| | Career Pathways for the Disabled Entreprenuer
Career Pathways for the disabled entrepreneur is set out in several sections and includes:
| | | | 1 | What is Social Enterprise?
The official definition of a social enterprise is: “a business or service with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners”.
http://www.communityfirst.org.uk/social-enterprise.htm
Entrepreneur - "Individual who starts an enterprise with its associated risks and responsibilities". | 
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Entrepreneurs start companies from scratch, ideally by finding a different or better way of solving a problem. If you’re successful, you’ll then be in the fortunate position of choosing which entrepreneurs and their ideas you will invest in. Be prepared for failure as well as success.
 The Good
· You’re the boss (until you get other shareholders)!
· You can create something lasting.
You have the potential to earn a lot of money.
Start Salary
£ 0 - often for the first year
Skill Requirements:
The ability to identify problems you can solve and to remain objective about your plans. Broad commercial skills are a given. 
The Bad
 There are lots of failed entrepreneurs
· Your parents and others will be dubious (unless you’re lucky)
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You get to start at the top of what is often a very small peak. A lot of successful entrepreneurs bring in professional managers if their baby survives into adolescence
How to get into this career?
There is a school of thought that says that the more qualifications you have; the less likely you are to become an entrepreneur. If you do study, a decent knowledge of accounting is useful. Unless you belong to a wealthy family, your first venture is likely to be a small one and you’ll use any money made there to ramp up the next one.
School Subject Requirements
None specified. Lots of entrepreneurs don’t do very well at school, partly because they already know they don’t fit the mould and don’t see the point
Uni/College Requirements
Anything commercial, as long as you don’t do too much
Alternative routes
A lot of entrepreneurs will work in corporate life and then possibly find themselves disillusioned with that path and go on their own.
In addition the site offers Career Profiling, Choices and Advice as well as up and coming Career Events
Source: http://www.mytalentplace.co.uk/career-choices/Entrepreneur-82.html
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There are more budding entrepreneurs out there then you’d think. It’s thought that more and more graduates are turning their hand to setting up their own business in an attempt to leap frog the great job hunt.
The smart chaps over at the Cranfield School of Management are expecting more of the class of 2009 than ever before to strike out on their own. The chief smart chap, Andrew Burke said: “There’s no question that this cohort of students is particularly interested in entrepreneurship; it’s been increasing in the last few years and it predates the downturn.”
Claire Young, Entrepreneurial Spirit - See her video By Graduate Talent Pool by putting her name into: http://www.herecomestheboss.com/video_channel/2/Career+Advice
Recipe for success
Blind and visually impaired entrepreneurs get the tools they need to make their business dreams a reality:
Tracy Cook
· The Guardian, Wednesday 23 January 2008
· Article history
Steph Cutler, visually impaired entrepreneur ... Action can provide you with advice and support on the best technology for your employees. ... the recruitment process with meaningful employment and career development opportunities.” ...
www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/
People -> Mark Lewin
hi, I attend sse Liverpool. I work with my business partner Terry Powell who is a blind judo coach, he has had an amazing career both as a competitor and a coach. As a competitor he fought for Great Britain in two olympics winning a European title and a bronze... more>>>
Student Stories -> Roger Wilson-Hinds
Like many social entrepreneurs, for Roger it's personal. Partially-sighted himself, for 10 years he ran a business training blind and visually-impaired people to use computers at work but became increasingly concerned about the many blind people who had no access to expensive screenreading software. So he set about solving that... more>>>
http://www.sse.org.uk/search_results.php?sq=impaired |
| | | 5 |  John Charles runs his own catering firm. Photograph: Martin Godwin
In the busy kitchen of a factory canteen John Charles and his team are cooking roast beef and yorkshire pudding for the 70 or so workers due to pour through the doors in an hour or so. Nothing too unusual, except that Charles and half of his 15 staff are blind or partially sighted.
It is Charles's own catering company - he cooks, manages the staff and does the paperwork. One of four businesses set up two years ago with the help of Action for Blind People, it has been independent and profitable since July. For Charles, running a business is a dream come true: "It was a huge relief that at last there was a way to realise my goals."
Because of Charles' success, Action for Blind People is launching a new initiative, Enterprise in Sight, which seeks to help blind and visually impaired entrepreneurs with good ideas to get started in business. Targeted at women and people from ethnic minority communities, it aims to help visually impaired people into self-employment and give advice to businesses already running. With £386,000 from the London Development Agency, it will also help small businesses capitalise on commercial opportunities from the 2012 London Olympic Games.
In the UK, 66% of blind or partially sighted people of working age are unemployed. Andy Taylor of Action for Blind People, who coordinated the setting up of Charles's catering company, says: "We wanted to find a way to lift blind or partially sighted people out of poverty. Jobs are now more service-based. We need to address that and train people to have those skills."
Enterprise in Sight offers a structured process, from business-plan preparation through to the start-up of the company. Its business experts will give practical advice from tax and book-keeping to finding funding bodies and dealing with retailers. Instead of the booklets usually offered, they will use talking computers. They will also provide mentoring and ongoing support once the businesses are up and running. Business adviser Mark Causton, who runs the project, says: "Self-employment can be a great way forward for blind or partially sighted people, as it gives them flexibility to accommodate their disability. If someone is ill and losing their sight, they often end up losing their job too and can get trapped on benefits. But although they lose confidence, they still have their skills. We can show them how to adjust to their visual impairment and adapt those skills."
Enitan Ajayi is setting up her company, Computer Care People Help, with advice and funding from Enterprise in Sight. Born with nystagmus (involuntary eye movement), she has a master's degree in computer science. She decided to take the plunge and become self-employed as she wanted to give something back by helping the visually impaired community.
She advises individuals and employers on installing assisted technology, such as large-text software. She is grateful for the opportunity Enterprise in Sight is giving her. "Their business advisers have helped me immensely. I don't think I could have got going without them."
The success of Charles's company, Catering2Order, shows that the model works. Before Action for Blind People stepped in, Charles had been unemployed for eight years. He went blind after finishing a business degree, following months of headaches. (He has cranial hypertension and the pressure crushed his optic nerve). "Social services turned up and gave me a stick and a dog, but I knew I wanted to cook and run my own business," he says. He put together a business plan and tried to get a bank loan. "I was turned down," he says. But at Action for Blind People Charles found faith in his idea.
So far, Action for Blind People has helped some 40 businesses with advice and training. Its Enterprise in Sight programme now aims to help 30 more visually impaired entrepreneurs into self-employment or business start-ups.
"We just want to find people who wouldn't normally
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jan/23/practice.disability
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| | | 6 | Travelling Man
Amar Latif is an entrepreneur who founded Traveleyes, a company that specialises in holidays for visually impaired and sighted travellers. He talks about changing career, and allowing blind people to see the world
 I'm founder and director of Traveleyes; we’re an international tour operator that enables blind travellers to travel the world independent of their family. It’s an organisation that enables sighted travellers to come on board and act as the eyes for blind travellers, and have a different experience.
In terms of what I do, I’m a director of the company. It involves overlooking my staff and creating new markets. It also involves working on strategy and where the business is going to go.
As an entrepreneur you basically have to deal with everything, the buck stops with you. From cleaning the office to IT problems, marketing and branding to product creation – in our case creating new and compelling holiday itineraries, all over the world.
At the moment our customer base is international, we have travellers all over the world.
We have travellers from the UK but we get lots of travellers from different countries, so it also means being aware of regulations in all of those countries.
Working in the travel industry was something that just came about.
My background was a degree in maths, stats and finance and then I trained and qualified as an accountant in a large telecommunications company and was involved in lots of
different roles; the last role I had there was as a finance director.
I really enjoyed the job, it was fantastic, but I found that I was blind but wanted to see the world.
I looked around and because what I wanted in terms of my travel aspirations didn’t exist I decided that I had two choices: either do without or build it myself, and so I set up Traveleyes.
I want Traveleyes to be a household travel company for not just blind people but sighted travellers as well. At the moment we run holidays for blind and sighted travellers but we want to be the household name where we are a travel company on a level-playing field for everyone.
AMAR LATIF: CAREER PATH
• 1997 – Degree in maths, stats and finance, University of Strathclyde
• 2000 – Trained and qualified as an accountant with BT
• 2004 – Established Traveleyes
• 2005 – Participant in Beyond Boundaries
• 2007 – Directed a Channel 4 documentary, Sightseeing Blind
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/working2/travelling-man/
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| | | 7 | Peter Jones’s National Enterprise Academy opens its doors to train the next generation of entrepreneurs
21 September 2009 11:13
Young people will now be able to study for brand-new qualifications in enterprise and entrepreneurship as the National Enterprise Academy (NEA), brainchild of Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones, and backed by Government, officially opens today. The NEA, the first-ever UK educational institution dedicated solely to enterprise and entrepreneurship, will pioneer a new and innovative way of teaching. It will expose students to real-life business issues in real-life business environments, with a high level of input from a range of entrepreneurs acting as mentors, supporting trained tutors.
The NEA will enrol nearly 18,000 learners in its first five years, giving young people and older learners the skills and confidence to become enterprising employees or entrepreneurs in their own right. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has invested up to £9m, matched by employers, creating a powerful partnership which allows employers to lead and shape the skills being taught.
Speaking at the launch of the Academy at the London headquarters of Orange, the NEA’s exclusive communications and key corporate partner, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
“Enterprise is essential to our future and it starts with young people. This Academy will play a vital role in helping young people unlock their talent and gain the skills necessary for a better future, both for themselves and the country. The Academy and its students deserve every support and success.”
The two new qualifications have a strong focus on practical skills. The first, a level 2 BTEC Diploma in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and the second, a level 3 BTEC Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, have been developed in partnership with Edexcel, the UK’s largest qualifications awarding body. Both will be available to 16 to 19-year-olds from this September at the NEA’s enterprise centres in Buckinghamshire and Manchester. The qualifications will also be integrated into diplomas.
Peter Jones, entrepreneur and founder of the NEA, said:
“While it’s true that traditional business studies courses equip students with a wealth of valuable theoretical business knowledge, there is currently no single academic course wholly dedicated to enterprise and entrepreneurship – a fact that inspired me to set about establishing the National Enterprise Academy.
“In the UK, we need to foster amongst our young people an ‘I can’ rather than a ‘Can I?’ attitude. That is not to say we do not already possess a great deal of young talent in Britain – far from it. But up until now, we have simply not done enough to unlock the entrepreneurial talents of our young people. There is arguably no better time to create a National Enterprise Academy than during a recession. The UK needs entrepreneurs to stimulate the economy and businesses need inspired employees to help their companies recover quickly. With the continued support of Government and the private sector, the National Enterprise Academy will create both”.
The NEA opens its doors after a successful Pathfinder pilot programme began in January 2009 where 28 students were recruited on to an intensive six-month programme designed to develop, shape and test the UK’s first ever qualifications dedicated solely to enterprise and entrepreneurship. The results of this pilot programme are outstanding: several students have already established their own businesses, some are continuing in education, including taking up further provision with the NEA, gaining further knowledge and skills which will help them make a contribution to the country’s economic growth. Five of the graduates have been offered positions by high-profile organisations.
Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, the NEA’s exclusive communications and key corporate partner, said:
“UK businesses play a pivotal role in transforming the entrepreneurial culture in the UK. For us at Orange, constant innovation is essential in order to achieve our goal of becoming the best-loved telecommunications company in Britain. We work in one of the fastest paced industries in the world and it is therefore essential that we hire young people with the skills, ability and drive to become the future leaders of our business. The NEA is a superb way to do just that and we are proud to be supporting this great initiative. “
Geoff Russell, LSC Chief Executive, said:
“I am delighted that the National Enterprise Academy has passed through the business planning stage to become the 12th active member of the National Skills Academy network. The network was created to deliver world-class skills and the Academy’s vision to establish the UK as a global leader in enterprise makes it an exciting addition to those already established.”
Alex Pratt, OBE, SEEDA Board Member, commented:
“We’ve invested £2.3 million in the National Enterprise Academy in Buckinghamshire to help get the Pathfinder going as we see the NEA offering a new and exciting way of engaging young people in the world of enterprise. We are delighted that the Learning and Skills Council has endorsed the importance of instilling an enterprise culture in our prospective young businessmen and women through these new qualifications. There is a wealth of business opportunities out there waiting to be grasped. “
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=406833&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=431
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| | | 8 | Young Entrepreneurs
Bigger Feet
A 16-year-old entrepreneur in the media glare, Oliver Bridge is keeping his feet on the ground
Dominic McVey
The entrepreneurial whizz-kid talks to Startups.co.uk about his amazing rise to success.
Fraser Doherty
The SuperJams founder describes just how simple it is to start a business at the age of 14
Enterprising minds: Surge of interest in courses for budding entrepreneurs
Smallbiz pod
SmallBizPod offers interviews and practical advice for startups and businesses of any size. It is sponsored by Sage, a company which provides business software. A great source of free advice for those who like audio. Archives go back to 2005 and you can click on a subject like public relations or homeworking.
http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/ |
| | | 9 | Executive level
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/edplp/?gclid=CMeonuiDv50CFeZr4wodwh_lrw
Where to find courses locally
Young people will now be able to study for brand-new qualifications in enterprise and entrepreneurship as the National Enterprise Academy (NEA), brainchild of Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones, and backed by Government, officially opens today. The NEA, the first-ever UK educational institution dedicated solely to enterprise and entrepreneurship, will pioneer a new and innovative way of teaching. It will expose students to real-life business issues in real-life business environments, with a high level of input from a range of entrepreneurs acting as mentors, supporting trained tutors
The two new qualifications have a strong focus on practical skills. The first, a level 2 BTEC Diploma in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and the second, a level 3 BTEC Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, have been developed in partnership with Edexcel, the UK’s largest qualifications awarding body. Both will be available to 16 to 19-year-olds from September 2009 at the NEA’s enterprise centres in Buckinghamshire and Manchester. The qualifications will also be integrated into diplomas.
36 colleges run Undergraduate entrepreneurship courses in England
6 of which are in the Midlands Derby, Northamptonshire, Coventry, Stafford, Staffordshire, Stoke –on –Trent
http://www.hotcourses.com/uk-courses/Entrepreneurship-degree-courses-in-the-UK/hc2
27 universities & colleges offer Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses in England a selection of Midlands based institutions are listed below a full list can be found at:
http://www.whatuni.com/degrees/courses/postgraduate-courses/entrepreneurship-postgraduate-
Staffordshire University
View 1 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses West Midlands
Coventry University
View 2 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses West Midlands
University Of Lincoln
View 1 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses East Midlands
University Of Nottingham
View 7 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses East Midlands
De Montfort University
View 3 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses East Midlands
Nottingham Trent University
View 1 Entrepreneurship postgraduate courses East Midlands
University of Wolverhampton
The Institute for Innovation and Enterprise (IIE)
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/Default.aspx?page=8487
42 colleges run part time entrepreneurship courses across England
http://www.hotcourses.com/pls/cgi-
3 colleges run Online Distance Learning Postgraduate entrepreneurship courses
Postgraduate courses at:
Durham University
View 2 Online Distance Learning Postgraduate Entrepreneurship courses
Online Distance Learning Postgraduate Entrepreneurship courses at Durham University, UK
University of Durham | DH1 3HP
Course type Self study with attendance | Duration 24-60 months | Start details To be confirmed
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Master of Business Administration (Finance) (MBA)
Durham University
Course type: Self study with attendance
Start: This course last started in Sep-09 . Please contact the college to enquire about new start dates.
Duration: 24-60 months
Course Description:
This course covers the following core: Strategic awareness; Strategic marketing; Financial management and accounting; Human resource management; Service operations management or manufacturing operations management; Information systems management. Elective: Organisational effectiveness; International strategic management; Organisational consulting; Knowledge, innovation and technology; Entrepreneurship: E-commerce; Organisational communication; business and sustainability; Strategic supply chain management.
Fee:
Course fees are subject to change and you are advised to check the current details with the course provider before enrolling on this course
Qualification: Master of Business Administration (Finance)
Entry Requirements:
Good degree or equivalent professional qualification and a minimum of three years' work experience. Proficiency in English language - test scores will be required.
Study venue:
Old Shire Hall
Durham
County Durham
DH1 3HP
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
University of Durham | DH1 3HP
Course type Self study with attendance | Duration 24-60 months | Start details To be confirmed
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
View 1 Online Distance Learning Postgraduate Entrepreneurship course - including home study courses
Aston University, Birmingham
View 1 Online Distance Learning Postgraduate Entrepreneurship course
- including home study courses
Coventry University Example
Undergraduate Entrepreneurship courses at Coventry University, Coventry
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
Coventry University | CV1 5FB
Course type Full time | Duration 3 years | Start date 01-SEP-10
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
Coventry University | CV1 5FB
Course type Sandwich | Duration 4 years | Start date 01-SEP-10
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BSc (Hons)
Coventry University | CV1 5FB
Course type Full time | Duration 3 years | Start date 01-SEP-10
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BSc (Hons)
Coventry University | CV1 5FB
Course type Sandwich | Duration 4 years | Start date 01-SEP-10
European Industrial Entrepreneurship BSc (Hons) (Top-up)
Coventry University | CV1 5FB
Course type Full time | Duration 1 year | Start date 01-SEP-10
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
Coventry University
Course type: Full time
Start: Sep-10
Duration: 3 years
Fee:
Variable fees are applicable for full time courses. These fees are subject to change, details are available from the provider.
Qualification: BA Honours Degree in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Entry Requirements:
Specific entry requirements for this course can be found on the Course Search section of the UCAS website: http://www.ucas.com/search/index.html. Some universities and colleges also provide 'Entry Profiles' which give applicants to higher education more detailed information on the courses they want to study, qualifications required, selection criteria etc. There are strict deadlines for application to UCAS courses. Please consult the UCAS website.
UCAS Code: N1F
Study venue:
Priory Street
Coventry
West Midlands
CV1 5FB
Awarding body: Coventry University
How to get on to a course
Courses are available at postgraduate and undergraduate levels as well as, part time and distance learning options
Interview/videos of students who are on the courses or were on the course
Entrepreneur courses
Cat Ryan
I get most of my entrepreneurial training from listening to podcasts, other business audio and from reading books. I find this more appropriate than sitting through hours of courses. Of course if you can find one that you are really interested in and you feel you need then a course might be just right. The good thing about meeting others face to face is that it helps with networking.
I can recommend www.redshop.biz for business audio books and as goes podcasts you have a huge number of them about in the various directories. Most major papers do their own, and then you have the start up specials like small biz pod and flying startups (the second of which is brillant, and that is how I found out about the redhop).
Depending on what info/training you would like I am sure I could recommend a whole big bunch of books as well
Catherine
http://www.startups.co.uk/6678842909268600747/entrepreneur-courses.html
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This is the UK national body for social enterprise. They represent individual social enterprise companies, networks and related organisations. They campaign to promote their ideas and influence public opinion. Areas they are active in include: children, young people, health and social care, business, regeneration and skills. The website is worth a visit for finding examples of successful social enterprises and information on campaigns or the latest
http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/
Social Firms UK
"The specific social purpose of a Social Firm is to employ people disadvantaged in the labour market." It is a supportive organisation; it combines a market orientation with a social mission. Social Firms UK offers training, support and a online directory of social firms in the UK. There are some useful case studies and research on the website.
http://www.socialfirms.co.uk
The Princes Trust UK
The Prince's Trust offers loans and advice to people aged 14-30, who are unemployed or lacking the finance, to start their own businesses. It was set up by the Prince of Wales in 1976. The Trust also arranges short-term work experience for young people in other European countries. There are voluntary work programmes in the UK. Music courses, "xl" clubs and support for young offenders are among other services offered covered on the site. The site has maps showing the location of Prince's Trust regional offices in the UK.
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
UK Podscasts for Business
This useful list gives some UK podcasts for business startups, with notes about each one. . It may be good for Business Studies students who like using audio for learning. (There are also lists of podcasts for other subjects.)
http://www.ukpodcasts.info/Business
Business Link
This UK government website is an impartial, government-funded service for anyone wanting to start up a business or to get further advice and support. There is information on finance, tax, ideas, IT, sales, marketing and international business on the website. Case studies are available. Each region of the UK has its own office, which can be found by typing in your postcode
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.go
Enterprise Directorate
The Enterprise Directorate is an agency within the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. "BERR's Enterprise Directorate works across Whitehall, the Regional Development Agencies and key delivery partners to ensure that Government – national, regional and local – understands and responds to the needs of small businesses’ and entrepreneurs." This may involve helping businesses to obtain finance, to find out about training or improve their efficiency. The directorate's work is supported by research, statistics and links with the EU and other organisations.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/bbf/small-business/index.html
A wide range of support services for Entrepreneurial activities
http://www.enterprise.org.uk/search.cfm?term=Entrepreneurial&pos=6&type=2
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