Earlier this year The University of Law Business School partnered with The Student Room, the world’s largest online student community, to provide practical and relevant advice to those looking to study business at university.
As part of this partnership, a Business Hub has launched on The Student Room website, where those interested in studying business at university can find a host of articles and resources to help them discover what studying a business degree is like and where it could lead in the future.
To celebrate the new Business Hub a competition was launched to encourage The Student Room community to start thinking like an entrepreneur. Entrants were tasked with coming up with a great business idea, and pitching this to our panel of judges through a written submission and an optional video, with a prize of an Apple MacBook Pro for one lucky winner.
Guidelines stated that entries must include a name for the business, an elevator pitch summarising what the business will do and why it is a great idea, an explanation of the proposed market and the option to include a video which supports the entry.
The competition deadline was the 31st August, and the response was outstanding with many brilliant entries submitted across a broad range of markets. Members of The University of Law Business School faculty including a Senior Lecturer, Senior Programme Leader, and Employability Manager were asked to judge these submissions and narrow them down to a shortlist of the five best business pitches.
The judging criteria was originality, quality, market awareness and market viability. Members of the panel commented that they were “impressed by the range of entries which addressed a wide selection of business challenges, industries, and ideas” and noted the “common themes of sustainability, digital disruption and social enterprise”.
Judging took place on 5 September and 5 finalists were chosen based on the strength and originality of their ideas, and because the panel believes they have the potential to be developed into a strong business case with further work. These finalists are:
- GreenSport – A business offering a variety of sports equipment made strictly from recycled materials, as well as the ability to replace old or broken equipment to save the environment and reduce waste.
- Scran – An app aimed at tourists who are looking for a more authentic dining experience on their travels. Users can sample local cuisine by connecting with local “hosts” and dining in their home for a reasonable price.
- CropSafe – An online app for agricultural landowners to register their land and request for it to be surveyed by satellites for possible growth of disease or infection in the crop at just a tap of a button.
- Drive on Demand – “The Uber of learning to drive”. This app would enable learners to book a slot with a qualified driving instructor from their phone to learn whatever is needed, and includes a star rating system.
- SeniorSkills – A gig-economy-based platform providing retirees with the flexibility to work in small, one-off, or part-time jobs, and enabling skills to be shared between younger and older generations.
The power is now in the hands of the public to review these five finalists and vote for the best business idea. Voting will be open until 24 September and anyone can vote. If you would like to join in and have your say just click the link below, consider each entry by reading and watching their business pitches, and vote for your favourite. The winner will be the entry with the most votes and will be announced on The Student Room on 8 October 2018.