Unpreneur Start-Up Bootcamp: Noura's experience

Posted on: 31 August 2021 in Enterprise

Just one year ago business partner and I had a business idea that would fill a gap in the market and help to empower women, creating jobs for refugees in the UK, and spreading awareness about the refugee crisis. However, I wasn’t very sure where to start or how to start, and I felt that before we begin, we should know more about the industry and any legal requirements.

So I decided to look for different programmes that would train me and prepare me to open my own business. At that time I was looking through Handshake I came across the Unpreneur programme, which is designed to help students and graduates to supercharge progress on an existing or pre-start business idea. This was just the right programme for me, it enabled me to network with a wide range of like-minded people, experts in the field, and get answers to so many questions I had. 

The Unpreneur programme was a 6-week workshop created by real entrepreneurs (Kallum and his team) who were struggling to find support and to take the first steps in starting their own business. The programme also featured working with students across different universities in the UK and Ireland. We had the chance to share our own experiences and learn from others. The sessions covered: habits for success, the Unpreneurial mindset, how to find the right resources, how to reach your customers, and much more. What I admired the most about this course was the positive energy that people shared, and the fact that I can hear inspirational stories that were very motivating for me. The team helped me to be more ambitious, and discover opportunities. 

Skills Gained:

The sessions were very interactive, which enabled me to increase my confidence, my decision-making skills and my knowledge about different areas in the market. Also, the team created a Facebook group for participants to ask any further questions, and from there I got to find experts that could help me to create my website and advise me on any legal requirements. They know exactly what student and graduates need to make their start-up dream a reality. An essential quote I have to share is “Always remember that the only thing holding you back is you!”.   

This is just a glimpse of the benefits I got from participating. I’m thrilled that I got the chance to participate in this programme. I got to learn from experts, gain skills, and have fun on the way. There are many more programmes organised by the University of Liverpool Careers and Employability team where you can join and gain experiences like this yourself.  If you have a business idea and are unsure what to do next, search #livunicareers on LinkedIn, @livunicareers on twitter, check out the enterprise webpages, https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/  and find out about all opportunities and activities first in The Green Room – an online community of likeminded students - https://bit.ly/DYFGreenRoom.  

In the meantime, please check my business Instagram account: Its__Milya.