Centre for Entrepreneurship sponsors Dorset Business Award

The Centre for Entrepreneurship at Bournemouth University is sponsoring an award as part of the Dorset Business Awards.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award is open to any company, team or individual with a BH/DT postcode or who is based in Dorset.

To qualify as a BU Entrepreneur of 2014, the individual or team must able to demonstrate the realisation of their entrepreneurial vision and have a clear plan in place to achieve sustained growth in the future.

“This is the seventh year the university has sponsored this award. said Mark Painter, Centre For Entrepreneurship Manager.  “We are keen to showcase and recognise local entrepreneurs who have made an economic or social impact in the region.”

The Dorset Business Awards (DBA), now in their twentieth year are being run by The Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI)

There are ten award categories this year including three new awards:

  • Business Growth Award
  • Excellence in Innovation Award
  • Dorset Export Award

All the awards celebrate local achievement and success in the various categories and are an excellent way for local businesses who enter to gain publicity and recognition in addition to being able to showcase their products or services to a wider audience.

Bournemouth University alumni have been successful at these awards with the most recent winner being in 2013 with Georgina Hurcombe from LoveLove Films  winning the Business Woman of the Year Award.

Adido won the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011 and Paul Woods of Astute Ltd in 2012.

Winners are also able to display the DBA KiteMark on their letterheads and literature.

The Dorset Business Awards 2014 competition runs until 12th September.

Winners are announced at the end of November at the Dorset Business Awards Gala Dinner held at The BIC.

Further information is available from the Dorset Business Awards website.

 

Boost your business with BU’s Festival of Learning

Do you want to improve your project management skills, learn how to impress the press or make sure your website instantly grabs the attention of your customers? (You have 50 milliseconds to do so!)

Bournemouth University (BU) is hosting over 150 free events from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 June, as part of the Festival of Learning 2014. There are interactive workshops, hands-on taster sessions, presentations and seminar sessions running throughout the day and evening.

Events are grouped within eight themes, including Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth, many of which are specifically designed for businesses and professional development.

These events offer an opportunity to network, learn something new or update an existing skill.

Subjects covered include computer animation, media production, software systems, artificial intelligence, business incubation, crowdsourcing and more. There are also a wide range of industry specific events that will that will appeal to health and social care professionals and those who work in the creative, digital and media sectors.

Mark Painter is Manager of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and is hosting an event. He said: “An Afternoon with Entrepreneurs should prove to be a really inspiring and entertaining afternoon for both ambitious business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“We’re delighted that Leslie Spiers, Fellow of the Institute of Directors, will be hosting the event and will be helping us to understand what it was that motivated our invited entrepreneurs to start their businesses and what keeps them striving to achieve even more.”

Last year over 4,000 people came to the Festival of Learning to learn something new, hear about BU research and see how it can impact our everyday lives.

The Festival allows professionals, students and members of the public to be part of university studies, research and learning, with the chance to also bring friends and family to pursue a personal interest or hobby and meet like-minded people during the seven days the Festival is running.

Whilst you’re taking part in a business event, you might find something else that interests you from the wide range of activities on offer. For example, there’s a  Cyber security: protecting your assets event, or Poison is My Business, which is a journey through the history of poisons, including modern day forensic toxicology.

To book these, or any other event,visit the Festival of Learning website or call 01202 962362.