Hi everyone,
This is my second blog post of the year, if you missed the first one on why you should get involved you can find it here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/startup/2016/10/06/why-you-should-get-involved/. This blog will be fairly short and outline the reasons why you should consider starting up a business at university!
- Easier than you may think
- Many of you may be intimidated by the idea of starting-up a business, especially whilst being at university. But personally I have found the process to be much more accessible than I would have ever imagined. You will be surprised at how much people are willing to help you think of a business idea and develop that idea, both within the university and externally!
- Employability!
- Everybody knows how hard it is to get a job these days, even with a good degree! There are nearly 2 million students in the UK alone, making competition for jobs higher than ever. Being able to state on your CV that you set up your own business at university is going to greatly increase your employability prospects! Of course many people starting a business will want to work for themselves, but often during the early stages you’ll need a job to payback any loans used to start up the business. Showing employers that you have the motivation and independence to attempt a start-up will definitely increase your chances of landing a job!
- Also remember that most of the services available from the Hub offer a very generous amount of employability points to go towards your internship!
- Connections
- You’re at university, there’s thousands of people here specialising in fields from design, to accounting; not to even mention the brilliant services provided by the Hub. You currently have access to all sorts of help, most of which will be available freely to you. In addition, the Hub has hundreds of contacts with in-industry experts that can help develop your business ideas. There’s never going to be a better time to give it a go!
- Fun
- One of the biggest reasons to start a business whilst you’re at university is because it is fun! Now of course there is a lot of hard work involved, but the overall experience of working on something you have created and having the opportunity to work with friends and the Hub team in developing an idea is so satisfying. On top of that, who knows starting your own business at university may lead to you making a lot of money!
- Anyone can do it!
- Remember, you don’t have to be a business genius to get involved with the hub and try to start-up a business. You don’t even need to study anything to do with business. All you need to do is contact the Hub and get involved. I would suggest starting with the weekly workshops to give you some background on the skills required to run a business. I would also strongly suggest getting involved in the Big ideas competition which opens in the second term!
Overall, starting-up a business at university has greatly added to my time at the university of Kent. I’ve been able to add loads of great experience to my CV, and all whilst also doing my university degree! Hopefully, this will inspire you to do the same!
Overall, starting-up a business at university has greatly added to my time at the university of Kent. I’ve been able to add loads of great experience to my CV, and all whilst also doing my university degree! Hopefully, this will inspire you to do the same!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Hub team. Keep up to date with upcoming blog posts and competitions by following the Hub on social media!
Josh Clarke, Hub for innovation and Enterprise Student Ambassador 