Management BSc
My dream is to be successfully running my own sustainable business.
There were four main reasons why I chose to study Management at Kent Business School. Firstly, I liked the look of the material taught in the modules, particularly those modules that are enterprise focused. Secondly, the facilities at KBS are great. Thirdly, the degree is CMI accredited, which means that when you graduate, you also gain a Level 5 Professional Diploma in Management and Leadership (from CMI). Finally, I was attracted by the ASPIRE Hub where you can explore entrepreneurship and even start your own business.
Being able to take advantage of all the opportunities and events that KBS is part of, parallel to the degree. Some of my favourite events were the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) Student Enterprise Conference, where we were able to meet with other student entrepreneurs from around the country. Also the WildHearts Global Entrepreneurial Leaders’ Summit, where we heard from business leaders on the notion of ‘Business for Good'.
The Business Start-Up Journey has to be the best experience at KBS by far. Due to my experience of entrepreneurship before university, I was interested in attending the launch event back in November 2017. I felt truly inspired to pursue my own business after listening to Tom Ilube (CBE). From there, I went on to attend the working lunches and workshops that were offered, and it was during one of the ASPIRE lunches that I met my former business partner, and the idea of ‘Stay on Route’ was created. From January 2018 we worked on the idea and prepared for the pitching final in April. All our hard work paid off and the business came second in the showcase final and was awarded £500.
Have you ever missed getting off at your train station? Was it because you were tired or distracted? ‘Stay on Route’ removes the stress and worries about train travel, allowing you to spend your travelling time doing things you want to do. Using a location-based alarm system, ‘Stay on Route’ notifies the user with an alarm when their station is approaching using location services, allowing them plenty of time to depart from the train.
I worked for The Dune Group as a finance intern for 12 months at their head office in Marylebone, London. I worked to support the Financial Insights Analyst with accounting, reporting and analysis. I wanted to learn more about how finance is controlled and forecasted in a multinational company in a corporate environment. Hopefully, with this experience, I will be able to gain new skills around finance, which I can then apply to my own company, ‘Stay on Route’.
My greatest achievement must be ‘Stay on Route’. Since launching the app, I have learnt so much in terms of setting up and running a start-up company. Hopefully, the business will continue to grow and prosper in the future. I cannot thank enough those who have supported me in this journey so far.
During the NACUE Student Enterprise Conference, there was a keynote speech from Paul Forken, one of the brothers that founded Gandys London. His advice was “You miss 100% of the opportunities that you do not take.” This advice resonated with me. If I hadn’t taken the opportunity to attend the Business Start-Up Journey launch event in 2017, I wouldn’t have met my former business partner and the idea of ‘Stay on Route’ wouldn’t exist!
Since starting University, I have been mentored by Kent’s Entrepreneur in Residence, and a Project Officer at Aspire. During the research and development of ‘Stay on Route’, I received huge amounts of advice and guidance on the business and its direction, and ASPIRE’s business connections and events were also very valuable.
My dream is to be successfully running my own sustainable business. Hopefully ‘Stay on Route’ continues to grow and will be generating a fair cash-flow with a handful of employees. By then, I hope that all the accessibility features of the app are implemented and that the visually impaired and blind can take advantage of the app while travelling.
