Careers fair to help the new entrepreneurs

As well as seeing the opportunities on offer once they graduate, from the heavyweight employers such as Asda, KPMG and PwC, students at Leeds Beckett University will also be given advice on setting up their own business from entrepreneurs who took that path themselves.

Members of the Digital Hub, a co-working space for entrepreneurs, will be on hand to advise, mentor and coach the next group of young entrepreneurs at the Leeds Beckett graduate fair.

Peter Coates, associate director of employability and progression at Leeds Beckett University, said: “At the graduate fair we’re really trying to cater to all our soon-to-be graduates.

“We’re really looking forward to having people from the Digital Hub come down and provide some inspiration and a bit of mentoring. I think it’ll be very beneficial.”

Simon Edwards, who runs The UK App Company and Beanify, and Achille Traore, chief executive of Top Screen Media, will be on hand to impart advice to graduates who want to follow in their footsteps.

Mr Edwards said: “Living the life of an entrepreneur is both incredibly challenging and rewarding at the same time.

“There is nothing quite like creating your own unique business and product and taking it to market. The grad fair is a great opportunity to speak with any budding entrepreneurs and hopefully help inspire them to build their own life and dreams rather than working for someone else to build theirs.”

Mr Coates said: “They’re going along to offer a route and some inspiration for graduates who are thinking, well I’m coming to the end of my degree but traditional employment, such as doing a graduate scheme, isn’t for me and actually they want to start their own company.

“Instead of not providing for them we’re getting our contacts in the Digital Hub to go along and talk to them about the challenges of starting up their business from scratch after leaving university, which those in the Digital Hub have done.”

There is a strong appetite amongst many students to start their own businesses, says Mr Coates. He added: “Our students are very enterprising. We’ve got a lot of interest in our Enterprise and Innovation Academy and lots of people saying, actually I’m going to start my own business after university.

“They’re actually wanting to stay within the region and do that. We’ve got a number of examples of that in Headingley.

“We’ve got Love Rouge Bakery – they’ve got a prime spot in Headingley for their bakery. We’ve got Mood Cereal as well, that’s like a cereal bar where you can go in and get lots of snazzy cereals from around the world.”

Graduates don’t want to leave Leeds once they’ve studied in the city says Mr Coates.

He said: “Once they’ve studied in Leeds they don’t want to leave. There’s a lot of opportunities up here that, for example like our students that have set up a bakery, the cost of doing is much more reasonable in the North than it is in the South.”

Guidance from entrepreneurs is really important especially with the likes of Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice on the TV.

Mr Coates said: “It’s kind of glamorised and made to seem quite simple, but actually it’s a really long, hard road. I think it’s important to have someone point out the benefits of it, but also the pitfalls and the challenges of financing.”

The graduate fair will take place at Leeds Beckett University’s Headingley campus on October 28.

The action is in the Hub

The Digital Hub is a co-working space for entrepreneurs and is run in partnership between The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Beckett University.

It’s office space that is affordable and also comes with training, business development and collaboration opportunities.

Residents at the hub also get one-to-one sessions with a business mentor, for free.

The Digital Hub offers a flexible rolling monthly contract and the opportunity to work with like-minded entrepreneurs.

Residents of the hub also have access to superfast broadband and 24/7 access to the office.