Enterprise and Entrepreneurial skills are highly valued by employers as they will will enable you to seize opportunities, be creative and develop problem solving skills. Being enterprising means recognising opportunities for improvement and growth. It can mean being entrepreneurial and developing new business ideas, but it also means being proactive, adapting and finding innovative and effective approaches to your studies, projects, and your career.
ABVentures
ABVentures is the the University's dedicated and completely free entrepreneurship advice and support service for all current students and recent graduates (within the last two years) right here on campus! ABVentures will support you in developing employability skills such as business awareness, innovation, public-speaking, entrepreneurship, teamwork amongst others. If you also want to start a business or a social enterprise, ABVentures is here to help you turn your creative ideas into successful ventures.
ABVentures is University of Aberdeen's community for creative minds and student founders. They're all about bringing ideas to life and having a great time doing it. Email abventures@abdn.ac.uk to find out more and schedule an appointment.
There are several additional agencies who provide support to students and recent graduates:
Business Gateway offer start up advice, funding and support as well as free seminars to get you started.
The Prince's Trust (Scotland) provides support and finance to young people aged 18-30. Support includes business start up advice and business mentoring as you get your business off the ground.
UnLtd aims to help and support young people who want to create a business where the profits will be used to support initiatives in the community, ie a social enterprise.
Get involved
There are hundreds of opportunities to be enterprising while you are at university - you are only limited by your imagination. Students have typically used an enterprising mindset to create new societies, raise funds for charities, become involved in social action projects and change the way courses are delivered.
If you need some inspiration to get you started, read some stories of successful entrepreneurial projects on the Firstport website.
Events
ABVentures partners with local business experts to deliver engaging workshops and networking events aimed at equipping current students and recent graduates with valuable entrepreneurial skills, as well as building their self-reliance and employability. Check out the latest events to discover opportunities for you to participate in.
Competitions
Entering business competitions is a great way to develop your skills and raise funds for your business. Here are some of the options available.
Lightbulb is the University of Aberdeen's annual business idea competition open exclusively to University of Aberdeen students which takes place in February each year. It is open to students of all disciplines in every year of study and gives you the opportunity to gain validation and feedback on your business ideas or simply taste the start-up environment on campus. If you don't have a business idea at the moment, we run various workshops through the year that can help you develop your concept and provide you with the knowledge and support necessary to start a business.
Converge Challenge is Scotland's leading company creation programme for staff, students and recent graduates of all Scottish Universities and Research Institutes. Converge is funded by The Scottish Funding Council, all Scottish Universities, Creative Scotland and a network of commercial partners.
Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards has grown to be one of the UK's largest student and graduate business pitching competitions offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to win cash prizes, mentoring and start-up support.
Scottish EDGE is a competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland's up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth potential entrepreneurial talent.
RGU Startup Accelerator offers five-months of flexible entrepreneurial training to fit around your studies. You will receive access to mentors and equity-free seed funding. It is open to anyone who is intending to set-up a business in Aberdeen.
Further competitions that you may also be interested in:
