• Rick Casson with his patented cardboard furniture designs.
• Adam Dadswell – close up magician
• Patrick Durkin with his idea for mens jewellery and accessories
• Max Mealing, Alex Mealing, Sascha Knabe, Felix Buchbinder, Eric Maina (one of the largest groups ever to go before the Panel) with their idea of a service to help international students on their arrival to Lancaster University.

Each student had been coached on how to present by Keith Royales, a business man and Lancaster alumnus. This was the first Dragons Den at which there were no powerpoint presentations and all who attended agreed it was the best Panel they had seen.

We cannot say who got what from the Panel but we can say that the Panel awarded the highest amount of money it has ever awarded to a student.

All in all a success.

Following the success of the premiere event, opportunities flooded in for attendees. They were invited to Parliament to take part in an Enterprise debate, and to the Lakeland Suite of LUMS for an audience with Rúna Bouius, international entrepreneur.

Read more about the students’ experiences here.

CreateTV_Ep1_1

Create entrepreneur Mark Lochrie (CMDESIGNX) is part of a team that has won a major competition.

The team’s location-based game ‘Big Game Huntr’ saw off competition from more than 150 entries from all over the world to take the Adobe FlashLite Developer Challenge Innovation Prize 2009.

Big Game Huntr taps into rising trends in mobile gaming including social networking and user-generated content. It enables people to design their own location based game to their local environment and around an activity of their own choosing.

Players are awarded points for taking photographs of objects or activities in their chosen location zone which is illustrated as an interactive map on their phone screen. For example a required activity may be to perform a conga and the location could be around Lancaster Castle.

Players are awarded points related to both the difficulty of the task and location. The photographs are tagged with the coordinates of their current position obtained from the phones in-built GPS and uploaded to an overall game server which produces an end of game map which can be added to their Facebook profile.

Mark designed a video to show off the games potential.

Richard and Jonathon wowed the Create Panel members late last year with their unique software  that allows different stock management systems to talk to each other and look set to do the same thing at Ideas Empowered.  They have to give a presentation to an elite set of judges, one of whom is Sachin Duggal (Nivio) who agreed be their mentor.  “We can’t believe we’ve managed to make it to the finals ” said Richard “it only seemed two minutes since we were infront of the Create Panel.”  Web-Port beat 33 other businesses to get to the finals and give their presentation on Friday 1st of May.  They have the chance of winning up to £3000 money for the business as well as valuable business advice and contacts from some of the top young entrepreneurs in the UK.

Think you could spot a potential Alan Sugar?

Like the thought of working with students and their ideas?

If the answer to all of the above is “Yes!” we’d like to talk to you.

Create encourages and assists the students of Lancaster University (regardless of degree discipline) to get involved in enterprise activities and set up their own businesses.

We’re looking for someone who can recruit students, help them to develop their business ideas and help make them real. You will also publicise Creates achievements on campus to raise awareness about Create amongst university staff and students. You’ll be charismatic, have bagfuls of energy and have highly developed communication skills.

For more information and to apply for the position click here.

So it’s the summer term and you’re worrying about exams.  For those of you who graduate this year you’ll also be worrying about what happens after exams especially in the current climate.  The fact is there are still jobs out there – but you need to stand out more.  For those of you who need help with CVs see Creates past articles (What Does Your CV Do? and Does Your CV Have A Headline?).

For those of you who feel you have little to put into a CV do not worry.  You have a term in which to get things sorted and it is possible. Whether or not you know what job you want think on this:

Any additional skills, knowledge or experience you can get now, in addition to your degree, heightens your employability massively.

 Create offers free workshops on such topics as Business Planning, Sales and Negotiation and Marketing.  Over 95% of attendees find these practical workshops useful and feel that they have learnt something from them.  The fact that they are free is an added bonus.  You may not want to set up a business – that’s absolutely fine – you’ll still need selling and persuasion skills – whether you’re selling yourself in an interview or your latest plan to your manager and Business Planning can very easily become project planning.

So if you’re facing the future with fear take a look at what Create has to offer.  There are no obligations, and no fees and you’ll get something different to add to your CV.  It all helps.  If you’re interested come along to the Create Intro talks all of which will be in Faraday SR 1 on the following days

Week 2: Tuesday 6pm

Week 3: Monday 6pm

Week 4: Monday 6pm

For more info, contact Joe or pop into the Create Office in Alex Sq next to Greggs.

“They’re wrong you don’t need ideas or want to set up a business” I retorted.

“Yeah but they don’t know that” he replied helping himself to another biscuit.

Whilst moving the chocolate biscuits away from him I had to admit he was right.

So just so you know, Create offers you the following:

      – Workshops on topics such as ideas generation and sales.

      - The chance to get start up funds.

      – Contact with business professionals and entrepreneurs.

      – A place to discuss and develop any ideas you have

      – Help to come up with ideas

You don’t need to have a business idea or have an intention of setting up your own business to use these facilities  – maybe you just want to gain some more knowledge and skills for your CV and in this current climate who can blame you.

If you would like to find out more Create is holding Intro Talks in weeks 2, 3 and 4.  They will take place in Faraday  SR 1 at 6pm.  If you’re interested in finding out more but can’t make it to an Intro Talk contact Joe.