Student start-up businesses showcase their wares on campus
The owner of Purple Zebra showcases her products at the recent Enterprise Showcase held at the University which took place in the bustling Atrium of the University’s new Student Central Building.
Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:28:00 BST
Supporting students through The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre
ENTERPRISING University of Huddersfield students and graduates now have the use of state-of-the-art facilities to boost their businesses. They can also showcase their products and services and win new customers at special campus events.
The University’s Enterprise Team – which offers free help and advice to current students and those who have graduated up to five years ago – is now based in the spacious and modern Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre, part of the University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. This gives fledgling businesses access to a wide range of office facilities, from hot desks to bookable meeting pods, plus phones, computers and free Wi-Fi. New businesses can also use the centre as their registered address.
Opened in 2013 by HRH The Duke of York, the centre already has more than 70 registered users, which is a substantial increase since the Enterprise Team relocated to the new facilities, according to Business Advisor Philip Clegg. He added that the spacious new centre also meant that the Enterprise Team were now in closer and more frequent contact with the businesses based there.
The University’s Enterprise Team has also launched a series of Enterprise Showcases. The latest – held in the run up to Easter – took place in the bustling Atrium of the University’s new Student Central Building.
A cross-section of the businesses registered with the Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre mounted stalls at the Easter Fair and many did a roaring trade. They ranged from jewellery designers and fashion retailers to a catering company, design studio and a photography business, plus a new enterprise marketing honey and beeswax candles, but soon planning to diversify into the breeding of bees.
(Pictured left: Bee9 Design Studio showcase their work.)
The aim is to mount regular Showcases, with the next one likely to take place in November, during the run up to Christmas and also close to the start of the new Enterprise Placement Year, which enables many University of Huddersfield students to take their first steps as entrepreneurs.
Philip added that the Enterprise Team was always on hand to help students and recent graduates prepare for self-employment or help with business start-ups.
- Details of the event can be found on the web. To contact the University’s Enterprise Team, email enterprise@hud.ac.uk or visit the Team’s webpage at www.hud.ac.uk/enterprise.
