The bright sparks on course for future in business

Since 2004, the university says it has helped more than 117 businesses to launch, with these firms creating more than 170 jobs. And more than 80 per cent of businesses started by Leeds University students and graduates are still trading in their third year.

Spark, as the university’s business start-up scheme is known, helps existing and former students of Leeds University to set up and build their own ventures.

Kairen Skelley, head of Spark, said that in the last academic year she and her team of business advisers saw nearly 400 people who were thinking about starting a business – four times the number they saw five years ago.

The university is committed to the programme, she said. “It’s consistent. Whereas the things that the Government has been providing to business start-up are very, very erratic.”

She said the demise of Business Link had resulted in an increase in the level of interest in the university’s business start-up offering.

Business Link Yorkshire was one of a network of taxpayer-funded regional business advice services closed by the Government last year. They were replaced by an online portal and helpline.

Mrs Skelley said: “We have been extremely busy since the Government made the changes.

“We’ve got busier and busier and busier over the last five years. That’s not just due to Business Link going, that’s due to people being aware of us, word of mouth and the university has bought into it, which has made a huge difference as well.

“We’ve started 35 business this last year; however there will be others who have perhaps graduated and may start next year and come back.”

Within Spark, the university offers Enterprise Scholarships, which are solely for undergraduates, and are backed by alumni of the university.

The scheme can help them with business, training and transport costs, introduce them to business and university mentors, provide incubation space for their business and help them to develop their networks.

“We started off with three Enterprise Scholarships four years ago and now this last year we had 16”, said Mrs Skelley.

“It has been quite unique what we’ve been doing with Enterprise Scholarships. We were probably the first in the country to do it.”

Martin Penny, a co-founder and former chief executive of haircare brand GHD, which was established in 2001, is among the alumni supporting the Enterprise Scholarships.

He started OHS, a now £10m turnover environmental services company, while studying for a PhD at the university in the 1980s.

He said: “It’s giving someone an opportunity that perhaps they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I could see how difficult it was when I started particularly my first business to get anyone to help me.

“We talk about the banks now being difficult.

“Thirty years ago it wasn’t massively easier. You needed to give some form of security or put your wife and children in a vault. But I think it has got worse and now it’s virtually impossible. If myself and other alumni can assist then it’s very worthwhile.”

Mr Penny spoke of the diverse range of firms launched by the students. “We’ve had one girl making cup cakes, and right at the other end of the scale, medical imaging equipment, one guy has a website that’s like an Amazon or eBay for people selling ecologically friendly products.”

But Mrs Skelley stressed: “We do see it as a success if they don’t start a business.

“So if they’ve finished their business plan, attended workshops, attended seminars, got heavily involved in what we’re doing and then the decision is, actually I don’t want to start a business, they have gained all those extra skills.”

Meanwhile, the university also has a separate proof-of-concept fund, which is can offer to 25 businesses a year.

And, said Mrs Skelley, its Leeds Enterprise Centre designs business start-up and enterprise modules so students from any faculty can develop those skills. Mrs Skelley said the work the university does is crucial for the wider economy. “We’re going to have to provide the potential high growth businesses. We’ve got to regenerate.”

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