Funding from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) has enabled four Keele University students to successfully turn their business ideas into real companies, which are now trading and earning them money.
Rebecca Mulhearn, Scott Bordoni, Nicola Smith and Matthew Forde started on the SPEED (Student Placements in Enterprise Education) programme in January 2008. Run by the office of Research & Enterprise Services, these students have, over the last year, each received about £4000 to help them kick start their businesses. They’ve also been give office space in the Stepping Stone business incubation unit in Med IC4 and lots of business training, which covers all the things they’ll need to know in order to successfully .. and legally ……. run their companies.
Rebecca Mulhearn, was a 1st year English Literature and Media student when she enrolled on an Entrepreneurship Module. She formed a team, which then had to find an idea for a business and then present the company’s business plan as part of the course. That was how Glowworm T-Shirts Ltd was born!
Glowworm T-Shirts design, manufacture and sell novelty glow in the dark T-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, jackets and other items of clothing primarily for the student market. The innovativeness of these T shirts is that there is a visible message on the clothing seen in daylight and a hidden message on them which only shows up in the dark. Some of the unique designs are created by members of the team and others are specially commisssioned from designers which are SPEEDers at other universities. Together with the other Directors of the company, Azimah Peeroo, Emma Goodwin and Sharnajeet Sidhu, Rebecca is actively marketing Glowworm’s products to sports teams, societies, hen parties and a variety of other interested parties.
Glowworm T-Shirts can be ordered online at www.glowwormtshirts.com or you can find out more from Rebecca by emailing her at beccamulhe@hotmail.com.
While Matthew Forde was working for a manufacturer of window blinds during his vacations, he decided to set up his own company selling directly to the public. By selling on the internet and not needing to stock product, Blinds-Now can supply quality blinds at affordable prices. When Matthew applied to join the SPEED programme, he was a 2nd year Business Administration & Human Geography student, trading on eBay. Being able to access the money and training available allowed Matthew to set up his own website, which is now offering a comprehensive range of roller, vertical, venetian and skylight blinds in fabrics, wood, faux suede and aluminium.
The full range of Blinds-Now products can be viewed at www.blinds-now.co.uk.
Scott Bordoni, a 3rd Year Media, Communications and Culture & Music Technology student, didn’t find out about the SPEED scheme until he was told about it by staff in Careers, where he’d gone to ask where he could find help, advice and money to help him set up his recording, band management and event company. As a result Scott actually only applied for the programme in June 2008 and then only had six months in which to set up and make Button Up Records a real success. Despite this, by the end of December, Scott had bought all the equipment he needed for his mobile recording studio; had signed up four bands; recorded debut albums and EPs with them and exhibited at an exhibition in Nottingham.
The range of services offered by Button Up Records can be seen on www.buttonuprecords.co.uk
Nicola Smith was in her final year studying for her LLB in Law when she was accepted onto the SPEED programme and used the experience she’d gained during her vacation work to set up NRS O&Ms Limited – a technical writing business which produces operating and maintenance manuals specifically and exclusively for the construction industry. Nicola used her funding to set up and furnish an office in her home, buy all the equipment and stationery she’d need. While she’s currently working full time within the construction industry, in her spare time she’s developing her business and has recently had her first commission.
The SPEED programme has continued into 2008/9 with five more SPEED students being appointed and one EFS (Enterprise Fellowship Student) student, who all started their year long, part-time programme in October 2008.
Recruitment for the 2009/10 intake will begin this March and all undergraduate and postgraduate students will be emailed to ask interested applicants to contact Dee Frankish in RES. For those who would prefer to find out more now, please see http://www.speedproject.ac.uk and then contact Dee Frankish at d.a.frankish@uso.keele.ac.uk
