Our Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) seminar series aims to help take your bright idea from concept to reality.
The seminars cover everything from how to build a great business, to how to pitch your idea in front of a boardroom or live audience.
These free evening seminars are open to everyone, including students, staff and businesses. Whether you want to take your business ideas further or advance your skills to support and shape your career, our seminars can help.
Delivered by successful entrepreneurs from a wide range of fields, these seminars will give you invaluable hands-on tips and advice on team building, presenting, pitching, marketing, video production and much more.
It's not what you know, it’s who you know.
Networking can provide you with a wealth of opportunities. It may be the most important time you will spend with your peers to create connections for the future. That’s why we make sure there's time after each seminar to network and enjoy refreshments with other students, speakers, academics or business owners.
To book your place, visit BYOB Cambridge or BYOB Chelmsford.
All seminars run from 5.30–7.30pm.
Seminar |
Cambridge |
Chelmsford |
| Spotting new opportunities Taking your idea and testing it |
10 October 2019 Room COS 310 |
17 October 2019 Room SAW 101 |
| Idea validation How to make sure your business will succeed |
24 October 2019 Room COS 310 |
31 October 2019 Room SAW 101 |
| Email and social media marketing How to make your online presence known |
7 October 2019 Room COS 310 |
14 November 2019 Room SAW 101 |
| What is a social enterprise? So you're thinking of setting up a social enterprise... |
21 November 2019 Room COS 310 |
28 November 2019 |
| Managing the finances Financial advice and identifying funding opportunities |
5 December 2019 Room COS 310 |
12 December 2019 Room SAW 101 |
| Perfecting your pitch Gaining the confidence to sell yourself and your business |
30 January 2020 Room LAB 006 |
6 February 2020 Room SAW 101 |
| Going it alone Self-employment, freelance and sole trader |
13 February 2020 Room LAB 060 |
20 February 2020 Room SAW 101 |
| The business-planning canvas Bringing it all together |
27 February 2020 Room LAB 006 |
5 March 2020 Room SAW 101 |
| Entrepreneurial mindset Seizing opportunities for self-development |
12 March 2020 Room LAB 006 |
19 March 2020 Room SAW 101 |
| Speaker expert Know how to hold an audience |
26 March 2020 Room LAB 006 |
2 April 2020 Room SAW 101 |
“I enjoyed all of the seminars I’ve been able to attend. They were a wealth of information and all free!“
“Managing finances, creating business plans and spotting new opportunities were frightening before I started on the Be Your Own Boss seminars. Now I have gained a lot of confidence.”
“Each element of the series is vital for any business growth, I have seen my business ideas take shape after the series and have moved from just dreaming to acting.”
“I have run an online radio station for ten years and could not grow it but now, with the skills acquired, we are able to move beyond the technical/engineering skills to running the station as a business.”
“Business-running skills are crucial to all, particularly engineers with our kind of thinking and training.”
“Enrolling for the seminars has been the best thing I have done for myself in the past year. [I'd] encourage everyone who is serious about business to enrol so that their dreams become a reality.”