WCVA Active Inclusion Fund, and it aims to provide a supportive platform in which economically inactive aspiring entrepreneurs connect with local active entrepreneurs to form a network where participants can thrive by learning from each other. Activities include one to one business advice, mentoring, training, networking, and swapping skills events. The CAE is in the process to create a Youth Entrepreneurship Network (SYEN) for University students and it is about building a platform for young people interested in entrepreneurship and based in Swansea to connect and support each other. Franck Banza is the Founder and CEO of the Centre for African Entrepreneurship. Learn more at www.caentr.org
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Indycube and TechHub – Two Innovation Spaces in Swansea Many articles have been written about open innovation, network models of firms and industry clusters, but what happens in a small city like Swansea? Indycube and TechHub are successfully providing co-working and business incubation space in the heart of Swansea. These facilities offer working space on flexible terms, from one desk up to a full office and are helping dozens of new firms to establish themselves in the region and across the globe.
Indycube focuses on building regional resilience Indycube was established in Cardiff in 2010. When that facility proved a success in its first year, it sought to expand and, to Mike Scott, one of Indycube’s directors, Swansea appeared the ideal place. After Mike championed the idea, Indycube opened on Wind Street in 2012. Indycube’s philosophy is that whilst they provide co-located, flexible space for businesses, they will leave users very much unmolested. Very little direct support is offered, although working in the same office with professionals from all kinds of areas provides users with the opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and mutual support. How they choose to use these opportunities is entirely their own choice.
Indycube places a great emphasis on the regional resilience that can be built when the right support for new businesses is provided. Not only are the start-ups based in Swansea providing a direct economic benefit to the city by being allowed to expand the business community and attracting investment, the local entrepreneurs are deriving a personal benefit in that they do not have to travel far afield to a remote office in another (likely bigger) city. This enhances their quality of life in that they spend less time commuting, leading to more leisure time and time with their families. In fact, Indycube allows users to bring their children to work, which in turn normalises this kind of working and so helping it to perpetuate itself. Mike believes that if a country like Wales focusses solely on attracting inward investment, she leaves herself vulnerable to economic shocks in other economies which cause those investors to withdraw from Wales to concentrate on their own markets. The best chance for Wales is to grow her own industries so that she is better prepared to look after herself. www.indycube.community
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Centre for African Entrepreneurship
TechHub supports tech-focussed start-ups in various ways After establishing itself in London in 2010, TechHub opened on Swansea’s High Street in 2015, its first UK location outside of London. It currently occupies four floors at the award-winning Urban Village development. Its offering is distinct from that of Indycube in that it focusses solely upon tech industries, currently supporting over 750 companies around the world. Whilst the model was established in London, Sarah Fogel, community events manager at Swansea notes that transplanting the model to the south Wales region presented many challenges. The market was very different to that in London, as TechHub quickly discovered that the base of tech companies whom they wished to attract was not as extensive as hoped.
TechHub had to adapt, considering whether to expand their offer to more established companies which hoped to scale up or even to loosen their definitions and offer their services to non-tech businesses. TechHub is very much engaged with its service users, offering numerous support events throughout the year. These events are tailored to the requirements of service users; for example should they ask for advice about finance, tax or marketing, then free sessions will be arranged with industry experts which are held at their High Street base so that any interested member can benefit. TechHub also partners with both local higher education institutions (Swansea University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David) and the DVLA, which has its UK headquarters in Swansea.
Although based locally, TechHub’s service users are part of a global community, in which members’ needs are understood and met in order to foster the next generation of high-value companies. www.swansea.techhub.com
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In Conversation: Award-Winning Entrepreneur Jo Ashburner Farr on Doing Business
Manjit Biant Manjit Biant met Jo Ashburner Farr, CEO and Operations Director of Red Dragon Flagmakers. Jo graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Surface Pattern Design BA(Hons) from UWTSD in 2004 as a single parent. She developed her brand Noonoo during the degree and won a European Social Fund scholarship to do a Masters degree in Enterprise at the University of Manchester. Soon after, Jo established an ethical manufacturing hub in Vietnam and went on to win Wales Regional and UK National Businesswoman of the Year award in 2006. Jo is driven by ethical and social enterprise manufacturing. SWBR: Jo, tell us a bit about yourself. JA: There are three types of people in business. Those who talk about it, those who teach it and those who do it. I’ve tried to be all three of these in my life and the most pleasure has come from ‘doing’, so when you asked me to think about how I ‘do’ it’s tricky having to think about
it, break it down and put it to paper. The headlines about my experiences of being in business are pretty brief: be focussed, work hard and don’t pretend to be anything you’re not. But that doesn’t fill the page so here’s to digging deeper. For many years I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to fit and I discovered by default rather than design that having my own business gives me the confidence and strength to be me. I grew up on a Welsh hill farm mentored and influenced by good working class people with strong-as-steel spines and colourful vocabularies and at the age of eight was unceremoniously uprooted and sent away to boarding school to smooth the edges, banish my strong Neath accent and groom me into some form of social acceptability. For a long time I felt like the perpetual people watcher, curious to see how others live, love and work and that with the volume turned to mute, so many look like they’re going through the motions, treading water, waiting for something to happen. I’ve made sure the mute button is on so that when they turn to look out at me with pursed lips and a whiff of distaste as I whizz by at 100 mph skidding and bumping and charging along living my life to the absolute full laughing all the way, I don’t have to hear what they have to say about it. It doesn’t matter what they say anyway.
Through being borderline agoraphobic – or perhaps it’s just that I just work really well on my own – I’ve learned to surround myself with good people. By good I mean honest; and those who tell me when my bum does look big in this, those who make me laugh, make me think, those who trust me enough that they can rely on me, and they in turn then become my go to team. By happily not fitting in anywhere in particular, I welcome those that bring on the differences pink Mohican, tats and piercings over conventional dress and image any day if I had to choose. In my book anyone who has the honesty to embrace and express who they really are instead of cloaking themselves underneath the restraints of social convention is real and intriguing and I want to know more.
SWBR: What advice would you give to someone starting up? JA: I do admire determination, grafters, and triumph over adversity and people who stand out because of their individuality. I don’t trust easily – I used to but learned the hard way – and have no time for procrastination, politics and other nonsense, all of which you have to learn to identify in business and the connection you make with others.
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“When your heartfelt passion transfers to your customers who are your crucial investors, it will be the courage of your convictions that translates into success, the courage to be different.”
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Connection with your peers, your customers and your audience, some of whom you’ve never met but who read about you, hear about and see what you are by your actions and feel they know you, is empowering. Drawing in others to invest in you and your business is vital and as much as your business has a USP, you as a person must also stand out and have your own USP. To achieve this you have to be open to learn, to change and adapt. People have to like you for you as you really are; don’t be the chameleon, you’ll lose their trust and they will walk away. When your heartfelt passion transfers to your customers who are your crucial investors, it will be the courage of your convictions that translates into success, the courage to be different. Make no bones about it, you have to be prepared to go without, you have to take responsibility for your actions and learn not to blame others when something goes wrong – a bad reputation is a terrible curse on a person and a business, but it happens. Accept the trials as a hard lesson and then work out how to avoid it happening again. Always hold your nerve; walk away and distract yourself if that works for you (it does for me) and when you return to your desk the universe will have rebalanced itself and all will be right.
SWBR: How would you advise managing money? JA: When you’re planning, budget for the unpredictable and never underestimate how much running a business costs – don’t owe your suppliers any money and if you can’t pay on time, explain it to them up front close and face to face or on the phone to diffuse any misunderstandings. To sleep well at night
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I highly recommend consolidating what you have and avoid debt. Keep it small and trim and economise. Work smart and if that involves saving a small fortune in travel expenses, lunch and coffees throughout the day and not having to be suited and booted by working from your kitchen table, so be it. I still now avoid having to keep up appearances and apart from what I throw on to walk the dog on the beach in the fresh air under blue skies while I take that call with a client (who is sitting in an office most likely staring at a wall), I do my own thing.
SWBR: What would be your final thoughts and things to look out for? JA: Having a business is like having a cool kid. You watch him learn from his mistakes as he grows and flourishes into a person you and those around you enjoy being with. You can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do, but you can steer him. And the outcome of this learning path? The confidence in your/my own ability to achieve something good and the courage to create and run a business with a social mission. Society is changing. It’s calling out the selfish arrogance of the few and demanding a fairer distribution for the greater good. While consumers lazily distribute chewing gum graffiti on our streets and continue to ignorantly propagate the plastic pollution in our seas, I look at what should be the social responsibility of the original manufacturers of the pollutants to clear up the mess they’ve created. I mean how many cars and houses and holidays will it take for you to be happy? And you can’t take it with you.
We all absolutely know this and yet human kindness and charity are left to clear up the mess of pollution and poverty and bad politics and it all boils down to what you choose to do. So in a small way my business is my version of creating positive change and my personal contribution to redressing the balance of unfairness in society. Every day I see businesses shouting loud on social media and on the news about being the ‘official’ this and that to rights for this and rights for that and I applaud their contribution. But make no bones about it, that contribution has been entered into the ledger as PR expense and its short lived. It’s used as a promotional vehicle and it creates a short-lived ‘blink and you miss it’ feel good noise for that business’ branding, nothing more. It’s definitely not the same as making a product and being totally reliant on sales of that product, then using the profits made from those sales to train skills to those who have fallen on hard times, at no cost to them and then help them get back on their feet and into sustainable employment. That’s my take on being successful. That’s ‘doing’.
www.reddragonflagmakers.co.uk
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The Value of Social Media to Start-Ups Social media is a valuable resource to any business, irrespective of size. It is even more important, however, to start-ups and entrepreneurs at the start of their journey for connecting, influencing and growing their desired brand. Social media remains your best and easiest way to reach a large global community to grow your business. Whether you offer a service, running a lifestyle brand or have created a ground-breaking piece of tech there are some basic rules of play when it comes to the world of social media. Think before you act: What are you trying to achieve? You need to answer this question before you jump in and try to conquer the world of social media. Create your strategy before you create your profiles. Before you start choosing the right channels, think of your business goals and objectives and how social media can help achieve these. It’s ok to not have presence across them all. Pick and choose what works best for your business.
Know your data: As well as looking great and being a valuable platform to connect with your potential customers, social media also offers you a wealth of data and insight into how to target prospectives. Use this data to your advantage and align your content with images/posts your audience wants to see and add value. Keep your audience engaged: Set aside time each day to check your accounts and keep them populated regularly with good quality content (use your data to help discover what ‘good’ content is for your brand). If your platforms lie dormant for weeks at a time, it is likely that you are going to lose your audience as they will become disengaged with your content and brand.
Build strong online relationships: Behind every successful social media strategy is genuine human connection. Show your audience the team of people behind your product/business. Take your audience along on the journey with you – don’t use your social platforms as another obvious sales push, be tactful and smart about building those relationships. Use your platforms to listen to what your customers need and want then offer a genuine solution by introducing them to your business. Emma Gray is BeTheSpark’s Digital Communications Manager.
Create your online persona: What kind of company do you want to be on social media? Align your social media presence and persona with your company culture – is this serious and factual, or playful and fun? Or perhaps a degree of all the above? People love to get to know the people behind the brand so don’t forget to add that human element. Work smart: Creating and having an effective social media presence can help new companies create meaningful, lasting relationships with customers. Using your social media platforms for customer service and gaining valuable feedback can help put your company ahead of the game. Vol 7 Issue 4 2018 | 13
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Being Enterprising in Education, Where are the Dots to be Joined Up? Andy Penaluna is the Director of the International Institute for Creative Entrepreneurial Development at UWTSD. His clients include the United Nations, OECD and European Commission. The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs and Maserati are amongst those who have acknowledged his work, and in 2015 he received a personal Queens Award for Enterprise from her Majesty the Queen. As a former small business owner and academic who subsequently ended up teaching students to be more entrepreneurial, I often get asked by small businesses what universities are doing, and can't they do more?
Businesses call for 21st century skills Big picture news is all around us, from the Global Economic Forum to The World, Bank, United Nations and European Commission. The new call is for entrepreneurial 21st century skills, right across the piece. In Wales this has led to a new school curriculum being developed, new forms of teacher training and perhaps most importantly, new ways of evaluating learner performance. In Professor Graham Donaldson’s ‘Successful Futures’ review of the curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales, one of the four ‘purposes’ and cornerstones for this change in schools asks for “enterprising creative contributors” who are skilled in connecting and applying their knowledge, identifying and grasping opportunities and teamwork. Sounds a little like a business does it not? A few years ago I was lucky enough to be invited to present some of my ideas in Parliament to a delegation of micro businesses, the net result being a publication for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Micro Businesses 14 | Vol 7 Issue 4 2018
entitled ‘An Education System for An Entrepreneur’. What became clear was the lack of joined up thinking, with pockets of excellence and little reward for those involved. Some schools, for example those working with Sir Rod Aldridge or those working in deprived areas such as Rotherham, are developing new metrics to measure success, but they have to sit alongside more traditional examinations and tests. If we do not get the testing and marking right, how can we support learner progression and improvement? Take this simple example, an entrepreneur or founder rarely knows for sure where their next customer is coming from, or if the business will succeed. Sheer grit and determination is important, as are the abilities to be flexible and adaptable in response to change. Unique selling points are also important, which means doing something different to the norm – in order to obtain some kind of competitive advantage.
We need new assessment in schools to help learners be innovative Now move our thinking to education where students and pupils, especially beyond primary school, are tested through written exams that check that they know the right facts and the right people to quote, can regurgitate theories
and practices that have been accepted as good by academics, and as long as they hit the ‘standard’, get a good grade. Standard of course, means the same, so in effect we are calling for learners to think alike, and to not question the accepted norms that they are presented with. Add to this that as I frequently comment, riding a bike is not the same as writing about riding a bike, and we can see that something is truly amiss. Fortunately this message is starting to get through, and researchers for the European Commission’s Science Hub, Joint Research Centre, have been busy working some of the issues out. My department at UWTSD was singled out as one of only two European universities that had a head start in the way that they thought, and this was because our thinking started in the School of Art and Design. Here everything can be challenged, silos and artificial boundaries such as subject areas can be pushed aside to join up fresh ideas and to think far and wide. Designers use their creativity to solve other people's problems, as you will know when you want a website designed or a new product developed. In my case it was Advertising, because where else does business to business activity take place that is wholly reliant on creative responses to potential markets? This message is important, because all too often universities choose to support their brilliant few, the ones who already
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have ideas to develop and motivation to succeed in business. This is great, but only responds to a tiny proportion of students who have learned to learn for themselves, and can be trained in business processes. Frankly, that is the easy bit.
Business have a role to play when it comes to education So, attention has turned to other competencies and abilities; the ones so often assumed, and have therefore remained relatively unsupported in any formal manner. How can you learn and be evaluated on your opportunity alertness? What about visioning for the future, especially when you’ve nearly always been studying the past? Business has its role to play here. If businesses want to help, they need to engage. It is not good enough to sit back and leave it to educationalists, because they too are a stakeholder whose voice
needs to be heard. However, if education does not seem to understand business, the other side of the coin suggests that businesses do not understand education, or the shifts and changes that need to be addressed. These are just some of the dots that can be joined up to make more sense of education, and as an educationalist, support the learners who need these competencies to succeed. I recently shared the stage with Lord Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer fame, and his words “there is a huge opportunity here” are ringing in my ears. Update: Craigfelen Primary, a leading entrepreneurial school, that Andy Penaluna often engages with, has recently been acknowledged for their great work on entrepreneurship education taking home various prizes at BigIdeasWales’“Enterprise Troopers National Primary School Competition”!
Andy with entrepreneurs from Craigfelen Primary
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Our Business is FutureProofing Construction Skills Julie Evans CWIC Administrator When it comes to growth predictions, construction is on track to be the leading industry sector in Wales. In 2016 the sector’s output was estimated to have reached £55.4bn with around 8% of the total Welsh workforce employed in the industry (source: WG 2014 via Careers Wales website). According to Welsh Government, Wales has almost 13,000 companies employing circa 112,000 with significant growth predicted for the industry. In the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) latest Construction Skills Network report (February 2018) Wales leads UK construction growth for the fourth year running and the sector is set to grow by 4.6% on average per annum up to 2022. By then, an extra 12,250 jobs will boost the workforce to an estimated 121,500. Much of this growth is a result of significant infrastructure projects such as Yr Wylfa Newydd the new nuclear power station in Ynys Mon, the M4 relief road and the South Wales Metro as well as a much increased building programme which aims to deliver 20,000 affordable homes.
Construction Wales Innovation Centre trains the worksforce for growth The challenge for the Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) is to help meet the workforce skills this growth will demand. One of its main roles is to ensure that Wales has a fully trained workforce - the right people, in the right
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place, at the right time and with the right capabilities. As its name and strap-line suggests, its aim is to improve skills, encourage new entrants into the industry, lead on innovation and ensure industry continues to improve its performance. Set up as a Hub and Spokes model in 2016 with funding from the CITB, Construction Wales Innovation Centre works in partnership with Coleg y Cymoedd, Coleg Cambria, Coleg Ceredigion, Coleg Sir Gar and the Building Research Establishment to deliver specialist construction training at all levels. Keen to be inclusive and to address the needs of the whole industry in Wales it has also started offering training via its wider network such as at Pembrokeshire College, Coleg Llandrillo and Coleg Gwent to name a few. CWIC is also working collaboratively with federations and professional bodies such as the Federation of Master Builders and the Chartered institute of Building, Construction Excellence Wales, Construction Future Wales. Additionally, working with trade bodies, advisory groups and construction businesses, CWIC is well placed to understand the training needs of the sector.
Meeting the needs of industry CWIC is going to be a key player in supporting the significant growth predicted for the sector. Having established a strong benchmark in its first 18 months, CWIC has successfully delivered a wide ranging training programme benefiting most occupations.
During this period 1,550 staff have benefited from training, support has been provided to in excess of 350 companies and more than 220 courses, events and other activities have been completed. A diverse programme of training has been industry led, usually requested through Construction Industry Training Board's training advisory groups and has included courses on using excavators and telescopic handlers, heritage plastering, basic lead welding, the repair and maintenance of sash windows, road construction, site surveying and the installation of sprinklers. Recognising the challenge of attracting young people to construction, a four week intensive boot camp has been successfully delivered, all of whom are likely to start work with local contractors. In terms of innovation Construction Wales Innovation Centre has introduced new courses on the use of drone and laser scanning technologies which demonstrate their use in surveying construction projects and is looking forward to developing further courses using new technology. Educational engagement is also one of CWIC’s priorities. To capitalise on live construction sites, it introduced a new on-site learning initiative called ‘Skills on Site’ for Further and Higher Education students. Since the initiative was launched last year, students have been able to learn from contractors such as Kier Construction about current working practices such as Mechanical and Electrical Connectivity, Contractual
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Procedures, Tender Bids and Site Logistics and from TAD Builders about their Pre-construction procedures for the new Performance and Innovation building being built at their Graig Campus. Gerald Naylor, Director of CWIC said that the “response from employers has been very encouraging with both large and small contractors offering to open their sites to full-time students eager to learn from those actually delivering construction projects. This CWIC-CITB initiative aims to help full-time students become work ready through short and structured learning experiences."
Wales’ first construction centre Construction Wales Innovation Centre is not missing out on the construction boom as it is moving from its current location to a brand new purpose-built home this September. This is when the £6.5m Construction Industry Training Board funded innovation Hub will open. It will be the new base for CWIC forming part of the new Swansea Waterfront campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. It will offer visitors state of the art facilities including a Constructzone, workshop space, and digital learning suite, as well as conference, seminar and meeting spaces. The CWIC development will also see the establishment of a nearby Access Hall (scaffolding facility) supporting employers and apprentices from Wales and beyond. The Access Hall is due to
open in September 2018 and will deliver introductory courses, apprenticeship programmes as well as short courses demanded by industry. In addition to its specialist training remit, CWIC is a partner in a number of CITB funded industry-led projects promoting the construction industry throughout Wales to the education sector. These include working with Bouygues UK on the development of educational resources for the careers service and school teachers and with Kier Construction on employereducation engagement tools. CWIC is also partnering with the Civil Engineering Contractors Association on improving recruitment into higher education though sustainable engagement. Currently, CWIC is involved in two further CITB collaborative projects again for the benefit of promoting careers in construction as well as enhancing training methods.
organisation as outlined in our Vision 2020 – The Future CITB programme. The opening of the CWIC hub in the autumn of this year comes at a good time for the Welsh construction industry with strong growth forecast and a positive pipeline of work predicted. CWIC will help to provide training that is most needed in our sector, working in partnership to create the skills for now and for the future.” For further information about CWIC please visit www.uwtsd.ac.uk/cwic/ or contact them at cwic@uwtsd.ac.uk.
CWIC in partnership with the UWTSD, Construction Industry Training Board and Construction Industry Training Board are actively developing new Level 5 Higher Apprenticeships in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying as a result of employer demand in Wales. These are due to start September 2018 and work has started on developing Degree Apprenticeships ready for 2019. Mark Bodger, Partnership Director, Construction Industry Training Board Cymru Wales, said: “Construction Wales Innovation Centre is a landmark project for CITB and represents the new partnership approach for us as
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Ein busnes yw Sicrhau Sgiliau Adeiladu at y Dyfodol Pan mae hi'n dod i ragfynegiadau twf, mae adeiladu ar y trywydd tuag at fod y sector diwydiant blaenllaw yng Nghymru. Yn 2016 amcangyfrifwyd bod allbwn y sector wedi cyrraedd £55.4 biliwn gydag oddeutu 8% o gyfanswm gweithlu Cymru yn cael eu cyflogi yn y diwydiant. Yn ôl Llywodraeth Cymru, mae gan Gymru bron i 13,000 o gwmnïau sy'n cyflogi tua 112,000 a rhagwelir twf sylweddol ar gyfer y diwydiant. Yn adroddiad diweddaraf Rhwydwaith Sgiliau Adeiladu Bwrdd Hyfforddi'r Diwydiant Adeiladu (CITB) (Chwefror 2018) mae Cymru'n arwain twf adeiladu'r DU am y bedwaredd flwyddyn yn olynol a disgwylir i'r sector dyfu 4.6% ar gyfartaledd bob blwyddyn hyd at 2022. Erbyn hynny bydd 12,250 o swyddi ychwanegol yn codi'r gweithlu i tua 121,500 erbyn 2022. Mae llawer o'r twf hwn yn ganlyniad i brosiectau isadeiledd sylweddol megis Yr Wylfa Newydd, yr orsaf bŵer niwclear newydd yn Ynys Môn, ffordd liniaru'r M4 a Metro De Cymru yn ogystal â rhaglen adeiladu tai gynyddol sy'n anelu at ddarparu 20,000 o dai fforddiadwy. Yr her ar gyfer Canolfan Arloesi Adeiladu Cymru (CWIC) yw helpu i gyflenwi sgiliau'r gweithlu y bydd y twf hwn yn galw amdanynt. Un o'i brif rolau yw sicrhau bod gan Gymru weithlu wedi'i hyfforddi'n llawn - y bobl iawn, yn y lle iawn, ar yr adeg iawn a gyda'r galluoedd iawn. Fel y mae ei enw a'i is-bennawd yn awgrymu ei nod yw gwella sgiliau, annog newydd-ddyfodiaid i'r diwydiant, arwain ar arloesedd a sicrhau bod y diwydiant yn parhau i wella ei berfformiad. Wedi'i sefydlu fel model Prif Ganolfan a Lloerennau yn 2016 gyda chyllid oddi wrth y CITB, mae CWIC yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth â Choleg y Cymoedd, Coleg Cambria, Coleg Ceredigion, Coleg Sir Gâr a'r Sefydliad Ymchwil Adeiladu i
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ddarparu hyfforddiant adeiladu arbenigol ar bob lefel. Yn awyddus i fod yn gynhwysol ac i fynd i'r afael ag anghenion y diwydiant cyfan yng Nghymru, mae hefyd wedi dechrau cynnig hyfforddiant trwy ei rwydwaith ehangach megis yng Ngholeg Sir Benfro, Coleg Llandrillo a Choleg Gwent i enwi ond ychydig. Mae CWIC hefyd yn cydweithio â ffederasiynau a chyrff proffesiynol megis Ffederasiwn y Meistr Adeiladwyr a'r Sefydliad Siartredig Adeiladu, Rhagoriaeth Adeiladu Cymru, Dyfodol Adeiladu Cymru. Yn ychwanegol, gan weithio gyda chyrff masnach, grwpiau cynghori a busnesau adeiladu, mae CWIC mewn sefyllfa dda i ddeall anghenion hyfforddiant y sector.
Bodloni anghenion y diwydiant Mae CWIC yn mynd i fod yn chwaraewr allweddol wrth gefnogi'r twf sylweddol a ragwelir ar gyfer y sector. Wedi sefydlu meincnod cadarn yn ei 18 mis cyntaf, mae CWIC wedi llwyddo i gyflwyno rhaglen hyfforddiant eang sydd wedi bod o fudd i'r rhan fwyaf o alwedigaethau. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn mae 1,550 o staff wedi elwa ar hyfforddiant, rhoddwyd cymorth i 350 o gwmnïau a chwblhawyd mwy na 220 o gyrsiau, digwyddiadau a gweithgareddau eraill. Mae rhaglen hyfforddiant amrywiol wedi cael ei harwain gan y diwydiant, ar gais grwpiau cynghori hyfforddiant y CITB fel arfer, ac mae wedi cynnwys cyrsiau ar ddefnyddio cloddwyr a thrinwyr telesgopig, plastro treftadaeth, weldio plwm sylfaenol, atgyweirio a chynnal a chadw ffenestri sash, adeiladu ffyrdd, tirfesur safleoedd a gosod chwistrellwyr. Gan gydnabod yr her o ddenu pobl ifanc i adeiladu, cyflwynwyd bwtcamp dwys pedair wythnos yn llwyddiannus, ac mae pob un ohonynt yn debygol o ddechrau gweithio gyda chontractwyr
lleol. O ran arloesedd mae CWIC wedi cyflwyno cyrsiau newydd ar ddefnyddio technolegau sganio drôn a laser sy'n dangos eu defnydd wrth dirfesur prosiectau adeiladu ac mae'n edrych ymlaen at ddatblygu cyrsiau pellach gan ddefnyddio technoleg newydd. Mae ymgysylltu addysgol hefyd yn un o flaenoriaethau CWIC. Er mwyn manteisio ar safleoedd adeiladu byw, cyflwynodd fenter ddysgu ar-safle newydd o'r enw 'Sgiliau ar y Safle' ar gyfer myfyrwyr Addysg Bellach ac Uwch. Ers i'r fenter gael ei lansio y llynedd, mae myfyrwyr wedi gallu dysgu gan gontractwyr megis Kier Construction ynghylch arferion gwaith cyfredol megis Cysylltedd Mecanyddol a Thrydanol, Gweithdrefnau Contractiol, Cynigion Tendr a Logisteg Safle ac wedi dysgu gan Adeiladwyr T.A.D. Cyf am eu gweithdrefnau Cyn-adeiladu ar gyfer yr Adeilad Perfformiad ac Arloesi newydd sy'n cael ei adeiladu ar Gampws y Graig. Dywedodd Gerald Naylor, Cyfarwyddwr CWIC, "Mae'r ymateb gan gyflogwyr wedi bod yn galonogol iawn gyda chontractwyr mawr a bach yn cynnig agor eu safleoedd i fyfyrwyr amser llawn sy'n awyddus i ddysgu gan y rhai sy'n cyflwyno prosiectau adeiladu ar hyn o bryd. Nod y fenter CWIC-CITB hon yw helpu myfyrwyr llawn amser i ddod yn barod am waith trwy brofiadau dysgu byr a strwythuredig."
Canolfan adeiladu gyntaf Cymru Nid yw CWIC yn colli allan ar y ffyniant yn y byd adeiladu gan ei fod yn symud o'i leoliad presennol i gartref newydd sbon a adeiladwyd yn bwrpasol ym mis Medi. Dyma pan fydd yr hwb Arloesi £6.5m a ariennir gan CITB yn agor. Dyma fydd y lleoliad newydd ar gyfer CWIC sy'n ffurfio rhan o gampws newydd Glannau Abertawe Prifysgol Cymru: Y Drindod
ADOLYGIAD BUSNES DE CYMRU | Dewi Sant. Bydd yn cynnig cyfleusterau o'r radd flaenaf i ymwelwyr, gan gynnwys Parth Adeiladu, gofod gweithdy, a swît ddysgu ddigidol, yn ogystal â mannau cynadledda, seminar a chyfarfod. Bydd y datblygiad CWIC hefyd yn gweld sefydlu Neuadd Fynediad gyfagos (cyfleuster hyfforddi sgaffaldio) a fydd yn cefnogi cyflogwyr a phrentisiaid o Gymru a thu hwnt. Mae'r Neuadd Fynediad i fod i agor ym mis Medi 2018 a bydd yn darparu cyrsiau rhagarweiniol, rhaglenni prentisiaeth yn ogystal â chyrsiau byr y mae'r diwydiant yn galw amdanynt. Yn ychwanegol at ei gyfrifoldeb i ddarparu hyfforddiant arbenigol, mae CWIC yn bartner mewn nifer o brosiectau a arweinir gan y diwydiant ac a ariennir gan CITB sy'n hyrwyddo'r diwydiant adeiladu ledled Cymru. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys gweithio gyda Bouygues UK ar ddatblygu adnoddau addysgol ar gyfer y gwasanaeth gyrfaoedd ac athrawon ysgol a gyda Kier Construction ar offer
ymgysylltu cyflogwyr ac addysgwyr. Mae CWIC hefyd yn cyd-weithio gyda'r Gymdeithas Contractwyr Peirianneg Sifil ar wella recriwtio i addysg uwch drwy ymgysylltiad cynaliadwy. Ar hyn o bryd, mae CWIC yn cymryd rhan mewn dau brosiect cydweithrediadol CITB arall er mwyn hyrwyddo gyrfaoedd mewn adeiladu yn ogystal â gwella dulliau hyfforddi. Mae CWIC, mewn partneriaeth â PCYDDS, CIOB a CITB, wrthi'n datblygu Prentisiaethau Uwch Lefel 5 newydd mewn Rheolaeth Adeiladu a Syrfeo Meintiau o ganlyniad i alw cyflogwyr yng Nghymru. Mae'r rhain i fod i ddechrau ym mis Medi 2018 ac mae'r gwaith wedi dechrau ar ddatblygu Prentisiaethau Gradd yn barod ar gyfer 2019.
Meddai Mark Bodger, Cyfarwyddwr Partneriaeth, CITB Cymru Wales,: "Mae CWIC yn brosiect pwysig iawn ar gyfer CITB ac mae'n cynrychioli'r ymagwedd bartneriaeth newydd i ni fel sefydliad a amlinellir yn ein Gweledigaeth 2020 rhaglen CITB y Dyfodol. "Mae agoriad y ganolfan CWIC yn yr hydref eleni yn dod ar amser da i'r diwydiant adeiladu yng Nghymru gyda'r rhagolygon ar gyfer twf yn gryf a llif cadarn o waith yn cael ei ragweld. "Bydd CWIC yn helpu i ddarparu'r hyfforddiant sydd ei angen fwyaf yn ein sector, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth i greu'r sgiliau ar gyfer nawr ac ar gyfer y dyfodol." Am ragor o wybodaeth am CWIC ewch i cwic.wales neu cysylltwch â nhw ar 01792 481273 / cwic@uwtsd.ac.uk.
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Building an Enterprising Economy – the Case for Entrepreneurship Education at the International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) Compared with many other countries in the region, Malaysian economic development including business start-ups, growth rates, applications for patents and attraction of foreign enterprises has been impressive and on the rise since the Asian economic crisis of 1998. To keep this momentum going and continue to build the country’s vision for 2020 – a knowledge economy, 2018 is a crucial year. It is now that the paradigm may shift as the currency is stabilising if not appreciating, and Malaysia is facing a potential “brain drain” of enterprising Malaysian, Indian and Chinese citizens. Bureaucracy, risk averse regulations and the government’s job creation scheme may also lead to disincentives to be selfmotivated in creation of enterprises.
Education as the driver to build an enterprising economy Therefore the challenge is to create an enterprising economy. Education has been tasked to develop the skills that can transform Malaysian culture to embrace a real enterprise generation. But education is seen as traditional, slow to change and driven by old performance indicators, which often are at odds with the best practice of enterprise education.
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For 25 years, UWTSD, guided by the ubiquitous entrepreneurship educators Kath and Andy Penaluna, has pioneered these developments. UWTSD believes that class sessions should be active, problem solving, encouraging wide varieties of solutions, engendering self-sufficiency, self-confidence and team building; and of course traditional skills and knowledge are important but "learning by doing’’ should be the mantra. IUMW has been inspired to follow UWTSD's example. It has introduced Entrepreneurial studies as a compulsory module across the curriculum to foster the knowledge of how to set up a business and prepare a business plan. Teaching business model canvas needs to be supported by enhancing innovative and technological skills. However, simply preparing a business plan may not be the true spirit of creating entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial education also needs to focus on enhancing innovative skills for students in technological matters, something lacking in the Malaysian education landscape. IUMW ran a "Dragon’s Den’’ pitch competition and tied it in with UWTSD’s long standing Robert Owen Challenge, part of the annual Enterprise Week activity. IUMW participated by video link and despite not winning a prize, all 86 IUMW students
who entered, were enthusiastic and positive. In addition, Foundation students produced videos of their start-up ideas, which were shared with UWTSD. An Entrepreneurs Club has also been established. IUMW already has a BA Business in Entrepreneurship where students enjoyed practical hands-on experience, fun and some even have initiated real business start-ups! However, it it would be a shame if after these experiments, students simply returned to their traditional forms of learning and assessment. IUMW students have demonstrated their ability to be self managing in their learning and creative in finding solutions to problems. To be a truly enterprising organization, there is a need to imbue the whole curriculum in this same ethos. This is true for all disciplines and all levels. We cannot predict what knowledge students will need in the future but we can develop the skills to help them thrive in a dynamic environment. Steve Griffiths, Deputy Vice Chancellor, International University of Malaya-Wales Sharmila Sethu, Senior Lecturer, International University of Malaya-Wales
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Review: “Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future” In an age when the next generation is expected to be more entrepreneurial than its predecessors, we are awash with advice on developing this new entrepreneurial class. However, with so much attention directed to mindboggling technology, disruption and hustling, too little consideration is given to just getting this generation started with the process of creating ‘simple’ value. A gem of a book on this topic, Just Start, published several years ago provides a clear pathway for all on the process of dealing with uncertainty. The authors note that many serial entrepreneurs take action, coping with the ambiguity common to most value creating processes, whilst having very little specific initial information. Framing this process as moving from ‘the known’ towards ‘the unknown’, the authors bring the start line closer for all. The idea of smart steps, using current resources, moving forward, reflecting and learning; offer a simple, yet effective means of taking action on one’s ideas. There are echoes of the effectuation process present throughout, but the readability divorces the ideas here from those infected with academic prose. Consequently, there is support for ‘thinking of acting’, rather than ‘acting on thinking’. The authors ask the potential value creator to act, in order to know: 1. It is possible? 2. Can I do it? 3. Is it worth doing? 4. Do I want to do it? The action, or creation, orientation is a timely antidote to the over-hyped prescriptions that the next generation of entrepreneurs are increasingly exposed to; do yourself a favour, just start! “Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future” by Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles Kiefer, Paul B. Brown, 2012 Dr. Colin Jones, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Queensland University of Technology Business School and Visiting Professor at the International Institute of Creative Entrepreneurial Development, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
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News and Events
Online Business Degrees at UWTSD
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has embarked on a new collaboration with Ducere Global Business School to deliver undergraduate business programmes online. Ducere is an Australian-based online education organisation that offers courses in business and management. Their courses combine comprehensively developed content with the expertise and experience of some of the world’s most successful leaders. The portfolio of BA programmes in Applied Business with three pathways (Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship) will be delivered on-line via a sophisticated and well supported Virtual Learning Environment full-time, over three years or fast-track over two years.
UWTSD and Ducere Global Business School launch a creative collaboration.
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Roger Maidment, Dean of Faculty of Business and Management, said: “The Wales-Ducere Office significantly enhances our portfolio of on-line business courses extending our project-based work with businesses in Swansea into a global learning environment. It is great to be working with Ducere in such a creative way.” The courses offer a flexible alternative to full-time campusbased study for independent self-starters who have work or family commitments. For further information please contact: chris.thomas@uwtsd.ac.uk
Let your Mind do the Travelling
Join our new online MBA programme in Sustainability Leadership at UWTSD Carmarthen Business School We are reaching a point where sustainable business practice is becoming a key strategic priority. Organisations that have begun to realise that not only do future practices and economic models need to transform in line with the dynamics of social and environmental change, but that actually sustainable thinking makes a business more successful.
The programme is aimed at individuals engaging in sustainable practice within any organisation. Learners will re-think business approaches by engaging together online, sharing practice, interrogating existing practice and driving change through an online collaborative learning community.
Other options to study: MBA MBA (distance learning) MBA (Tourism Management) MBA (Hospitality Management)
Through a collaborative online learning experience you will respond to a growing global need for re-thinking leadership, this programme aims to develop creative leaders who will collaboratively address present global challenges and opportunities with the insights, skills and influences to shape an inclusive and sustainable future for business and society.
Please contact Dr. Alex Bell (Programme Director) a.bell@uwtsd.ac.uk
Be My Guest
Out Winter 2019
To reserve a copy please visit www.uwtsd.ac.uk/swbr or email your name and address to: swbr@uwtsd.ac.uk
Image: ŠPebbleshore Creative
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