Starting your own business

Our 2.5 hour workshops are bursting with advice and guidance and are focused on helping you approach various aspects of the business knowledge necessary for your start-up. These sessions are open to all Essex students and graduates, and we encourage you to attend as many as you can! Here are just some of the topics we cover throughout the year:

• Understanding your customers - Who are they and what do they need? Mastering the art of market research provides a solid foundation to build your business.
• Mindset, Management and Motivation - This workshop explores the mindsets and frameworks required to feed your motivation, set goals and priorities, and understand the importance of balance and self-awareness.
• Marketing strategy - Every good idea needs a good story to sell it. You may know your product or service inside out, but how do you get everyone on board? Learn about useful techniques to spread the good word about your start-up
• Optimise your social media presence - Learn how to develop a strong personal brand that resonates with your target audience, setting you apart from the competition.
• Business finance and bookkeeping - Maybe not the most fun subject, but probably the most important, as you understand how your business will make money and, more importantly, where you will spend it.

All workshops are bookable through CareerHub - simply browse 'Entrepreneurship' 

Weekenders and bootcamps

Our interactive weekenders and bootcamps are a great way to focus on your business in greater depth, and working collaboratively with like-minded individuals. Whether you are still formulating ideas or are ready to thrash out your marketing strategy, we cover a host of different topics to help you make the best of your start-up.

iTeams

This eight week programme offers students from any academic discipline the opportunity to work on tangible, real-world challenges faced by external organisations.

Working in teams, you'll be supported by a professional mentor as you participate in business-focused workshops and self-directed teamwork to deliver a well-researched report and solution to an expert panel at the end of the programme.

Book your place via CareerHub.

The Make Me An Entrepreneur series consists of four six-week programmes, each focusing on enhancing the opportunities for underrepresented groups within our entrepreneurial community.

Each week a guest speaker shares their own start-up journey experiences and provide expert industry insights into the opportunities and challenges they have encountered.

Upon completion, participants have the opportunity to pitch for funding to develop the business idea.

Grow is mini-accelerator programme designed to excel those businesses that are at the testing and prototyping stages.

Sessions are delivered over five consecutive days by external industry experts who share their business knowledge and personal experiences of entrepreneurship.

Essex Startups offers various ways to develop your business ideas, entrepreneurial skills, and secure funding to take your business to the next step.

From The Big Idea to Dragons Den and the Essex Startups Grant, we host pitching events throughout the year to help aid the progression of your start-up. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn and Instagram for investment announcements.  

Studio X is a vibrant hub of start-up activity and home to the Essex Startups team, the University’s dedicated service to help students and graduates turn big ideas into big businesses. We offer a supportive and nurturing co-working space for student and graduate start-ups to call their own. With access to hot-desk space, 1:1 business support, and fun and interesting workshops and events to boost your entrepreneurial skills, our thriving start-up community can be found at the Innovation Centre, on the Knowledge Gateway.

Introducing the Essex Startups Loyalty Card

Every time you join an Essex Startups Wednesday workshop, weekender, or social event, you’ll collect a stamp on your loyalty card. The more events you attend, the closer you get to the chance of winning.

Once you have received six stamps, you will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three Tesco vouchers for the value of £25, £50, or £75.

It’s simple:

1. Bring your loyalty card to every eligible event
2. Get it stamped by a member of the Essex Startups team
3. Keep turning up, keep collecting, keep winning!

Smash the session. Stamp the card. Win the prize.

Your ideas. Your energy. Your rewards. Are you in?

Terms and conditions apply:

Stamp collection

• You will receive one stamp per event you attend.
• For weekender events, you may collect up to two stamps if you attend both days.
• Stamps can be collected at Wednesday workshops, weekender events, networking sessions, and Startup Socials.

How to collect stamps

• Once your card is full, place it into the Prize Draw Box in Studio X to be entered into the prize draw.
• Only completed cards will be entered.

Eligibility

• You must be signed up to the event on CareerHub to qualify for a stamp.
• Participation is open to Essex Startups event attendees only.

Prize draw

• The prize draw will take place at the end of each term.
• Winners will be selected at random from the completed cards.
• Prizes are vouchers only. They are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

General

• The Essex Startups team reserves the right to amend or withdraw the scheme at any time.
• For any questions, please email startups@essex.ac.uk

Before starting a business

• UK government advice for setting up a business
  
• Register a company or as self-employed at Companies House
  
• Angels@Essex
• Innovate UK