Liverpool Business Competition entrants take part in speed networking event

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LBC entrants take part in speed networking session

Entrants to the Liverpool Business Competition took part in a speed networking event on Tuesday 29 October.

This is the second year the competition has ran, however, the speed networking event was a new addition to the requirements this year.  It formed part of Round Two and was designed to help students prepare for the third and final stage, where they will pitch their business idea to judges and a live audience. 

Five students/student groups attended the session, with ideas ranging from an app that gives users discounts when they buy from healthy retailers and intelligence that matches candidates with organisations based on good cultural fit. They were able to speak to alumni from a variety of industries, with the following tables:

  • Marketing advice with Holly Fitzgerald (BA Marketing 2017) and Ross Hetherington (BA Business Studies 2013). Holly works as a Marketing Manager at the Webinar Vet, founded by University of Liverpool graduate, Anthony Chadwick (BVSc 1990) and Ross is Founder and Director of Snapify Marketing.
  • Pitching advice with James Yu (BA Business Economics 2013) and Rory Wilding (BSc Hons Psychology 2010, MRes Biomedical Sciences 2011). James is Co-Founder of Wicker Wings and Rory is Co-Founder of Onkolyze.
  • Legal considerations and business accountancy with Lauren Walsh (LLB Law 2015), Adam Lynch (LLB Law 2016) and Helen Ashelby (BA Accounting 2004). Lauren and Adam are both Trainee Solicitors at DWF and Helen is a Client Manager at MJF Accountancy.
  • Students also met with Leon McCowan (Founder and Director of Your Business Mobile and Founder of The Sales Dojo) who will be hosting the Competition final.
  • Hannah Norris (Alumni Engagement Officer in the Management School) and Cornelia Nelson (Employability Officer in the Careers service) advised on how students could further develop their network and signposted other support available for student entrepreneurs.

Graduate, Ross Hetherington, whose digital marketing agency, Snapify Marketing, has worked with Levi’s, Argos and Fatman Scoop(!) said: “It was great to see the students have such passion for their business ideas. It’s so easy to stay in your comfort zone at university, so it was inspiring to see them put themselves out there. Good luck to all of them!”

Callum Powell, second year Business Management with a Year in Industry student, came to get advice on his business idea - an app that can be used to find trusted driving instructors in your local area. He said: “I found the session genuinely helpful and more beneficial than I ever thought it would be. The graduates on the pitching table gave me some very useful insights into how to condense my pitch ready for the final and referred me to a model that will help. It was great to discuss a wide variety of areas with professionals further along in their careers. They opened my mind to a greater range of issues than I had originally considered and offered help on the issues I brought to them.’

To enter the competition, students were required to submit various documentation for their business ideas, including financial plans and a one-minute pitch video.  If deemed commercially viable, the submissions progressed to the second round where their videos have been voted on by peers.  The four entrants that received the highest votes will progress to the live final on Tuesday 12th November. Winners of the competition will receive £5,000 investment from Santander, mentoring from former Chief Executive of Liverpool Football Club, Rick Parry, and potential investment from The Start Up Funding Club.