A Round-Up of Global Entrepreneurship Week

Posted on: 23 November 2021 in Enterprise

From 8-12 November we celebrated Global Enterprise Week (GEW) with a programme of events that showcased enterprise and entrepreneurial people and opportunities.

Enterprise is another word for a for-profit business or company, but it is also often associated with being innovative and solving problems - as well as entrepreneurial ventures. People who have entrepreneurial success are often referred to as “enterprising.”

Throughout the week there were multiple activities and events to support our student and graduate entrepreneurs. We also produced an Enterprise magazine ‘One Year of Great Minds’ which showcased all of many of our student stories and businesses which were supported by our Enterprise team and provided insights into the different opportunities available within the University of Liverpool.

Our enterprise team were on hand in the Career Studio to speak with students or graduates about enterprise events and the support available to those interested in starting up a new business. Our Career Coaches also found this useful, particularly for talking to students interested in a start-up/side hustle who wanted support.

Our annual Enterprise Day took place on 12 November hourly activities and events that included the Enterprise Fund, Design Your Future 10-week programme, and Documentary Making on an iPhone, - all of which are part of the University of Liverpool’s Central Enterprise Offer.

The day also featured a talk from Enactus Liverpool - an award-winning student organisation at the university who tackle social issues through entrepreneurial leadership, helping the community and the people within it. They talked about impactful past projects which have not only won competitions such as the EY partnership competition but have also been significant help to the local community. During their talk, they spoke about the benefits included of being a part of the Enactus team, as well as future projects such as the ‘Ruby’ project that aims to combat period poverty in Liverpool by producing life-enhancing boxes filled with essentials. Another project is Hydroponics which focuses on growing plants in nutrient-rich water allowing crops to be grown under a wider range of circumstances.

Two other virtual events took place, the first featured Hannah Forbes of The Funding Crowd delivering a crowdfunding workshop. The session provided a great insight into crowdfunding as well as what makes a good business, and the difference between a product-first business model and a community-first business.

Finally, ending the day's activity, students and graduates attended a virtual session led by LCR Founders that explained “How to talk with Angels.” The session involved a panel of three experienced Angel investors, Raina Heverin, Jonny Clark, and Adam French giving a great insight into what the life of an angel investor is like, what they look for, and their own personal stories. All three speakers told us what they enjoy about being an angel investor, focusing on some of the key points such as, the excitement of working with start-ups and helping these businesses become successful and the idea of forming strong relationships with other founders and building trust between the two parties. One of our favourite reasons, was the idea of mentorship. Angel investors wanted to use their experience and knowledge to pass it on to the younger generation to help guide them to success. Investors also spoke on tips for students wanting to work with angel investors in the future and what they need to look for and show as a business owner.

Overall, Global Enterprise Week was a success in the University of Liverpool. Great activities, events and opportunities were present throughout the week, and our enterprising and innovative students who took part benefitted one way or another, whether it be through opportunity or knowledge.

For those wanting to take part or find out more regarding the opportunities mentioned above, please join our online enterprise community in The Green Room.