t n e l o S

t g n ti a e Cr

rep t en f no o i rat e en g xt e en

e s i r p r e t n E

s ur e ren

When you have an idea for a business dont not tell anyone. People who talk about ideas will make them happen.
Simon Woodroffe
former Dragons Den star and Yo! Sushi founder

introduction
Enterprise and entrepreneurship is deeply embedded in both the culture and curriculum at Southampton Solent University. This brochure celebrates some of the students who have started up their own businesses and social enterprises with the support of the University and its specialist Solent Entrepreneurs Programme. We applaud their imagination, innovation and ambition and wish them every success in the future.

Contents
Forward Solent Creativest Inovation Hub All round enterprises Emerging talent Business pods @S olent Creatives Already on the road to success film, media and video start ups From start ups to employment Entrepreneurial graduates Solent Entrepreneurship programme 13 18 22 24 26 2 4 6 10 11

www.solent.ac.uk

A very warm

Welcome
to Solent Entrepreneurs.
At Solent, we have developed a distinctive approach to ensuring that our students become really effective graduates, entrepreneurial business owners and rounded citizens. To achieve this we embed real world experience in the curriculum, support an extensive volunteering programme, offer proper paid graduate internships and actively enable students to set up their own businesses. This pamphlet focuses on our exciting and successful business start up programme.
In 2010 the official survey of higher education showed Solent Graduates amounted to 2% of the sector total of sustainable businesses for the UK, punching well above our weight, and reflecting our successful track record. And for many that no longer run their first business, the invaluable experience and client lists gained have enabled them to move into excellent professional roles. The new programme, established in 2011, embeds educational preparation for start-up into the curriculum and links it primarily with the creative and culture industries, where freelancing and self employment are important and potentially rewarding career paths. For the best ideas we offer start up seed funding and pre-incubation space on campus, with full incubation space available nearby for those really special businesses to emerge. And this support is available for both conventional business ideas and social enterprises, aiming to put something more back into the community and society. So in this way we, at Solent University, seek to nurture and support our students and graduates as they develop their
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entrepreneurial talents and business ideas. The core purpose of this pamphlet is to celebrate and illustrate those successes through their case histories. We hope these examples will inspire future generations of students to follow a similar path with us and local business and investment communities to offer further support.

www.solent.ac.uk

40%
of businesses started at Southampton Solent niversity are still running three years after commencing trading

Student entrepreneurs starting up their own businesses will receive expert education and training, mentoring and financial support. This support will continue after they graduate.

Southampton Solent University has been at the forefront of graduate entrepreneurship for over 10 years. Some 40% of our courses encourage a career path that will lead to freelancing, selfemployment or a career in a micro business one that will employ 10 or less staff. So an understanding of how to set up and run a small business is a key skill for our students and graduate future careers.
Stephen Brown, Enterprise Manager as SSU has helped over 70 students turn their ideas into fully-fledged businesses. In 2011 he implemented our new Creative, Entrepreneurial and Freelance Practice unit, a course designed to embed entrepreneurial training and support within the curriculum. People benefit from hard advice, in areas like business plans, contracts, sales calls and protecting ideas, as well as the softer stuff, like confidence- building. About 50% of viable businesses fail to take off simply because of the fear

of failure. We help them understand that they can succeed. In his 12 years at the University first through our HEIF funded Community Enterprise Office and then the HEFCEfunded SPEED (Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education) - Stephen has seen student start-ups across the spectrum develop into viable businesses. Success is something that should be judged on how far people have developed; not just on how much money their business is making at any one time, said Stephen. Our eclectic and imaginative cohort of students is reflected in the diverse businesses set up and a number of these are highlighted in the following pages. Weve had really good results right across the board. More than 40% of the students we support are still trading three years later thats a really good statistic and its great not only for them, but for the city and region that they contribute to. We look forward to helping many more students join them in the business community.

www.solent.ac.uk

Solent

creatives
Solent Creatives is Southampton Universitys very own creative agency, situated in its own office space in the Sir John Everett Millais Building.
Solent Creatives offers exciting opportunities for students from over 30 disciplines to gain experience of working for real clients, develop entrepreneurial skills and learn about the ups and downs of being freelance. Solent Creatives also runs short courses and events, including business start up courses for undergraduates. The agency links students up with companies, charities and organisations that require paid or voluntary work to be completed on a range of creative jobs. Organisations can apply for a website to be designed, a new logo to be created, an article to be written, a social media campaign to be organised or a short film to be made and any students registered with Solent Creatives can apply to do the work. Students work on a one-to-one basis with clients, from designing and agreeing the brief and working out a fee to presenting the finished project to the client. This enables the students to develop a range of business skills that are essential in the world of freelancing or self employment. The vibrant creative suite gives students a space where they can meet with employers on a professional footing, show presentations, obtain advice from Solent Creatives staff and work on their business assignments. Facilities at their disposal include seven iMacs equipped with Quark Express, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash Catalyst, Acrobat, Bridge and iMovie software, as well as 20 Macbook laptops, all equipped with Adobe CS5.5. In an exciting new development, Business Pods@Solent Creatives has also been established, providing space for up to 20 new student start-ups. Space has been allocated to third year students who completed a business start-up course, developed a credible business plan and pitched successfully for a place in the Pods. The first seven of these student businesses have already moved in and will receive ongoing support to develop their business plans into operational businesses. They include fashion design company Poriete Fashion, childrens niche clothing manufacturer Brit-Kid, games design business Ludophobia, events management company Instinctively Creative, media and film editing business Nelson Productions, specialist bra manufacturer Schlamore Lingerie and LD Productions, which deals with music, film and video production.

www.solent.ac.uk

Solents innovation

Hubs
Southampton Solent Universitys innovation hubs are designed to give a welcome boost to students who wish to start up their own businesses.
They provide emerging entrepreneurs with much-needed space and equipment with which to develop their ideas and get their fledging businesses off the ground. Eventually there will be space for up to 30 student businesses at Solent as part of the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme. The innovation hubs allow students to develop their enterprises at low cost, in a creative and supportive environment, and to benefit from the ideas, contacts and know-how of their fellow entrepreneurs. Among three new locations for innovation hubs at Solent is James Street, which specialises in providing support for emerging social entrepreneurs. James Street has space for up to three social enterprises organisations that use business principles to address social or environmental need with the first social enterprises planning to take up residence in spring 2012.
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College Place will have three offices and space for up to six student start ups, while further innovation hubs Business Pods@Solent Creatives - have been created within the dedicated Solent Creatives suite in the Sir John Everett Millais building.

Southampton Solent University has provided formal programmes of mentoring, training and financial support to over 175 student start-up companies.

Since 2007

www.solent.ac.uk

In my view
Desire, ambition and the will to win, coupled with a relevant degree, relevant work experience and practical support will give you an edge, Theo

All round

enterprise
The Solent Entrepreneurs Programme is part of a wide-ranging enterprise and employability programme at Southampton Solent University that aims to embed entrepreneurship and innovation not just in student start ups but also in other aspects of learning and the curriculum. It includes business start-up training courses and surgeries, competitions, one-to-one mentoring, entrepreneurial guest speakers, work experience and freelance opportunities as well as business games and simulations.
To be considered for space within the innovation hubs, students first complete a 12-week course on entrepreneurship, business principles and practice, and then produce a detailed business plan. Successful applicants go on to a panel, where they present their business plan and pitch their ideas to experts. The best ideas and the most promising students are then offered further support from the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme,
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including space in one of the innovation hubs, up to 2000 in start-up funding and a package of further business training and mentoring. Enterprise opportunities should be available to everyone, not just those destined for success, said Solent Enterprise Manager Stephen Brown. About 50% of viable businesses fail to take off simply because of the fear of failure. While passion, determination and energy can determine success, effective training and tailoring can reduce the chances of failure.

Emerging

talent
Lisa Taylor
LLB Law with Criminology Graduated 2009

Lisa already has several potential clients lined up for her programme and big ambitions for her enterprise after its official launch in September 2012. She plans to expand the business to tailor-made dance programmes for older people in care homes and is also working with the sports department at Southampton Solent University on various link projects with schools. At the YMCA I was working on a project where I had to organise many different aspects of the project on my own. It made me realise that I could work for myself and had the ability to do it, she said. In the next year I want to recruit between three to five people who I can train to deliver my programmes. I want to concentrate on the business side of developing more clients and more projects, as thats what I enjoy. In several years time Id like to recruit more people and have other programmes on the go, such as performances at conferences. Id like to be selling my training programme around the country and then maybe work abroad as well, possibly in Brazil. Im very ambitious.

Why Dance
07787 411261 Lmtaylor2011@hotmail.co.uk
Lisa, 25, is one of a new cohort of social entrepreneurs starting out at Southampton Solent University. Having completed a 12-week course at Solent about the fundamentals of business, Lisa is setting up her social enterprise in the Universitys business innovation hub at James Street, Southampton. Social enterprises often combine business principles and practice with the desire to achieve positive outcomes for communities, the environment or deprived groups. In Lisas case, a background in dance at A level and knowledge of the criminal justice system for her degree led her to combine the two. Why Dance specialises in helping young people to engage and to improve their self esteem through a programme that incorporates dance and other practical activities. Lisa developed the programme while working with disadvantaged young people for several youth organisations, including the YMCA. I studied law because I wanted to work with young offenders, said Lisa, who lives in Southampton. I felt passionately that young people often go off the rails because of their social circumstances. In a lot of cases they lack confidence and self esteem. At the YMCA I worked with young children on a transitions project between primary and secondary school and I realised that a lot could be achieved through dance because the young people enjoyed it and engaged with it.

www.solent.ac.uk

My ambition
In the next year I want to recruit between three to five people who I can train to deliver my programmes. I want to concentrate on the business side of developing more clients and more projects.

www.solent.ac.uk

Business pods @

Solent Creatives
Kirsty Lee | Carrie Lee
BA (Hons) Fashion with Photography. BA (Hons) Fashion Management and Marketing Carrie graduated in 2011, Kirsty is in her third year
Brit-Kid to be stocked in the worlds most famous luxury department store, Harrods. Both Kirsty and Carrie say that help from the Solent Entrepreneurs programme has been invaluable. It also gives students other employment options in a time of recession. The programme leaders have supported and guided us and they are always there to help and answer any questions. We enjoy being the driving force behind Brit-Kid and we are committed to making this business venture a success.

Brit-Kid Ltd
Carrielee18@hotmail.com Kirstylee20@hotmail.com
Sisters Kirsty and Carrie lee say they have always got on well. Together they are launching Brit-Kid, a premium childrenswear brand for 05 year olds, which will offer Britishmade garments based on the latest fashion trends. The clothing will be sold online via an interactive website and will target a niche market of high earners. The company will also offer a personalised service, with each garment addressed directly to the child and delivered in a parcel shaped like a present. The idea for Brit-Kid came from the lack of fashionable clothes for children, alongside a renewed interest in British manufacturing, said Kirsty. When we were shopping for a gift we quickly realised that a brand selling British-made, fashionable clothing simply did not exist. By launching a new, premium childrenswear brand with 100% of the garments made in Britain we believe we can help embrace the sheer talent that Britain has to offer. The sisters are ambitious for their business. Within the next three years we aim to create jobs in Britain and become a brand that Britain can be proud of. Within five years we aim for Brit-Kids well-designed garments to be internationally recognised. We also envisage an extension of our product offering to ensure that a child can be dressed head to toe in the Brit-Kid brand. One day we want
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www.solent.ac.uk

Ieva Poriete
BA (Hons) Fashion Design, third year

Poriete Fashion
07852 780982 8porii83@solent.ac.uk
Ieva has already set herself up in the Business Pods at Solent Creatives with a sewing machine, ironing board and fabrics. Shes busy working on designs for her first collection and doing research, at the same time as working on her final coursework. Its early days, but my plan is to design a light and attractive holiday collection, she said. My garments will be made from a light material, compact and with several ways to wear them. The aim is for the clothes to take up less space and to make it easier to choose what to wear and to pack for holidays, especially where luggage allowances are restricted. Im sure theres a market for this type of collection and so Im prepared to give it a try. Ieva has always enjoyed fashion and working with different fabrics and designs. Running my own business appeals to me, she said. I have my own ideas and want to design things the way I would like them to be. Winning space in the Business Pods @ Solent Creatives is a great help, because it gives me the equipment I need as well as advice and the motivation to start up my own business.

Project
Its early days, but my plan is to design a light and attractive holiday collection. The aim is for the clothes to take up less space and to make it easier to choose what to wear and to pack for holidays, especially where luggage allowances are restricted.

www.solent.ac.uks

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Having our own work space in Solent Creatives has been really helpful, especially as we needed a private workspace to develop our projects. It has also been good to talk to other people starting up a company. We talk to each other about different things we have done and give each other advice.

Sophia Rolfe
BA (Hons) Television and Video Production, third year

Instinctively Creative Events

info@instinctively-creative.co.uk Sophia.rolfe@hotmail.co.uk www.instinctively-creative.co.uk
Sophia Rolfe has wanted to set up her own business for as long as she can remember. So moving into the Business Pods @ Solent Creatives is a great opportunity for her.

Arran Langmead | Adrian Gordon

BA (Hons) Computer and Video Games BA (Hons) Computer Games Development Both third year
Instinctively Creative Events is an events management company based in the south, catering for all kinds of events, from small birthday parties to large corporate fundraisers. I always knew that I would do best in a job where I am constantly working with new people in a high energy and high pressure environment, said Sophia. I have produced a lot of television programmes during my degree so I know that I have the relevant organisation and people skills to make this business a success. When I heard about this course I applied for it instantly. I thought it would help me get my first business off of the ground. I want it to be the number one event management company in the south of England in the next three years, she said. After that I want to expand into the rest of the country and into Europe. Solent Entrepreneurs has been a fantastic help to me while I have been setting up my own business. The lecturers have so much experience and are always so willing to help you in any way that they can. I would recommend everyone to think about starting about their own business. There is so little security in any job these days that it seems to me to be the perfect time to do it. I am looking forward to the summer when I have finished my degree and can focus all my energy on working on Instinctively Creative Events. Im interested in seeing what happens with the other businesses in the Business Pods as Im sure that they will all be brilliantly successful.

LudoPhobia
07502 229696 arran@ludophobia.com www.ludophobia.com
Arran and Adrian got the idea for Ludophobia when they visited a computer games conference and watched a training seminar on selling ideas. Both enjoyed designing their own computer games and decided they could combine this with running their own business. Ludophobia creates bespoke games or interactive media for clients as well as its own games for public release. As well as employing themselves, Arran and Adrian also want to provide opportunities for others. We wanted to help give students a taste of working in a company, said Arran. If we are successful we want to expand and take on more people over time. We also want to make bigger and better games in the future. Arran and Adrian say it has been useful to have people to talk to in the Business Pods when they need advice. The Solent Entrepreneurs Programme has been really good in helping us get our business plan together, said Arran.
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www.solent.ac.uk

Already on the road to business success

Bereka Sintayehu
BA (Hons) International Business Management Graduated 2009
members share with their clients and each other, said Bereka. We have a strong sense of community and have started cleaning the houses of people with mental health problems. We provide high standards of service regardless of the state of the property. Berekas skills have expanded as the business has grown. She is now responsible for human resources, company management, accountancy, finance, administration, book keeping, stock rotation, marketing and advertising. As well as moving into property maintenance she is also setting up an employment agency for cleaning staff, so she can control this side of the business too. Bereka believes that staff training is a key element of success. Team building is a very important part of the work. I personally ensure that my staff members are all trained to very high professional levels. In the long term this creates far fewer problems for clients and the business alike, she said. www.solent.ac.uk
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Ebenezer Cleaning Service

02380 230838 grace@ebenezercleaningservice.co.uk www.ebenezercleaningservice.co.uk
Bereka had already worked as a self-employed cleaner when she arrived at Southampton Solent University. Now shes gone from one client and a vacuum cleaner to a cleaning business that employs seven people part-time. Ebenezer Cleaning Service offers high quality cleaning services at a cost-effective rate to both commercial and domestic properties in the Southampton area. It began trading in 2006 and now has around 15 occasional clients and 12 regulars. An attribute that sets us above other local cleaning companies is the close relationships that all my staff

Khamisi McKenzie | Jermaine Addo-Yeobah

MA Media and Public relations/ BA (Hons) Advertising and Media Communications. Graduated in 2011

Red Mountain Advertising and PR Ltd

020 8355 3057 | 07504 622902 khamisi.mckenzie@redmountainpr.co.uk www.redmountainpr.co.uk/
Red Mountain Advertising and PR is based in south-east London and covers a whole range of PR and advertising campaigns, from social media to design. Khamisi and Jermaine have known each other since secondary school, where they teamed up to sell CDs. They started a fledgling PR agency together while still at University and while it is still early days they now have several clients on their books. Their clients range from mens online clothing company My Edo to music artist Parris Wright and construction company Liverty Buildings. Support from the Student Entrepreneurship Programme at Solent was invaluable. Bereka built her business alongside her full-time studies at Solent and the programme gave her the skills and financial freedom to allow Ebenezer Cleaning Service to expand. Access to ongoing business information and training was also useful. I am still in contact with Stephen Brown at Solent when I need advice. If every student had access to that level of support there would be no limits to what you could apply yourself to, she said The pair admit that it can be hard to persuade new clients of their abilities, since they are still young, but they are making a good job of it so far. Some people underestimate what you are capable of when you are just out of University, said Khamisi. But you have to prove to them that you have what it takes to deliver. All the people we have come into contact with have said how professional we are in our approach. We are pleased that we are creating a good impression. In the future they would like to expand Red Mountain into different sectors, such as lifestyle and sport. They also aim to attract many more clients in future, but for the time being are concentrating on doing as good a job as they can for the people they currently represent. We aim to be at the top of our game and to be one of the top 50 PR agencies in the next six years, said Khamisi. Were prepared to work hard to get there. Khamisi says the Solent Entrepreneurship Programme gave them a welcome advantage. We didnt know much about business when we started. We learnt a lot about managing finances, securing clients, general business advice and the legal requirements. The programme also gave us the confidence to start up our own business and prepared us for what was ahead.

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www.solent.ac.uk

Jourdan Lamontagne
BA (Hons) Marketing and Advertising, third year

Hotspot UK
07837 969783 management@hotspotuk.co.uk
Jourdan is excited about his new venture, Hotspot UK. Its a smart phone app that hes currently working on, with some investors already interested. Hotspot will tell people where to go for nights out in clubs and bars and will enable them to buy discounted tickets and to gain access to privileged guest lists. As someone who has already developed his business interests in the entertainment industry, Jourdan is keen to branch out. Jourdan developed his holding company, Students4Students, while on the Solent Entrepreneurship Programme. The company deals in events management and Jourdan has organised numerous boat parties and other events while at University, with sponsorship from local businesses. But he feels that Hotspot is where the future lies and he plans to launch it in Leicester and Southampton in September. The Solent programme helped me with business management, legal issues, sales tips and finance and was extremely useful, he said. I had one-to-one mentoring and group training and made lots of useful contacts. You had to produce a business plan and go through an interview and panel so it felt like a privilege to be chosen for the programme. I had business ideas beforehand but no experience. The Solent Entrepreneur Programme helped me to put my plans into practice and to get the ball rolling. It was tough trying to develop the business at the same time as my studies but it worked. Jourdan feels that the programme gives young people a head start. At that stage you are still young enough to learn from the mistakes you make, but you have no big responsibilities. The programme has helped me to become ambitious and to feel like a real entrepreneur. I feel confident that I can do it and that I have the knowledge to make my business succeed.

I had business ideas beforehand but no experience. The Solent Entrepreneur Programme helped me to put my plans into practice and to get the ball rolling..

www.solent.ac.uk

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James Headspeath
BA (Hons) Marketing with Entrepreneurship third year
We were getting some great keynote speakers in, a lot of whom were young, and I thought young speakers were a refreshing change from the more mature and experienced kind of guest speakers you usually see, he said. I always had in my mind that I wanted to be my own boss, because I like making my own decisions. I got two GCSEs and not very good A levels and every job I applied for I was rejected. I knew that even if my business didnt work out, I would have loads of knowledge and experience that would be good for my CV. James said support from the University has been fantastic. Ive received mentoring as well as financial support from the Solent Entrepreneurship Programme and have made valuable contacts, some of whom have become involved in working through my business. None of that would have happened if I had not come to the University. My aim is to be a full-time entrepreneur and businessman and if my new plans work out Ill be well on the way to achieving that.

iChallengeU
07817 453164 james@ichallengeu.co.uk www.ichallengeu.co.uk
Despite only being in his third year at Southampton Solent University, James is well on the way to expanding his company, iChallengeU. iChallengeU provides motivational speakers for mentoring, guest talks and team building. The company was originally set up to inspire and challenge young audiences but recently James has started to move the business in another direction. The new direction involves technology, the internet and a possible investor, but for the moment James is keeping that under wraps. In the meantime he not only does motivational speaking himself, but also acts as an agent, employing other speakers for events that he manages. Most of the people I employ are all under age 30, said James, who comes from Gloucestershire. They cover areas such as adventure, athletics and business, motivation and politics. There are plenty of people under 30 who have achieved a lot my business shows other young people that you dont have to have years of wisdom to do amazing things. The range of clients is wide the company has worked for the Scouts, a prison, schools, and a private event organiser so far. James originally came up with the idea for iChallengeU while running the Solent Sparks Entrepreneurs Club in his second year at Solent.

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www.solent.ac.uk

Emily Curson-Baker
BA (Hons) Business Management, Graduated 2011

to back up her experience. Its a struggle to find the time to both develop the business and study while working fulltime, but she is determined. Sometimes it is hard to motivate myself in the evenings when Im tired, but I know I have to keep going, she said. I feel passionate about the subject and I know that in the long term this is definitely what I want to do.

Food@One
07710 132539 foodatone@hotmail.co.uk
Emily started her business while she was in her final year at University. Food@One began as a specialist provider of intolerance-friendly foods, and as someone who is intolerant to wheat, yeast, dairy and sugar, Emily knows what shes talking about. Since she left Southampton Solent University in July 2011, Emily has been taking the business in a new direction. She plans to develop a website with bespoke recipes for people with various types of food intolerance and to write e-books around the subject. In the longer term shed like to be a qualified nutritionist and to help educate people who require specialist diets by producing useful videos and phone apps. With little finance but lots of ideas, Emily has been working full-time as a financial consultant in London to support herself and develop the funds to take the business in the direction she wants. The competition is very fierce for food products and I was too small to compete as a supplier of specialist foods, said Emily. But I have been working hard to develop my ideas so that I can help other people with food intolerances and make use of all the knowledge I have accumulated. I know what its like trying to find things to cook and eat when you have intolerances to certain foods. Over the years I have developed a wide range of recipes and Im sure there is a market for this type of information. Around a third of the population have food intolerances and I want to help expand peoples knowledge and awareness of these. Emily is training to be a qualified nutritionist in her spare time, so that she will have the qualifications and expertise

I have been working hard to develop my ideas so that I can help other people with food intolerances and make use of all the knowledge I have accumulated.

www.solent.ac.uk

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Film video and media start ups

Andy Gray | Will Beare
BA (Hons) Film and BA (Hons) Digital Media. Graduated 2007
Will made a short film about violence in the media and I was brought on board to do the sound, said Andy. We created our business half way through the final year. Andy was reluctant to go the traditional route into the industry, which was to start at the bottom and work his way up. I wanted to go freelance to have control over my hours and how I worked, said Andy. Will had similar ideas so we set up business together. We knew there were freelance opportunities in TV and film. The pair had no business experience, however, so they got a lot of help from their tutors at Solent. We did the Solent Entrepreneurship programme with several other young entrepreneurs, said Andy. We got a small amount of start up capital and a lot of support. It was what we needed. It was a good time to start a business, as we had no commitments. We had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Echo Video
01273 911345 info@echovideo.co.uk www.echovideo.co.uk
Andy and Will have just rebranded their company, Echo Video, a film company based in Brighton. Echo Video makes high quality corporate videos, training films and promotional videos and also does live recordings of music events and other aspects of film production. Their clients are very varied, and include Henley Business School, Brightwell (soap) Dispensers, Elsevier publishers and many others. Andy and Will met at University and soon realised they both had a passion for all aspects of film production.

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www.solent.ac.uk

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Echo Video got off to a good start, and hit the ground running. But then things slowed down during the recession of 2008/09. That came as a shock, and both Andy and Will considered packing in the business and looking for employment, but they stuck it out. Luckily things picked up again and 2011 was a good year. People were very reluctant to spend money during the recession but now things are better, said Andy. We have been doing the job long enough and have a lot of experience, so we had built up a lot of contacts. We were able to rely on those contacts for work and we had good enough relationships with them to be able to pick up the phone and say we had some spare capacity. We also chose our projects more carefully and were cautious about where to spend time pitching for work. Andy has no regrets about starting his own business. Its wicked. I would not change anything. You have to be professional but you can do it on your own terms, he said.

www.solent.ac.uk

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Its a real range. Ive gone from filming for Glastonbury TV at the Glastonbury Festival to working on the BBC show, Real Rescues, and filming for Go Ape, which included the Great Gorilla Run in London, said Chris. I filmed the Great Gorilla Run in 2009 and The Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar square as part of my work with Go Ape. It was a challenge to run a marathon and film at the same time; keeping up was tricky. Effectively, I had to run the marathon myself. I was given one of the competitors medals at the end as I crossed the finish line camera in hand. Chris was part of the crew for two documentaries for Glastonbury Festival through the Universitys Solent

Chris Clements
MA Film 2011

Clearcut Productions Film, photography and editing services

07763 459313 info@clearcut-productions.co.uk www.clearcut-productions.co.uk
From Glastonbury to gorillas, Media Culture and Production graduate Chris Clements is ready for anything in his new business venture. Chris established his media enterprise - Clearcut Productions while still an undergraduate and received mentoring and support through the Universitys student entrepreneurship scheme. He went on to study for an MA in Media at the same time as expanding his business I made some good contacts while I was studying and decided to take up the opportunity to set up my own business, said Chris. At the moment, the challenges of being a modern entrepreneur are mainly financial. Everyones feeling the recession and its a tough climate. Running my own business is unpredictable. I never know what Im going to be working on next. Chris has produced photography and video work for a range of clients, including Skandia, Southampton City Council and Hampshire Constabulary.
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Productions. He has also filmed a mock public order incident and in-car filming with emergency crews on blue lights and has had an increasing number of his pictures published in the Daily Mail. With the growing demand for high quality video production, editing and photographic services, Ill be expanding into providing more broadcast for Film and TV, as well as getting my own ideas commissioned, said Chris

www.solent.ac.uk

technical skills as a cameraman and editor through working with Solent Productions but on the producing side I was able to benefit from the years of experience and knowledge of the tutors. It gave me confidence in dealing with things like pitching for jobs, pricing work and selling ideas. It has helped me to be professional in my freelance work and with my developing business. Cameron worked with Solent Productions while on the course at events such as the Glastonbury Festival and in the third year also produced a 30-minute drama and a series of three, 30-minute shows that were streamed live online. He feels that the tutors at Solent encouraged students to think big.

Cameron Wheels
BA (Hons) Television and Video Production. 2010

The tutors supported us in our ambition and always encouraged us to go further and to do better, he said. It gave me confidence in my own abilities. .

On Grapevine
cam@on-grapevine.com 0207 096 1172 | 07701 029291 www.on-grapevine.com
Cameron graduated from Solent in 2010. While building up his own business On Grapevine hes working as a freelance cameraman for a video marketing company. He is helping to producing online advertising films for a wide range of companies, including Ogilvy, TBWA, Golden Goose PR, Chris Holland Foto and McCann Healthcare Worldwide. Once On Grapevine has grown, Cameron wants run his own video production company full time. Im busy most of the time as a freelance and most of my work is obtained by word of mouth, so thats a good position to be in only one year out of university, he said. But its a transitional phase for me. Eventually I want to have my own business with full time in-house editors and production facilities. Cameron decided to go freelance because he thought he could progress more rapidly in his career and because he is entrepreneurial in his outlook. He feels that the course at Solent really helped to nurture this approach. Solent gave me all the skills I need to succeed in business, like writing business plans, budgeting, pitching ideas and dealing with clients. I could develop my www.solent.ac.uk
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From start ups to employment

Nick Seruwagi
BA (Hons) Human Resource Management Graduated 2007 07886 644911 n.seruwagi@yahoo.co.uk
Nick Seruwagi feels that young entrepreneurs need to learn about failure before they can go on to succeed. Im not saying that you should set people up to fail, said Nick, who started his own business, Unimum Limited, while he was still a student at Southampton Solent University. Its just that many new businesses dont succeed, and its really good to be able to make mistakes and learn from them while you are still young and when you are not in danger of losing of lot of your own or someone elses money. The good thing about the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme is that it allows young entrepreneurs to explore new ideas without some of the risk, and with a lot of support. Nicks business traded in electronics and other goods for

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students. In the long term it didnt work out, as his studies and other commitments meant he could not invest all the time and money that it needed. But it was a great starting point for his career. It definitely helped me get my first job and other jobs, he said. As an entrepreneur you take risks and are an innovative thinker. It gave me the confidence to move to another country and to apply for certain jobs. In interviews it gave me a lot to talk about. While visiting a friend in Dubai, after working in London for a while, Nick applied for an HR job with Jabbar Internet Group in Dubai and was successful. He has been in Dubai for three and a half years and in that time has helped to develop several new businesses for the group. He is currently HR Manager for one of the businesses, Joob.com, an online Arabic travel company. But Nick has always wanted to be his own boss, and is already planning his next start up, which involves the male hair grooming industry. Nick has spotted a gap in the market in Dubai and plans to launch the new business in just over a year. Some people view entrepreneurial success as financial, and some start their own businesses because they want the status. For me its a challenge and a chance to prove myself. I know I have the potential to run a successful business and being entrepreneurial gives me a sense of achievement, he said. I know Ill be able to make a success of my new business, partly because of all the things I learnt at Solent, and partly because I was given the chance to have a go. Next time I will know what not to do, and how to do business properly, because Ive already had experience of being an entrepreneur.

After working freelance for a time, Ed eventually secured a full-time post with an internet marketing company close to his home in Worthing. The aim was to build his business without taking full financial risk and to enable Ed to develop his industry skills and experience within a full-time marketing company. Ed has now moved on to another full-time design post with vouchercodes.co.uk. It is hard to devote enough time to developing a business while working full time, he said. Selling, getting clients and making sure you have enough money coming in as a self-employed person is tough, so for the time being Im more comfortable being employed. But starting my own business definitely helped me to get my first job and gave me some useful skills. It also showed that I had some experience. Ed is grateful for what he learned on the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme. The programme is a great way to encourage students to enter the world of business and develop as enterprising people. In my opinion success will always be easier to find if you create a niche for yourself within business. This gives you the chance to move forward quicker and to be more innovative.

Ed Vinicombe
BA (Hons) Digital Media. Graduated 2008 07818 627089 ed@meca-graphics.co.uk www.edvinicombe.com
After some early success selling CDs, Ed formed his graphic design business Meca Graphics in 2008 and completed the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme in his third year. Initially, the idea of being his own boss and having creative freedom appealed to him. The course gave him essential business advice and enabled him to get started with his own Macbook and design software.

Entrepreneurial alumni
Victoria Armstrong-Evans
BA (Hons) in Antiques (History and Collecting) Graduated 2007

Stockbridge Gallery Dogs in Art

01264 810142 Victoria@dogsinart.com www.dogsinart.com/
Solent University alumnus Victoria Armstrong-Evans has always had a penchant for a pooch, so a gallery catering for all things canine was a perfect business choice for her. The former army officer opened the specialist gallery in Hampshires Stockbridge after turning 50, in a bid to make a success of her twilight career. I took my degree as a part-time course more than five years ago as a prelude to a career change. I knew I would be 50 by the time I graduated and it was time to consider a twilight career after an early career as an Army officer, followed by 25 years running an event management company.
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I learnt a great deal at Solent University. It gave me a brilliant grounding in disciplines ranging from painting and sculpture through to ceramics, glass, precious metals and jewellery. I also made a lot of contacts in the auction and valuation

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business and I gained the confidence to open the gallery. Victoria decided she needed a specialism to make a success of her own gallery. Doing dogs ticked the boxes. It made sense to focus on a part of the art market which I really knew well - my dissertation was Cave Canem:The Dog in Art from the Renaissance to the Present Day and something that I really love. Dogs are loyal, steadfast and fun. They make the most joyful companions. As it turned out, it was the right call. We opened in 2009. It was a tough economic environment in which to open a gallery. Discretionary spending was at an all time low but our niche subject area was a great bonus. Weve developed a strong following of customers. We do well. Were very fortunate to survive in the current climate. Victorias gallery attracts buyers of all ranges from all over the world. We have everything from 19th century classic pieces to very abstract contemporary work and they all have their particular charm. Because our theme is so narrow we have to ensure that we can cater to all tastes.

Kimberley Langstone
BA (Hons) Fashion with Photography
While Kimberley Langstone had an obvious flair for fashion, she was also someone with an ability to keep things real. It was a combination that kick-started a successful career as a freelance fashion photographer. Right from the start I had my heart set on studying fashion photography rather than pure photography, explained the BA (Hons) Fashion with Photography graduate. The one-to-one teaching at Solent University helped me to make progress in the area I was passionate about, while the unit briefs, relating to industry practises, gave me a good understanding of what would be expected in the 'real' world. I felt that getting my name out would help me to build up some recognition, so I set up a website showcasing my portfolio of work during my first year of study. It was hard work designing, setting up and pushing the website, but I had the best time doing it. Every day I get emails from creatives and clients asking me to work on projects. It was a little daunting, but I treated every challenge as a learning curve.

Kimberley also gained valuable work experience at Third Floor Publication, where she learnt the importance of team work and trust in one other peoples ideas within the creative sector. Communicating with outside creatives, agencies and designers became second nature, giving her essential practice for her future career. Once Id graduated, going freelance seemed like an obvious way to put my skills to good use. Kimberley is hoping to become a household name in fashion photography. I love what I do and I work very hard at it. But I'm still learning. Fashion photography is always moving; you need to be prepared to tweak the way you work in order to stay relevant. You dont want to be stale or stuck in your ways, she said.
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Solent Entrepreneurship programme

The following students have received the Solent Entrepreneurs Programme (SEP) of training, mentoring and financial support while studying at Southampton Solent University Faculty of the Creative Industries and Society
Sam Hailes - Journalist Khamisi McKenzie - Public Relations Jermaine Addo-Yeobah - Public Relations Dino Zudjelovic - Restaurant Kevin Ackermann - Jewellery Importing Chris Clement - Media and Production Company Jon Sowden - Tree Surgeon Neil Gibb - Drama and Performance Company Jo Felts - Childrens Illustrations Ian Attard - Multimedia Production Cronan Shanks Photography Mark Boulas Film Production David Munn Film Production Jonathon Hughes Music / Guitar Instruction Website Edward Vinicombe Record Label Michelle Hyatt Childrens Educational Software Will Beare Production Company Andy Gray Production Company Catherine Binden-Blood Production Company Liza Henshaw Production Company Ratna Bibi - Artist Simon Renshaw Media Production Michael Le Marachel Media Production Louise Owen Media Production Liam Pearce Media Production Sam Clements Media Production Eloise Juryeff Drama Production Company Adam Oliver - Animation Gerald Sagoe Film Maker Stephen Burford - Student Merchandise Website Jonathan Boxall Video Production Louise Hilliard Music Video Production Martyn Hedges Music Video Production

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Dave Rowett Record / Band Promotion Chris Stemp Record / Band Promotion Ben Poore - CD Production

Faculty of Business, Sport and Society

James Headspeath Motivational Company Clinton Fisher Transport & Analytics) Faye Satchell Equine Behaviourist Victoria Cristea Transporting Company Emily Curson Baker Non-allergenic Food Gloria Bogere Coffee Shop Eric Cheung Events Management Company Nick Chacksfield Night Club Promotion Serkan Ceylan Below the Line Media Juuso Santti Importing and Exporting Mobile Phones Charles Grain Online Estate Agency Michelle Turner Childrens Nursery Jordan Lamontagne Events & Sponsor Promotion Nick Seruwagi Student Text Book Distribution Michael McCourt TV Installation Louise Drake Social Enterprise Geudrius Arlauskas - Construction Cadine West Multi Racial Greeting Cards Stuart Gerret T Shirt/ Pixel Concept Samuel Serra Toy Company Elizabeth Hamminger - Programming Jiri Pernicky Polish Language School Andy Maiejczyk Polish Language School Edgar Aizbalts Importing/ Exporting Latvian Larger Henry Oblie Ghana Travel Agency Antonio Vinha - Consultancy Carlos Barrosso - Consultancy Kenichi Okoye Childrens Merchandise Luthful Tohid Computer Concept Youssef Boutayeb Music / Club Promotion Florian Pers Below Line Media Bareka Sintayehu Cleaning Company Peter Mols Marketing and Promotion Abdullah Osman Application Developer Victoria Guseva Furniture Design Aquibou Kaloga Guinean Chicken Farm Jurgita Palavinskaite Nursing Home Amanda Woodford Fitness for Women Company Alex McIntosh Fish Restaurant

Tom Holmes Design Studio Ben Burns Graphic Design David King Portable Convenience Concept Henrik Brun Maritime Transport Logistics Mark Fox Portable Restaurant/Bar Alex Betteridge - Portable Restaurant/Bar Jessica Cripps Dance Company Michaela Zhenova Bulgarian Wedding Dress Designer Vallerio Dellanna Yacht Furnishing Jude Burns Computer Games Design Michael Scrivener Multi platform Web Design Ali Zain 3D Consultancy Jordan Charters Novelty Travel Photo Website Laura Dawrant Graphic Design

Maritime and Technology Faculty

Christopher Jinks - Website Design Daniel James Yacht Design Steve Ollington Search Engine Optimisation Helen Miller Architectural Services Ifeany Isitor Computer Programming

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Southampton Solent University is strong in entrepreneurship, which is where jobs are going to come from in the future; we hope that will lead to more start-ups in the city and that students can start businesses
Jimmy Chestnutt,
Director of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce

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Former Southampton Solent University student Sean Yazbak, 2009 winner of the American Apprentice series with Donald Trump

Contact details
Southampton Solent University East Park Terrace Southampton SO14 0RN Tel: +44 (0)23 8031 9461/9637 Fax: +44 (0)23 8031 9523 Email: accommodation@solent.ac.uk

www.solent.ac.uk/accommodation
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this booklet is accurate, unforeseen circumstances may make alterations necessary. The University reserves the right to make such changes without prior notification.

East Park Terrace, Southampton SO14 0YN Tel: +44 (0)23 8031 9000 | Fax: +44 (0)23 8022 2259 | www.solent.ac.uk