University students and graduates are more hungry for business success than ever before. According to Universities UK, a new business is born every two hours at UK universities, with students using the inspiration they gain from their everyday education to provide credence to their big idea. Indeed, while the spheres of business and education may seem worlds away from one another, there’s actually a very strong line between the two, even for startups. In fact, students can gain a lot from turning their hands to the world of entrepreneurship. Of course, knowing the lay of the land helps — and starting out with an established business can be a good way of going about it.


Developing a Franchise

Finding your way into the world of business is made easier with an international juggernaut providing the guidance behind you. Franchising is one of the primary ways that graduates get into the world of business, and it’s easy to see why. The franchise opportunities UK businesses have to offer are notable in their variety and number. One of the most notable recent stories concerns the Magic Bean Co, which, while only set up in 2014, is now set to lay claim to over 24 Starbucks franchise locations according to Business-Online. This shows a key factor in how franchises encourage creative business owners. Starbucks is well known for its coffee shop environment, not fast-food-style drive-thrus. Student creativity is a great way to make new business ideas, and that’s shown in franchising.

Starting From Scratch

The BBC highlighted the work of one Exeter student, who reused old pallets and building supplies to set up her own stall selling hot drinks to local walkers. This was balanced with her studies which also supported the venture. Studying marketing at Exeter, she used her skills in that field to create a social media buzz and ensure that her business had the right digital profile. This shows how deploying the skills you are actively developing can help contribute to a sustainable business.

Embracing the Digital World

Potentially the most fertile business environment for students are digital tech startups. Many of the most popular and profitable engineering courses, chiefly computer science, electrical engineering and robotics-led fields, have huge potential through digital startups, which are simple and straightforward to get running. Indeed, the potential is so high that Bristol has set up an accelerator, according to TechSpark, which will enable students to bring their big ideas to the stage while using the expertise of their lecturers and colleagues to help turbocharge their activities. This hints at a key benefit of matching academia with entrepreneurship: networking. There are few places as good as universities when it comes to building business networks.
There are many ways to attack the task of creating a business while at university. Skills from all across the board can contribute to success. A key factor underlying all of these stories is networking, whether that be locally on social media or by other means. No business can survive on its own.