overview
In collaboration with Enterprise4Good, UCL School of Management (UCLSoM) and Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, UAL (FBS, LCF) have launched the Business Builder programme. Academics and entrepreneurs have created and developed a hybrid 6-week programme designed to support emerging entrepreneurs or small businesses based in east London. UCLSoM and FBS, LCF recognise the innumerable opportunities that entrepreneurship offers local communities in relation to stimulating economic growth and prosperity, while simultaneously supporting their ability to compete in the future labour market.
The Business Builder programme is offered for free to all successful applicants and will be delivered from UCL’s recently opened campus in Stratford alongside fellow East Bank Partner, UAL London College of Fashion. Aimed at local entrepreneurs and small business owners, participants will benefit from expert teaching and be given real-world examples and implementable actions to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and key frameworks that will grow their business.
programme outcomes
By the end of the programme, participants will:
- Develop a sound understanding of their business model through the completion of a Business Model Canvas
- Develop leadership and strategic planning skills
- Review their business model and establish areas that need further development through the creation of a Smart Goal Action Plan to discuss with their mentor
- Learn to effectively plan for the future structure of their business
- Be able to establish and develop effective networking strategies
structure
The Business Builder Programme will be taught both online and in-person over a 6-week period, with sessions commencing on Wednesday 01 May 2024. In-person sessions will involve visits to London College of Fashion’s east London campus and UCL East campus in Stratford. Each student will also receive an additional 2 hours of individual mentoring throughout the programme.
Content will be co-delivered between the UCL School of Management and Fashion Business School. In-person sessions will take place at the start and end of the programme, including time for networking with the cohort. The 2-hour online sessions will take place on Teams. Each participant will receive 18 hours of contact time over the 6-week period, which will then culminate in a certificate of completion from UCL School of Management and Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion. The programme will adopt the following schedule:
Session 1: Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mindset (4 hours in-person at LCF)
Wednesday 01 May 2024, 14:00-18:00 BST
In this session, participants will understand their role within the business, learn how to create a Business Model Canvas and understand the role that innovation has on the business, market and customer.
Session 2: Exploring Purpose and Values (2-hour online session)
Wednesday 08 May 2024, 14:00-16:00 BST
In this session, participants will explore their business purpose and values and how these key brand components offer businesses a unique selling proposition and competitive advantage.
Session 3: Developing a Marketing Strategy (2-hour online session)
Wednesday 15 May 2024, 14:00-16:00 BST
In this session, participants will develop their businesses approach to marketing through market segmentation, targeting and positioning and consider the stages in the buyer’s decision-making process.
Session 4: Reviewing Organisational Capacity (2-hour online session)
Wednesday 22 May 2024, 14:00-16:00 BST
In this session, participants will consider their business structure, as well as the ways in which it operates and how it can become more efficient in the long term.
Session 5: Using Financial Metrics (2-hour online session)
Wednesday 29 May 2024, 14:00-16:00 BST
In this session, participants will be able to use their business’s key financial metrics and performance indicators to make data-informed decisions.
Session 6: Reviewing and Implementation (4 hours in-person at UCL School of Management)
Wednesday 05 June 2024, 14:00-18:00 BST
In this session, participants will review their business model and value proposition in relation to current and future market opportunities. They will also produce a Smart Goal Action Plan in preparation for discussions with their mentor.
who can apply?
This programme is suitable for local east London Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), who are:
- Primarily located and registered within one of the four East London boroughs (Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest)
- Trading for at least one year
- 1-4 employees (businesses with 5 or more employees will not be eligible to apply and should consider the ‘Help to Grow’ programme).
The Business Builder programme has been designed to include start-ups, as well as micro and small SMEs.
The programme will be open to all types of businesses, particularly social enterprises, and the cohort will consist of no more than 20 participants. Due to the hybrid teaching structure of the programme, participants must have access to Microsoft Teams.
why should you apply?
In addition to the expertise of esteemed faculty members from UCL School of Management and Fashion Business School, participants will also receive:
- Exclusive access to UCL School of Management & Fashion Business School’s mentors and networks
- A certificate to demonstrate completion of the programme
- A sound understanding and the chance to apply for scholarships for further study at UCL East programmes
- A 1-year, discounted membership to Newham Chamber of Commerce (eligibility-dependent)
apply today
To register your interest in the Business Builder programme, please complete the application form. We will be accepting applications until 23:59 BST on Monday 01 April 2024. Alternatively, to find out more about the programme, view the programme’s brochure. Please note that to enter this programme, you are required to review the programme’s privacy notice and submit the booking terms, both of which can be found here.
Got a question about the upcoming programme? Reach out to London College of Fashion’s Nicole Dunlop or Sofia Eleftheriadi. Alternatively, contact UCL School of Management Professor Susan Smith for academic-focussed questions.