The New Enterprise Development with Urban Start Up Lab is a practical and hugely interactive course that will give entrepreneurs not just the theory but also the practical tools that are proven to help technology startups develop into successful business ventures.
The course, which is part of the MK:Smart project, is suited to entrepreneurs from a range of backgrounds, from software through to engineering and design. While it usually costs £1,500 to attend, the course is being offered entirely for free, so delegates need only invest their time and enthusiasm.
The course will be hosted at the University Campus Milton Keynes (UCMK) on Avebury Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes, on 14-15 November and every Monday and Tuesday to the 12-13 December. It will be run by Jyoti Banerjee, a partner at Fronesys, and his colleague Gerd Korteum, Professor of the Internet of Things along with Colin Bradshaw the Professor of Management Practice at the University of Bedfordshire.
“The common assumption has been that a startup is just a small version of a large company, so people have tried to apply the same principles to get their startup going,” says Jyoti Banerjee. “Unsurprisingly, this has met with varying degrees of success. With the Urban Startup Lab, we’re going to turn that assumption on its head and support entrepreneurs with the hugely lean approach they need to get their ideas off the ground.”
“The course will provide the critical skills and knowledge needed to develop a new business around a great technology product, service or idea,” says Professor Bradshaw. “I’m excited to see what local entrepreneurs can achieve with the best tools and advice.”
The Urban Startup Lab element will be delivered as two, two-day workshops. Part I, presented on 14-15 November, will focus on the key concepts entrepreneurs need to get their startup going. Part II, presented on 12-13 December, will support delegates’ in their progress as well as help troubleshoot any challenges they might have met in the first month.
There are three New Enterprise Development sessions in-between, all designed to support the critical Parts I and II. These sessions cover business formation, finance and the business plan (21-22 November); entrepreneur leader collaborator and stakeholder communications (28-29 November); the economic dynamics of business, and market and customer strategy (5-6 December).
To sign-up for the course, contact Jyoti Banerjee (jbanerjee@fronesys.com). Or you can register online here.