Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Find workshops, courses and events to help you:

• explore entrepreneurship and develop transferable skills
• build a business or social enterprise
• expand your network

Explore entrepreneurship and develop transferable skills

Inspire: A series of courses to help you explore entrepreneurship

• Introduction to creative thinking and ideation: Skills for the workplace and business startup 
  Learn how to apply creative and innovative thinking in the workplace or when setting up your own business. A free one-day course.

• Introduction to entrepreneurship: Is it for me?
  Explore what it means to be an entrepreneur and if this is the career path for you. A free one-day course.

• Setting up a social enterprise: the essentials
  Learn what’s involved in setting up and running a social enterprise. A free course.

• Startup innovation models: Finding the right model for your business
  Improve your early stage business model by learning what's worked for others. A free one-day course.

SPERO: Entrepreneurship training for doctoral students and early career researchers

• Develop your entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and mindset (SPERO 1)
  Develop your entrepreneurial thinking, and learn how to apply entrepreneurial skills to your current research and future career. A free one-day workshop for MRes and doctoral students and early career researchers.

• Learn to turn an idea into an enterprise (SPERO 2) 
  Learn the fundamentals of early-stage enterprise creation and explore if entrepreneurship might be a possible alternative career path. A free workshop for MRes and doctoral students and early career researchers.

• Build your enterprise: management and negotiation skills (SPERO 3)
  Gain the practical skills and knowledge you need to set up your own business or commercialise your research. A free workshop for MRes and doctoral students and early career researchers.

Build a business or social enterprise

Build your own business

This series of courses is for students new to entrepreneurship and interested in setting up their own company or social enterprise.

They’re also relevant if you’re interested in setting up a consultancy, charity or online business, or plan to work as a sole trader or have a hybrid career.

• Build your own business 1 (Imagine): Discover and develop your entrepreneurial strengths
  Discover your entrepreneurial strengths and learn how to come up with a good idea for a new business or social enterprise. A free one-day course.

• Build your own business 2: Explore and test your idea
  Test and refine your idea for a business or social enterprise idea with this series of interactive workshops and one-to-one mentoring. A free 5 or 8-week course.

• Build your own business 3: Develop your business
  Develop your business or social enterprise with this series of interactive workshops and one-to-one mentoring. A free 5 or 8-week course.

SPERO: Entrepreneurship training for doctoral students and early career researchers

• Turn your business idea into reality (SPERO 4)
  Turn your entrepreneurial idea into a viable business or social enterprise. A free 10-week programme of workshops and coaching for MRes and doctoral students and early career researchers.

Develop your network and skills

Be inspired by successful entrepreneurs and form connections that could help you start or grow your business at our regular networking events.