Business training
Many of our alumni tell us that one of the most valuable parts of their Converge experience is our money-can’t-buy business training programme.
Completely bespoke and designed by EBS specifically for academic entrepreneurs, our intensive course covers all the business essentials including how to build strong teams, how to navigate the incorporation process, how to gain closer engagement with markets and customers and, ultimately, how to create an investable company with a strong proposition.
Our alumni include start-ups, spinouts, social enterprises, creative industry entrepreneurs and more – each with their own particular set of challenges and training requirements. So, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, our inclusive course splits into different training streams that answer the needs of our diverse cohort.
EBS
Delivered by EBS, experts with real-world experience of starting and growing companies across diverse sectors and global markets, this is a training course unlike any other. Practical, hands-on and engaging, you won’t be in a classroom watching endless PowerPoint slides. Instead, EBS trainers will share their experience, knowledge and expertise in a dynamic, learning environment where you are actively encouraged to take part. This includes one-to-one, pitch presentation training designed to help you articulate your business idea with confidence and in any situation.
Training outcomes
Converge
You will understand how to:
- critically evaluate and select the correct form of business entity for your project
- fulfil legal and statutory obligations as a director
- prepare for and transact the spinout of a company from a university
- identify intellectual assets and implement an intellectual assets management strategy
- manage external and internal resources and build the management team
- identify your target market and develop product pricing strategies
- develop customer engagement tactics and build a bottom-up sales plan and sales forecast
- create a compelling business plan, create and deliver a robust cashflow forecast and plan to secure working capital
- get your message and personality understood by the audience and adapt to meet the requirements of online, recorded and face-to-face delivery
Create Change
You will understand how to:
- critically evaluate and select the correct form of business entity for your project
- apply basic principles of strategic planning and develop a resource plan with milestones and objectives
- understand and fulfil legal and statutory obligations as a director
- identify your target market and develop product pricing strategies
- develop customer engagement tactics and build a bottom-up sales plan and sales forecast
- create a compelling business plan, create and deliver a robust cashflow forecast and plan to secure working capital
- get your message and personality understood by the audience and adapt to meet the requirements of online, recorded and face-to-face delivery
- run a successful crowdfunding campaign
Net Zero
You will understand how to:
- critically evaluate and select the correct form of business entity for your project
- apply basic principles of strategic planning and develop a resource plan with milestones and objectives
- understand and fulfil legal and statutory obligations as a director
- identify your target market and develop product pricing strategies
- develop customer engagement tactics and build a bottom-up sales plan and sales forecast
- create a compelling business plan, create and deliver a robust cashflow forecast and plan to secure working capital
- get your message and personality understood by the audience and adapt to meet the requirements of online, recorded and face-to-face delivery
KickStart
You will understand how to:
- critically evaluate and select the correct form of business entity for your project
- select and contract with founders and management team
- fulfil legal and statutory obligations as a director
- create a compelling business case and a basic financial forecast
- get your message and personality understood by the audience and adapt to meet the requirements of online, recorded and face-to-face delivery
Your Trainers
Gillian Brown
Director EBSGillian Brown is a Director of Entrepreneur Business School. As CEO of Alfacyte Ltd, a therapeutics startup, she led the business for five years, from Seed through five rounds of investment. With a background in strategy and marketing in large multinational companies, Gillian introduces business leadership and modern marketing insight to her coaching and mentoring. She is currently working with a prospective spinout from The University of Dundee seeking to commercialise a new vaccine development platform. She is also a Trustee of a Scottish charity. Her expertise is in marketing, strategic planning, IP creation and management.
Alister Minty
Director EBSAlister Minty is a Director of Entrepreneur Business School and a founder and Chair at a bio-materials start-up. He has been Chair and first investor in seven successful startup companies. He was previously Managing Director of an IP commercialisation company which listed on the PLUS market 17 months after start-up; a founder and VP Sales at a network technology company which listed on the London Stock Exchange 5 years after start-up; and Business Group Manager at a university semi-conductor spin-out, which also listed on the London Stock Exchange 3 years after he joined.
Maryanne Johnston
Associate EBSMaryanne Johnston is an expert provider of pitch and presentation training to spinouts & startups, as well as financial services companies in the Square Mile & Canary Wharf. Her experience covers new business pitches, investor pitches, speeches, interviewing, networking, handling difficult conversations. She designs and run programmes for companies and individuals to give them the skills and techniques to be able to handle any of these situations. Her clients benefit from increased confidence, saved time in preparation, maximum impact for content and enhanced self-awareness through video reviewing.