Congratulations to everyone who took part in the All Day event and showed the resilience to stay until the end! This was a test of ideas, team working and the ability to keep going to get the job done. This is just one of the opportunities for students to bring information and ideas together from different topics and to apply what has been learnt on the courses.
Team Elite – Kristi Ong, Yang Rui Rui, Jiang Yi Wei Shiyalini and Jatupong Srakaew
Triple SSS – Tian Zhihan He Muxuan, He Haodong and Liv Chung Feng
Support is being provided by Scott Grindley, Stoke City Council, and Emily Bell (one of our students on placement at Stoke City Council) and Danielle Boulton, Make it Stoke Staffs
In previous years we have carried out our award winning All Nighter Enterprise Challenge – this year we switched to an All Dayer Business Ideas Generation event, with Joy Marsden leading supported by the Be Inspired team, staff from the Business School and local organisations including Stoke City Council.
Luke Ellis, a recent graduate, award winner of the Davies Group Business School Prize and business owner talks to Angela Lawrence, Business Management Course Leader, about the success of the business that he grew alongside his studies.
Simple beginnings
I started the business, Churnet Valley Garden Furniture in 2012 from my Dad’s garden shed. I had a vision that I could design, create and make the best garden furniture in the UK. I guess I was the drive and brains behind the operation and my Dad was a good all rounder, a hard worker with loads of experience over the years as a handy man. I’d worked for 10 years in an engineering role so I had gained all of the skills needed for design and precision work
Juggling balls
I won’t lie, it was hard work studying, growing the business and bringing up my two sons as a single Dad with sole custody. The boys are 8 and 9 now and can both be a handful. I have struggled to balance things at times, but somehow I always manage to pull it off.
Business growth
I pushed the business in every way I could think of; it became both my hobby and my passion. I started off exhibiting at my local village carnival in 2012 and four years later I am winning an award for the best garden furniture stand at the Ideal Home Show in Manchester and I’m on target for a quarter of a million pounds turnover this year. I’ve made products for JD Sports, H&M and completed a huge project making and installing Christmas market chalets for a French market group last winter.
Where next?
My goal is to maximise my current capacity at my workshop by growing the business to a level where it is big enough to run independently and consistently. I have always had a passion for the food industry, so I think that will be my next venture – to get something running in the winter months, when garden furniture isn’t exactly on people’s minds.
Keeping it in the family
I also want to return to university and do an MBA, and then open my own consultancy business. I bought my Dad out of Churnet Valley Garden Furniture in 2015 and this year my younger brother has invested time and money in order to prove himself and earn a share of the company.
Proud moments
Seeing my boys grow up into good kids makes me proud every day. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved academically, of getting a 1st class honours degree, of winning the student award for the best overall performance on the BA (Hons) Business Management and Enterprise course, and of the way in which my company has grown and developed. We recently ran a Facebook competition to win a garden Love Seat. It reached over 60,000 people and got over 800 page likes in just three days! So we must be doing something right.
Technology has fabulously changed our jobs market since it transformed the production landscape during the industrial revolution, but even more so in the past three decades. Like in the 16th century, many jobs that were once considered crucial are now obsolete, and new job descriptions are being created in the labour market even as many forms of automation are presently being integrated into the production process. One does not have to go far to see how technology has changed our lives in forms of communication, transportation, work and leisure. Your being able to read this article has been greatly enhanced by technology and I as the writer have had to have some basic skills in technology to be able to deliver this article to you.
As an economist, there used to be a time when my profession worried about what humankind would do when we ran out of oil but recent technological advancements have once again rendered that discussion archaic. There also used to be a time when the factors of production were firmly believed to be land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship but some economists will argue that there is a need to include one additional factor of production in the modern era – you guessed it “technology”.
So what does this mean for young people as they decide their future? Should we be scared of this trend? How far reaching will advancements in technology be felt? Humankind has been very fortunate to have been able to grasp the benefits of technology and we have used it to live longer healthier lives, explore space and other planetary objects, and open great doors for the future but we have also made many mistakes along the way. Young people need to wary of this and know that they have to be the ones to decide on how we harness this power and what we use it for.
Business Management students at BMW in Munich
My area of focus in economic research right now is entrepreneurship and I became interested in entrepreneurship particularly because entrepreneurs are the ones who combine all the other factors of production to actually benefit humankind. Without the entrepreneur, other factors of production would be idle. Entrepreneurs however need to be somewhat knowledgeable to be able to do their jobs properly. Adam Smith, one of my favourite economists used the example of a small grocery to illustrate this point:
“The owner of such an enterprise [a business] must be able to read, write, account, and must be a tolerable judge too of perhaps, fifty to sixty different sorts of goods, their prices, qualities, and the market where they are to be had cheapest.”
This example shows that a business owner needs a modest amount of education to function profitably. This education might not necessarily be formal but the entrepreneur must know their stuff.
In our current society we are awash with technological advancements and these seem to be changing the way we live and do business. Businesses that have not kept abreast of current vagaries or have been slow to make investments in innovation have found themselves left behind, and entrepreneurs will need to know that they will face the same fate if they do not stay knowledgeable about technological developments that affect their customers and market.
This also presents some opportunities for entrepreneurs as they can be avant-gardists and influencers of the future. Imagine the impact that innovators have had on our current society not just in terms of social media but virtually in all productive fields. The world needs smart means of using its limited resources to improve the quality of our lives, and individuals who can do this successfully will be blessed with the commensurate rewards.
A holistic education is thus needed to be successful in the present climate as well as an open mind and the right sort of social capital. As the saying goes “no one is an island” and “many hands make light work”. Business owners and potential successful entrepreneurs will also be wise not to jump into the water with both feet but to test out their ideas and products carefully before venturing out boldly into the wide world.
I love a good TV commercial, a good ad. I guess it goes with the territory, being a marketer. In fact I’ve often thought that it should be written into the person specification for all marketing roles; “Must love a good ad”. It’s the ones that elicit a strong emotion that are the best; the ones that make me laugh, cry, squirm, rant, or just sit quietly and contemplate…the ads that I can’t wait to tell other people about. So I keep a board of my favourite ads on Pinterest, and I bring them out from time to time to liven up a lecture or tutorial. The students love it – they love a good ad too!
So here’s a thing. I was watching a programme on TV the other night and along came the commercial break. More often than not the perfect opportunity to get up to put the kettle on or nip to the loo. Not this time. I didn’t move. I was still sat on the sofa, totally absorbed by an advert for the 2016 Paralympics. The new Superhumans Ad features more than 100 people with disabilities tunefully contributing to Sammy Davis Jr’s “Yes I can”! It celebrates disability and all that is good about diversity and inclusivity. A sequel to the 2012 Superhumans ad, it is pure genius.
Now I don’t recall any ads for the Olympic Games this year. I’m pretty sure there were some, but none stand out in my memory as one to add to the Pinterest board. So what is it about the Paralympics ad that makes it so memorable…that etches a permanent “must remember this one” notch in my marketing brain? Maybe it’s just a damn good ad, a powerful creative concept, a strong visual and a catchy tune…or maybe it’s something more.
Do you remember the spectacular opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics; Stephen Hawking’s speech and Marc Quinn’s celebrated sculpture of pregnant disabled woman Alison Lapper dominating the centre stage? It was breathtaking, thought provoking and much applauded by the media Worldwide, over days and weeks to come. With a finale of Beverley Knight singing “I am what I am” bringing tears to the eyes of many in the 62,000 strong audience at the Olympic Stadium, something changed that night in terms of our perception of disability. The nation as a whole suddenly embraced impairment and stood in awe of the achievements of our paralympic athletes.
London 2012 Paralympics was hailed as the best Paralympic Games ever. It began a new era, a Games where “remarkable” triumphed over just “great”. Oscar Pistorious, the blade runner, appeared on our screens sprinting on what became a new generation of prosthetic limbs to be exposed with pride instead of hidden from view. Extraordinary stories were told of triumph over adversity and a nation, indeed a World, watched and listened with respect and pride. Research concluded that 81% of British adults thought the 2012 London Paralympics had a positive impact on the way people with an impairment are viewed by the public. That’s eighty one percent!
We were led into the 2012 London Paralympics with the first Superhumans ad, which I also loved, but which elicited a different emotion in me. There was something shocking about it; the car crash, the bomb, the foetal scan picture. There was also something mysterious about it, with the dark background of unknown territory. Looking back, it feels like an introduction to what is possible, where the new ad feels like a celebration of what we know can be achieved.
If you’ve not seen it yet then watch it on YouTube. You too will undoubtedly feel proud and in awe of these incredible people. I’m pretty sure we’re going to be treated to an amazing Paralympic Games in Rio and I’m pretty sure the World will be watching, echoing the words from the Superhumans ad in anticipation of some spectacular achievements…. Yes You Can!
We are proud to announce that the university’s Accounting and Finance courses have achieved 97% satisfaction in the overall quality of the courses, ranking 7th out of 119 institutions teaching Accounting and Finance.
The breakdown of key results is as follows (all rankings are out of 119 institutions teaching Accounting and Finance):
Staff are good at explaining things – 97% (12th)
Staff have made the subject interesting – 95% (3rd)
Staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching – 100%! (1st and only 2 other universities got 100%)
The course is intellectually stimulating – 95% (7th)
I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies – 96% (3rd)
I have been able to contact staff when I needed to – 97% (12th)
I have been able to access general IT resources when needed to – 100%! (1st and only 3 others got 100%)
As a result of the course, I feel confident in tackling unfamiliar problems – 92% (8th)
Karl McCormack, Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance Two-year Fast-track degree, said:
“It is really good to see that our accounting students are having such a great experience on their course and at the university. Our strong personal tutoring programme, staff enthusiasm and promotion of the Staffordshire Graduate attributes all play a crucial role in these results. It must not be forgotten though that the dedication of staff, both academic and support, shapes the overall experience.”
Acting Dean of Business and Law, Dr Peter Jones, added:
“These results are testament to the great work that our Accountancy and Finance team does in producing a fantastic student experience. To be in the top 10 in the UK is a real achievement.”
The latest edition of Enterprising Times is now available for you to view. The edition includes celebration photos at graduation, details of courses available in clearing and lots of upcoming events in the autumn.
This will be the last edition of Enterprising Times in its current format. Enterprising Times was established in 2010 and has covered the activities of the Business School, along with the School of Education and the Law School on a bi-monthly basis. It has also welcomed contributions from outside of the university, leading to plenty of coverage of activity outside of the university, locally, nationally and internationally.
The format has served us and subscribers well but we feel that the time has come to move to more dynamic, mobile-friendly forms of communication and dissemination. This blog represents a key means of communication moving forward, and we also have our Twitter feed and Facebook page. Enterprising Times itself will take on a new look from the autumn. Watch this space!
Staff and students in the Business School and the university as a whole are welcome to contribute to the blog. We are also inviting contributions to the blog from people and organisations external to the university. If you would like to contribute, please e-mail your material to Jon Fairburn (Jon.Fairburn@staffs.ac.uk), Tom Ward (T.Ward@staffs.ac.uk) or Louise Robinson (L.S.Robinson@staffs.ac.uk).
We look forward to keeping in touch with you via this blog!
Back issues of Enterprising Times will still be available.
The festival is the premier food and drink festival in the county attracting over 15,000 visitors.
Tourism Management students will then go onto use these skills in their dissertation and Events Management students will use them for evaluating the events they have to organise as part of their course.This way the students get practical experience of a core skill in their industries and also an opportunity to network with parts of the industry.
Students will also involved in running the social media campaign in the run up and through the festival as well as a range of other roles.
Keep up to date with all our tourism and events news through our twitter feed @tourismsu
We are proud to announce that the university’s Accounting and Finance courses have achieved 97% satisfaction in the overall quality of the courses, ranking 7th out of 119 institutions teaching Accounting and Finance.
