{"id":22900,"date":"2025-05-28T15:34:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T14:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/?p=22900"},"modified":"2025-05-28T15:37:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T14:37:32","slug":"real-business-real-impact-mba-students-tackle-live-issues-for-kent-based-organisations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/2025\/05\/real-business-real-impact-mba-students-tackle-live-issues-for-kent-based-organisations\/","title":{"rendered":"Real business, real impact: MBA students tackle live issues for Kent-based organisations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, Kent Business School’s MBA students stepped out of the MBA Suite and into the real world as part of the annual MBA Consultancy Challenge<\/strong> \u2013 a week-long intensive that tasks students with solving live challenges faced by local businesses.<\/p>\n

The initiative forms a key part of Kent\u2019s MBA programme, giving students the chance to apply their strategic thinking, teamwork and leadership skills to real organisations \u2014 and deliver professional-grade solutions under tight deadlines.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Challenge saw four diverse Kent-based businesses present their cases on Monday morning. Student teams then worked closely with their assigned business across the week, conducting research, gathering insights and formulating practical proposals, which they pitched back to the businesses on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

\"MBA<\/a><\/p>\n

Four challenges. Four innovative solutions.<\/h3>\n

From enhancing member engagement at a historic yacht club to shaping a go-to-market strategy for a soil health platform, this year\u2019s projects showcased both the breadth of business issues facing SMEs and the dynamic thinking of our MBA students.<\/p>\n

Royal Temple Yacht Club, Ramsgate<\/h4>\n

With a rich maritime history, the Club is seeking ways to attract and retain a new generation of members. The MBA team proposed a simplified membership model, a refined brand identity, and creative use of underutilised space \u2013 all designed to reposition the Club as an \u2018exclusive, inclusive\u2019 hub of activity in Ramsgate. Their slogan, \u2018Where tradition meets a new generation\u2019, captured the club\u2019s ambitions perfectly.<\/p>\n

The Night Yard, Highland Court Estate<\/h4>\n

As part of the HICO Group, The Night Yard is an established wedding venue with potential to diversify. The MBA group analysed competitor trends, customer journeys and untapped opportunities. Their proposals included themed catering nights, enhanced digital engagement, and new customer offerings like vineyard events, photo shoots and outdoor cinema nights. Quick wins and long-term investments were all mapped out in a clear roadmap for growth.<\/p>\n

\u2018Zoe for Soil\u2019<\/h4>\n

An emerging soil microbiome platform with strong scientific roots, \u2018Zoe for Soil\u2019 challenged its MBA team to help validate its commercial potential. The students analysed market demand, revenue models, and barriers to farmer adoption \u2013 producing a compelling value proposition focused on sustainability, regulation, and impact. Their work fed directly into funding strategies and a future brand launch.<\/p>\n

Blastocystis<\/h4>\n

Working with a project involving University of Kent scientists, students explored how to increase public and commercial awareness of Blastocystis \u2013 a complex gut organism with untapped research value. Their approach included stakeholder mapping, clearer public communication, and routes to potential partnerships. It was a fine example of interdisciplinary collaboration between science and business thinking.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/a><\/p>\n

Real learning, executive impact<\/h3>\n

Professor Des Doran, who runs the Challenge, commented: \u201cThe Consultancy Challenge is one of the most powerful experiences our students have. It tests their ability to lead, think strategically, and communicate with impact \u2013 all while working under pressure in unfamiliar industries. This is executive-level learning at its best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several businesses involved praised the quality of the student insights and said they would be implementing many of the suggestions shared. Not only did students deliver value to local enterprises, but they also honed critical skills that will serve them as global business leaders.<\/p>\n

Learn through doing<\/h3>\n

The Kent MBA programme is designed for experienced professionals looking to advance their careers and leadership potential. The Consultancy Challenge is just one of many practical components \u2013 including a guest lecture series, international consultancy visits, and peer networking – that set it apart.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Kent MBA.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, Kent Business School’s MBA students stepped out of the MBA Suite and into the real world as part of the annual MBA Consultancy … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79181,"featured_media":22901,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9875,124],"tags":[19149,184923,263907,9875,263985],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22900"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79181"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22900"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22910,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22900\/revisions\/22910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}