Faculty of Arts and Social SciencesLancaster University
Business and Enterprise
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Enterprising Students
Some of our student's entrepreneurial successes are featured below. All have been supported by Create.
Andrew Hardman
Andy studied Politics and International Relations and graduated in 2007.
A talented photographer he decided to turn his hobby into a livelihood. With the help of Create, he set out to build a one stop online shop that would provide information and products suiting both amateur and professional photographers worldwide. Despite attracting the attention of world class photographers including one Pullitzer prize winner Online Photographers sadly failed.
"It stung me it really did"Andrew admitted "however my experiences with Create had planted a seed and I knew I could succeed in my own business rather than work for someone else."
He took a year out training himself in a new skill - web design and emarketing. Design Logix was born. Based in Preston its growth has been phenomenal with Andy recently accepting an offer to form a partnership with a larger company.
Miguel Binetti
Miguel set up his business whilst studying Politics in 2007. Having sold soup at London's Canary Wharf he knew how popular hot food could be and that Lancaster's winter climate was perfect for it. He approached Create for help and credits their enthusiasm as giving the business momentum - as well as the funding and contacts to get the business going.
Since 2007 Miguel has gone from strength to strength. He runs S'Up from the LUSU shop, offering a menu of soups, nachos and goulash, and ice cream in the summer months. He is available for outside catering and plans to develop this over the coming months. He also employs three student staff members.
"The first twelve months were incredibly hard and there was such a learning curve" he says"By the end of the day I was dropping off absolutely knackered but it was definitely worth it."
If you haven't already we recommend that you pay him a visit and sample the soup.
Tom Jenkins
Tom graduated from Lancaster with a degree in English Literature in 2007.
He set up Ice Cube web design when he realised people liked his clean and simple web design. Concerned with providing an ethical service he focuses on providing social enterprises, charities and micro businesses with high quality websites that won't empty a client's pocket.
He says: "my vision was to provide high quality, honest web services with a policy of 100% transparency and affordable pricing for the more vulnerable organisation and members of society."
Ellie Langton
Ellie found out about Create in 2005 when she was studying a History MA. She made greetings cards that had proven popular in her home area of Bolton and wanted to see if she could replicate that success in Lancashire and Cumbria.
Within weeks of having got involved with Create she had been given tips on approaching shops, started a business plan and improved the quality of her cards. By the time she finished her MA she was selling cards in Ulverston, Barrow, Manchester, Salford and Lancaster.
Ultimately however she decided that self employment wasn't for her.
"I really enjoyed it and learnt absolutely loads from it but working for yourself was quite lonely at times. I decided I wanted to get an office job to see what it was like."
Ellie currently works for her local MP.
Tom Halstead, Tim McDonald, Tim Ratcliffe
Tom studied English Literature and in his 3rd year set up HRM Painters with Tom McDonald and Tim Ratcliffe who were both Media Studies graduates.
They set up with the help of Create and quickly won a number of contracts, including painting the SugarHouse.
Tom H says "A lot of our friends couldn't understand why we were painting and decorating when we were doing a degree. But in actual fact there was a lot more to it than just that. We were offered a project to manage the refurbishment of a venue in Lancaster. It was a major job. We learnt how to negotiate, project manage and how to budget. Combined with our degree these skills made us a lot more attractive to employers!"
Caroline Tory
Caroline set up her business, Red Rabbit Jewellery in the 2nd year of her Fine Arts degree. Originally selling her handmade jewellery from a stall on Alexandra Square she decided to expand her business and came to Create for help. Create awarded her money for two courses which vastly improved her jewellery and helped her to get her products into a number of shops in Lancashire and Cumbria.
"Actually dealing with other business people and seeing my jewellery being sold in shops is a fantastic feeling. Its only when you look back at yourself and realise what skills you picked up just by interacting with shop owners and business people."
With the money she made from Red Rabbit Jewellery Caroline decided to go travelling for a year and when last heard from was in South Africa.
Search FASS
More Enterprising Students
FASS students Hannah Fearon and Kath Embling have recently set up their own jewellery businesses, Marmalade Forest and Lick-O-Wrist Allsorts. Read more»
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YD
United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1524 510851
Fax: +44 (0) 1524 510857
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