Digital devices mean that learning opportunities are always at your fingertips, and with the plethora of podcasts now being produced you are only ever a click away from a new perspective or inspiring idea.

With this in mind, we have picked out four of the best podcasts that all budding business owners need to plug into. Whether you’re on the bus, in the gym or cooking dinner, no time need be wasted in the pursuit of entrepreneurial success.

Have you read: Best Business Books for the Budding Entrepreneur?

1. Entrepreneur on Fire

Award-winning podcast Entrepreneur on Fire – or EoFire to the initiated – will never leave you short of inspiring material, not least because a new episode airs every single day. Yes, that’s correct: new material is published seven days a week, 365 days a year. Each episode sees the host, John Lee Dumas, interview an entrepreneur and find out more about their story – from their worst entrepreneurial endeavours (and the lessons learned) to their ‘ah-ha!’ moment and the steps taken to generate success. With over 1800 episodes (and counting), EoFire will have you scribbling down action points one moment and laughing out loud the next, John Lee Dumas creating an excellent balance of information and entertainment. And if you still find yourself wanting more, spin-off series Kate’s Take – hosted by Dumas’ partner, Kate Erickson – shares actionable advice and behind-the-scenes insights into building a seven-figure business from the ground up.

2. The Gary Vee Audio Experience

Gary Vaynerchuk is to entrepreneurship what Brad Pitt is to Hollywood: that is, a big deal. Serial entrepreneur, CEO, public speaker, author and venture capitalist (investing early doors in businesses like Uber and Twitter; talk about foresight!), Gary is also a YouTube star, hosting two shows – #AskGaryVee and #DailyVee – on his channel. In 2017, he launched The Gary Vee Audio Experience, mixing elements of his successful vlogs with keynote speeches, interviews and fireside chats specifically distilled for those on the go. Focusing on marketing, social media and entrepreneurship, the varied episode formats keep things interesting and the content is both insightful and interactive, with Vaynerchuk answering real questions from real listeners in the show.

3. Ctrl Alt Delete

Emma Gannon’s podcast, Ctrl Alt Delete, is proof that whatever the men can do, the women can too. Currently sitting at number 5 in the iTunes business charts, Gannon interviews guests she admires – resulting in warm, candid, coffee-table chats with some seriously impressive people. Her interviewees – who are mostly creative women and have included Lena Dunham, Lauren Laverne and Melissa Hemsley – discuss their work and lives with reference to the online world, creating a much-needed conversation on the pluses and the pitfalls of the Internet from a female perspective.

4. The Tim Ferris Show

You’d be forgiven for thinking that we have a crush on Tim Ferris, given that he also appears in our must read business books list. However, as the first business podcast to surpass 100,000,000 downloads, The Tim Ferris Show is more than deserving of a space in your ‘to listen’ list. Ferris started his podcast in order to improve his own interviewing skills, and intended to only produce six episodes. Nearly 300 shows later and at the top of the business charts, Ferris is proof that sometimes all it takes is giving something a go. In the podcast, Ferris interviews a diverse cast of accomplished individuals in order to deconstruct the tools and ticks of the world’s best performers. From doctors to scientists to chess masters to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the pod doesn’t just focus on startup culture but delivers lessons from all manner of industries.

Inspired to start your own enterprise but not sure if there is appetite for your ideas? Crowdfund Campus’ Sandpit platform is the best way of testing your business without any risk. Contact us today to learn more about this virtual marketplace, mapped to the QAA guidance on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.

In the spotlight:

Name: Dawn R. DeTienne

Location:  Fort Collins, CO, USA

Occupation: Professor of Entrepreneurship, Colorado State University

You are an influential individual within the entrepreneurship/enterprise education space. What does ‘entrepreneurship education’ mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

Entrepreneurs have been around since people have, but entrepreneurship education got its start in the 1940s.  Everyone can share stories of entrepreneurs who did not have access to education and through Herculean efforts created amazing companies.  However, I believe that engaging in education (or practice) allows individuals to learn skills much in the same way they learn accounting, painting, or engineering.  Education allows entrepreneurs to learn, practice, make mistakes, network, and develop tools all in a relatively low-cost environment.

How did you first become involved with entrepreneurship education?

I was an entrepreneur for 16 years before returning to the university and getting a PhD.  I taught my first entrepreneurship course in 2002 and have been teaching and owning my ventures ever since.

Can entrepreneurship be included at all stages of education, and within every subject? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Yes of course.  While some areas of study appear to be more conducive to entrepreneurship, all students can benefit from understanding the entrepreneurial mindset and the tools associated with it.  The workplace (or the way in which we work today) is changing.  Not only do students need to be able to act entrepreneurially in large established organisations, many students will work for small and start-up businesses.  In addition, there is a movement toward independent work, which allows the work environment to be more flexible, but requires an understanding of entrepreneurship in order to be successful.

For students who don’t want to be entrepreneurs, what other benefits does enterprise education provide?

Large organisations are looking for employees who are able to act entrepreneurially and think creatively to solve big problems.

Your work has explored the role of gender in enterprise and entrepreneurship. How much progress has been made – and what still needs to be done to support female entrepreneurs?

There is so much!  In a recent article Rachida Justo, Philipp Sieger, and I examined the “female underperformance hypotheses”—which proposes that females underperform in entrepreneurial activity.  Research has shown that women fail more often than men, but we argue that this has to do with how we measure failure.  Previous research has considered any exit from entrepreneurship a failure, but certainly people exit for very positive reasons including acquisition, family, other desires, etc.  Our work demonstrates that women are not more likely to fail.  They are simply more likely to exit, thus likely significantly overstating female failure rates.  So many other great streams of research examine gender topics and this research is critical not only for entrepreneurs, but also for investors and policy makers.

You’ve had a great deal of success throughout your distinguished career, and have won many awards (such as the Colorado State University College of Business Researcher of the Year in 2009, and – in 2011 – the Colorado State University Excellence in Teaching Award). Can you share a few of your most significant moments or personal achievements with us?

My teaching honours have included: in 2008, Accenture Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award, Colorado State University; in 2010, Most Influential Faculty Member, Ram Scholar-Athlete Brunch; in 2011, College of Business Excellence in Teaching Award, Colorado State University; and from 2011-2014, I served as the Associate Editor for The Academy of Management Learning & Education Journal, which is the leading journal on Entrepreneurship Education.

One of the awards I received in 2016 – from the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division – was the Entrepreneurship Practice Award.  The award honours a publication that has been especially effective at advancing the practice of entrepreneurship (2012. Impact of founder experience on exit intentions. Small Business Economics, 38(4): 351-374). This was pretty exciting because it means that my work matters to the practice of entrepreneurship.  However, the most significant moments are when my students or students I mentor send me a message after they’ve left and tell me how well they are doing or how well their venture is going.  Pretty cool!

You co-founded several ventures that you successfully guided through an acquisition exit. How have your experiences of working in the business sector influenced your teaching?

Certainly.  While I remind students that my experiences are only an N of 1 (or 2 or 3), I am able to empathise with them as they dive into this unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.  Unlike many subjects, there is no one single answer in entrepreneurship, so the goal is to train our minds to look for opportunities, use existing tools and resources to help us make decisions, and practice, practice, practice.

What does a typical day look like in the world of Dawn DeTienne?

In an average week I might teach for five hours a week, prepare for class, meet with students and grade students’ work for 10-12 hours a week, work on my research for 10 hours, answer emails/requests/attend meetings for 15 hours per week, and provide service to my college and international organisations for five hours per week.

And finally, Dawn, tell us: if you were an animal, what would you be and why?

Hmm… a cow, I guess.  I think I would like to take a breath and just “be” for a while rather than always “doing”.  Plus, I love to eat.

Every student or teacher involved with enterprise education has a different reason as to why they decided to go down this particular path – but nearly all agree that it’s an incredibly fulfilling (not to mention exciting) choice of career. Here are some of the best things about being an entrepreneur.

1. You call the shots. Entrepreneurs are responsible for taking full control of their business ventures; and though this might sound a little scary, that responsibility also gives an amazing feeling of freedom. Your vision is yours alone, and your decisions will determine how successfully that vision is realised – from the blueprint right through to the branding. Being able to step back and look at a product or service you’ve created from scratch is extremely satisfying; and though it might take a lot of hard work to be at the helm of a successful company, most entrepreneurs feel that it’s the most worthwhile way to make a living.

2. You can innovate and inspire. By pioneering a new product or service, you’re not only a potential captain of industry, but also a role model – and not just to your staff members, but also to family, friends and the local community. So, if you’ve got an enterprise idea that could be a real game-changer, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start innovating! Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were once humble students with big dreams, after all…

3. You’re able to work where you like, with whoever you like. Is it your dream to work in an open-plan office with a full-length slide, hammocks and a graffiti wall? Or do you fantasise about travelling the world and conversing with your team via Skype whilst gazing out at a multiplicity of exotic views? Have at it! Thanks to modern technology and the flexibility of working for yourself, being an entrepreneur goes hand-in-hand with many different workplace scenarios. That goes for people, too: you can handpick your team, choosing only the most brilliant, inspiring minds, the most creative individuals, or the nicest people you can find. The team you surround yourself with is entirely up to you.

4. You can say goodbye to the nine to five. Most of us have held jobs in which we often find ourselves gazing at the clock. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can say goodbye to rigid working hours and the notion of ‘clocking off’; not only will you be too busy to check the time, but also you’ll work no more or less than the job requires. Simply put, as the boss, you’ll work until the task is complete. And, as an added bonus, most entrepreneurs are too passionate about – and stimulated by – their work to consider clock-watching.

5. You can prioritise work/life balance. Though as an entrepreneur you’re sure to be working very long hours at times, you have more control about when and how this is done – meaning that it’s often possible to spend more time on the things you love. If you have children and want to be there to meet them every day at the school gates; if you want to go to an art class at noon every Tuesday; or if you just want to create a fitness routine that you’ll actually stick to, there’s no reason you can’t. Provided that you give your business your full attention and get the job done, you can dictate when you work, and for how long.

Whether you’re currently studying or thinking about taking the leap, it’s never too late to fall in love with entrepreneurship – and Crowdfund Campus has everything you need to succeed. With a host of tools on offer to our clients – from our Sandpit simulation to our live crowdfunding marketplace – and a friendly team on hand to advise, we can help you achieve your enterprise goals. Contact us today to learn more!

In the spotlight:

Name: Catherine Brentnall

Location: Derbyshire.

Occupation: MD, Ready Unlimited; PhD Candidate at Sheffield Hallam University

What does ‘enterprise education’ mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

A lot of my work over the last twelve years has involved working with teachers and trainees in primary and secondary education (in schools, colleges and universities) to develop enterprise through the curriculum. People have different ideas about what enterprise education is, so we explore definitions such as the one from the Davies Review which has three strands – enterprise capability, financial capability and economic and business understanding. It’s always interesting to see which learning outcomes from each strand educators recognise in their practice, and which could be developed. What enterprise education has meant to me personally over the years has deepened as I’ve taken to thinking and writing about it from a more theoretical perspective. Enterprise education is important not least because there are many government policies telling educators to become involved in it. I’m personally interested in equipping teachers with the knowledge to engage with and critique policy, and develop their own responses to enterprise education which align with their values and the needs of their students and communities.

How did you first become involved with enterprise education?

In 2006, I started working on a school improvement programme called Rotherham Ready, which aimed to harness enterprise as a vehicle to enhance learning and teaching. One of my responsibilities was working with teachers to design and deliver professional learning. Over time we scaled our approaches outside the borough and, in 2013, I secured investment from NESTA. This supported the spin out of a social business, Ready Unlimited, which is focused on developing teachers to enhance the curriculum with careers and enterprise learning. I was so lucky in Rotherham Ready to have a wonderful manager, Jackie Frost, who supported me to do a Masters Degree and never put a limit on what we could achieve. A high point was winning ‘The Most Enterprising Place in Britain’ in 2011 for our work developing enterprise in education and supporting youth start-ups.

Can enterprise be included at all stages of education, and within every subject? If yes, how? If no, why not?

I work with educators at every stage of education – early years, primary, secondary and HE. It’s never a blank slate though; people are always doing plenty of things that would be considered ‘enterprising’, so it’s more a case of understanding how learning could be deepened and how enterprise approaches could inspire students to produce better quality. Last year I worked on an EEUK funded project to look at practices which teachers could explore and use to develop careers and enterprise through the curriculum. Though the project focused on the secondary school context, the practices are transferable to any stage.  There’s a draft guide and benchmarking tool which I’d encourage people to take a look at and give me feedback on, if they’ve got the time and interest to do so.

Ready Unlimited – which you founded – supports educators in developing an enterprising and entrepreneurial culture, curricula and pedagogy. Tell us more about the services on offer and how they contribute to a student’s development?

I work with a range of clients including individual schools, partnerships of schools, teacher educators, organisations including colleges and universities, regional and national governments at home and abroad, and organisations including the EU and the OECD. I provide anything from 1-2-1 or small group coaching with teachers, to professional development programmes for a specific organisation or territory, as well as consultancy and research. Focusing on educators and on curriculum design means that more young people are potentially impacted. But there’s responsibility that comes with that – students aren’t volunteering in, they don’t have a choice about the curriculum, so there’s a need to be cautious and ensure approaches are sound and don’t do more harm than good.

In October, I started a PhD at Sheffield Business School (SBS), part of Sheffield Hallam University, and am researching competitive enterprise education. I’m fascinated how competitive approaches are handed down to enterprise educators as a go-to activity (they were handed down to me, and initially, I handed them on uncritically). As a side project I’ve been exploring the potential theoretical flaws of such approaches, and now SBS have supported me with a scholarship to do some original research, which I hope will throw a bit more light on the effects of competitive learning, and that practitioners and students will benefit from a contribution to knowledge in this area.

In a sector where results and rankings seem to dominate, how do educators evaluate and measure the success of enterprise education?

In the last couple of years I have become really interested in Realist Evaluation and how it helps me think about the evaluation of enterprise education interventions. Realist Evaluation has been developed by researchers in the field of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), who have become frustrated with the partial knowledge and unanswered questions which persist when only Randomised Control Trials (RCT) and systematic analysis are utilised to evaluate the effects of complex programmes. Instead of trying to judge ‘what works’, the approach tries to better understand ‘what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why?’ (Pawson & Tilley are two key authors who have developed the approach). During my time in enterprise education I’ve been evaluated, commissioned evaluations, written evaluations and researched evaluation. Realist Evaluation makes me look back on these experiences in a new light and think about what else I would have learned if I’d taken a Realist approach. I hope that the field of education – which can appear sucked into the philosophy that RCTs are the ‘rigorous’ approach in evaluation – utilises the potential for the rigour and meaning which is offered through Realist Evaluation.

What would you say to any institutions or individuals who have still not included enterprise education within their curriculum, or who are sceptical about the benefits of an entrepreneurial approach?

First, I’ve no problem with people being sceptical. Indeed, one of the practices in the benchmarking tool I mentioned in question three is taking the time to consider and critique what you’re being asked to do. It’s a crucial step in professional development and learning, and can be encouraged by asking questions, surfacing concerns and identifying any dissonance between your ambitions for learners and what you’re being told to do. Second, from a Realist Evaluation perspective, one cannot assume that enterprise education will always have benefits for every participant, so it’s really healthy to think through potential unintended consequences and carefully design learning and activities that are most likely to achieve the aims that are hoped for.

Where do you hope to see enterprise education in five years’ time?

I think enterprise education is a vibrant field full of committed people, and I hope there is continued debate, research and challenge which moves it forward.

What does a typical day look like in the world of Catherine Brentnall?

No such thing as a typical day! The last year or so has involved such a variety of work. It’s included working with Social Enterprise International on a Horizon 2020 project called Nemesis which is about developing social innovation in education; working with The Enterprise Team at Huddersfield University; innovating and evaluating an Enterprise Placement Year programme; as well as  working with teachers from across my home region on a Derbyshire Ready programme I run in partnership with the county council. Since starting a PhD at Sheffield Business School, I’ve had the privilege of being a student again and reading, writing and thinking about something which I find fascinating – enterprise education.

And finally, Catherine, tell us: if you were an animal, what would you be and why?

At the moment, I feel like I’d be Road Runner, chasing about narrowly avoiding an accident (I’m a one-woman band, so everything is always really busy). Given a choice, I’d like the odd day as Bagpuss, chilling out and letting a team of mice fix things for me (wishful thinking).

And for the young entrepreneur in 2018, knowledge is all around.

Taking steps towards business success no longer starts in the classroom and ends with an MBE; today, enterprise education is accessible to all. Whether you prefer to peruse paperbacks or plug into podcasts, wisdom and advice is always within reach – which is a good thing, given that business doesn’t come with a manual (and degrees don’t come cheap).

In this blog, we have picked out four of the best business books that every aspiring entrepreneur should read. These resources will open your mind to new ways of thinking, provide possible solutions and actions, and help you turn your vision into a reality – just as those who have put pen to paper have theirs.

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

One of the seminal self-help books, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since being published in 1936 – making it one of the bestselling books of all time. Don’t be put off by the fact that it is 82 years old; it has been updated several times to ensure it tackles modern-day matters such as success in the digital world. The book primarily deals with building good relationships with people in order to increase your popularity, win them over to your way of thinking and get them to do what you want them to do – including selling to people without selling to them. Whilst it won’t tell you how to run your business, it will tell you everything you need to know to improve your performance and win new customers and clients; in short, how to sit back and watch the profit roll in.

2. The 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss

This cult book destroys old assumptions about business, including the idea that entrepreneurs have to work every hour of every day to stand any chance of succeeding. Disclaimer: it is very unlikely that any startup entrepreneur will only need to work for four hours a week on their business (and, as Ferriss notes, very few would choose to), however it does prove that you don’t need to become trapped in your business, and that you can pursue other passions as well as be successful. The 4-Hour Work Week is packed with action points to take away and apply to your life and work, including the fact that the “bank hours” we all tend to keep are not the most productive, and that since we reflect the five people we spend the most time with we should ensure they are making us stronger, not weaker. Oh, and he also presents a plan as to how to make an Aston Martin DB9 affordable. If you weren’t interested before, we bet you are now.

3. Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki

Published in 2000, Rich Dad Poor Dad is the bestselling finance book of the 21^st century. It advocates the importance of being financially literate, independent and intelligent by making money work hard for you rather than working hard to make money. Told through a series of parables based on Kiyosaki’s own life, it explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and teaches the reader how not to be a slave to money. Kiyosaki shows how wealth can be built through your own business so that you can control your own situation and decide how much you want to work, rather than getting stuck in the cycle of working to live.

4. #GIRLBOSS, Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso is proof that there is no one-size-fits-all model for entrepreneurs. Despite having a history of petty theft, dumpster diving and no college degree, Amoruso has turned her company into one of the fastest growing retailers; an enterprise worth over $100 million. In #GIRLBOSS, she candidly shares how she built her business from the ground up, revealing what she learnt as she went along and showing how customer service is the key to everything. Less of a manual, more of a memoir, #GIRLBOSS presents an innovative and inspiring guide to modern-day business, proving the importance of playing to your strengths, learning from your mistakes and knowing when to break a few of the traditional rules.

This blog is brought to you by Crowdfund Campus: a valuable information hub and online community for student entrepreneurs. Crowdfund Campus is also the home of Sandpit, the simulated tool which allows you to test your business ideas safely through a virtual marketplace. To take your first steps towards success, don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out more and book a free demonstration.

Unfortunately, for many students, this is not the case: in fact, you may have to start thinking about tax sooner than you’d like. Getting your head around the ins-and-outs of tax, national insurance, and what you’ll need to pay, when, can be pretty complicated – so we’ve compiled this guide to help you get started.

When will I need to pay tax as a student?

For the vast majority of students, working alongside their courses is a necessity. If you fall into that bracket – assuming that your earnings are sufficiently high – you’ll be liable to pay some tax. However, the good news is that every UK citizen gets a ‘personal allowance’: an amount of income that is not subject to tax.

For the 2017-2018 tax year, the personal allowance has been set at £11,500 (meaning that you could earn up to £11,500 before you pay a penny). After you cross this threshold, the amount you pay depends on your earnings. You pay 20% for any amount earned between £11,501 – £45,000; and if you happen to earn anything above this amount – less likely if you’re a student, but not impossible! – you will pay tax at a rate of 40%.

If you work for a company, your employer will probably take taxes from your wages via the PAYE (‘Pay As You Earn’) scheme. Now, this is where it can get a bit tricky for students – because though some students will work throughout the year, most will work a greater number of hours during the holidays. However, the way that PAYE works is that it averages out your tax over the year, meaning that even if you have a temporary job for just one month, you will be taxed on that single pay cheque as if you will be earning that amount every month for the rest of the year.

Because the PAYE scheme works best when you are receiving income from an employer on a regular basis, it can mean that you end up overpaying tax if you’re a student, and as such will need to claim this back. It’s up to you to sort this – HMRC won’t necessarily be knocking on your door with a refund offer – and you only have four years in which you can claim, so do be sure to keep an eye on this.

A few other things to bear in mind when it comes to student taxes:

• If you’re self-employed, it’s down to you to register for self-assessment with HMRC and report your income to them on a yearly basis. You’ll then be asked to pay tax if you’ve earned more than the personal allowance amount for that year.
• Not all of the money you receive will be subject to tax – student loans, sponsorship and grants are not taxable.

 How to Work Out How Much Tax You Owe

As mentioned above, there’s a good chance that you could end up overpaying tax if your working hours change throughout the year. With this in mind, it’s sensible to have an idea of how much tax you should be paying overall. For students, the calculation should be relatively simple:

• Write down your total income number – everything you’ve earned during a tax year (which runs from 6^th April one year to 5^th April the next).
• Take off any allowances (such as personal allowance).
• You’ll be left with a figure that equates to your taxable income.
• Use the tax rates that apply to you to calculate what your liability is (e.g. 20%, 40%, etc., as explained in the previous section).
• Take off any tax already deducted (such as the amount that would have been taken at source via PAYE – this will be stated clearly on your pay cheques).
• The amount that is left is the tax you owe, or which is owed to you.
• As an example: if you live in England and earned £250 a week during 2016-17, your total yearly income will have been £13,000. By subtracting your personal allowance (which was set at £11,000 for that tax year), you are left with your taxable income (£13,000 – £11,000 = £2,000). This falls into the 20% tax bracket, so multiply £2,000 by 0.2 to work out your liability (£400). The final step is to deduct any monies already paid for that tax year, which would provide you with a final figure. For example, if you happened to have paid £500 tax already, your final figure would be -£100, meaning that you would be due a £100 refund. By contrast, if you hadn’t yet paid any tax on the £13,000 you earned during that year, you would be required to cough up £400 at some point in the near future.

A Note on National Insurance

In the UK, if you are a student aged 16 or above and earn over £157 per week, you’ll also be liable to pay national insurance. These payments represent contributions to state benefits (such as the NHS and the state pension). For earnings between £157 – £866 per week, a contribution of 12% is due. Any earnings over that amount are charged at an additional 2%.

 Most students in full-time education will be required to pay national insurance contributions, whether they are employed or self-employed. This also applies to postgraduate students who are paid for teaching, as well as placement students who earn money during work experience.

This blog is part of a series on how to handle taxes as a student or entrepreneur. Do be sure to check back regularly for more updates and handy hints from the Crowdfund Campus team!

For many, the date ‘31^st January’ is firmly circled in diaries and calendars – it’s the deadline for the filing of self-assessment tax returns. But even if you aren’t self-employed, it makes sense to think about your taxes – and your plan for handling them – at the start of each new year. After all, if you’re a budding entrepreneur with a great idea, or if you’ve already set up your own business, you’ll want to ensure that you’re taking advantage of all the tax relief available.

Keep reading for four top tips on making tax work for your start-up:

Make VAT Viable

If you’re running a business, chances are that you’ll encounter Value Added Tax (VAT) sooner rather than later. But did you know that it’s an area in which business owners – particularly those with young start-up companies – commonly lose out?

Depending on your profession and turnover, the Flat Rate Scheme for VAT can be an area in which you can make big savings. Under the terms of the scheme, instead of adding up the output VAT you’ve charged and then reducing that based on the VAT you can reclaim, you calculate what is known as your ‘flat rate turnover’ (the sales for each quarter including any VAT you’ve charged customers). You then multiply this by the relevant flat rate percentage (these are set by HMRC, and differ depending on industry).

For small businesses, this method can represent an inherent cost-saving: time. Rather than sifting through reams of paperwork – not ideal if you’re a young entrepreneur trying to fine-tune your offering – you perform a simple calculation. Moreover, the amount of VAT you owe can work out to be significantly less than the amount you’d pay via the traditional route. HMRC also offer a 1% discount during the first twelve months of the scheme.

Work from Home

Considering whether to fork out for offices for your new team? Working together – and having a proper ‘base’ – has its benefits, but if you’re strapped for cash, it could pay to work at home. Not only will you significantly reduce overheads, but also HMRC offer a range of tax savings for people working from home – and not many people take full advantage of these.

Whilst many people working from home claim back money under the ‘use of home as office’ flat rate (starting from £10 a month), there are greater benefits to be reaped. Indeed, you can claim for a proportion of many common costs, such as:

• Council tax.
• Mortgage interest.
• Gas, electricity and water.
• Broadband and phone.
• Household repairs/maintenance.

Consider R&D Relief

It’s been widely reported that not enough companies are aware of research and development (R&D) tax credits. This government initiative represents a potentially game-changing tax saving for companies that invest in innovation and development.

You’d be surprised how many companies qualify for these credits – it’s certainly not limited to big business. Better still, your start-up may be eligible for a cash payment as well as a Corporation Tax reduction under the terms of the scheme.

To claim, businesses need to attempt to ‘resolve scientific or technological uncertainties’. Qualifying activities include:

• The creation of new products or services (an entrepreneur’s bread and butter!).
• Changes to existing products or services.

Best of all, the scheme actively rewards risk-taking – your project does not need to be successful in order to qualify for the tax credits, which equate to up to 33p for every £1 spent. If you’re eligible to apply, you can claim for the following (and more):

• Materials and overheads (such as power) – anything that is ‘used up or transformed’ by the process of R&D.
• Staff costs, such as salaries and NIC contributions.
• The hire of freelancers or contractors.

Seek Professional Advice – and Spend More Time Working

When trying to cut costs, the first thing most entrepreneurs or small business-owners do is take on more work themselves – including accounting and bookkeeping. The less money you pay to others, the more you can spend on the project, right? Wrong. As mentioned before, time really is money, and the more time you spend balancing the books, the less time you have to spend on your business. Moreover, even if you’re a meticulous record-keeper, you can’t possibly be aware of all the allowances, tax reliefs and savings that might be available to you. Hiring an experienced bookkeeper or accountant could pay dividends in the long run.

Crowdfund Campus isn’t only a valuable information hub for student entrepreneurs and budding business-owners – it’s also home to Sandpit, the simulated crowdfunding tool that allows you to trial your ideas safely through a virtual marketplace. Mapped to the QAA guidance on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship and approved by universities worldwide, Sandpit has been used successfully by many entrepreneurs and educators since inception. If you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us today to book a free demonstration.

In the spotlight:

Name: Joanna Mills

Location: Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge

Occupation: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre Manager, Wellcome Genome Campus

You are an influential individual within the enterprise education space. What does ‘enterprise education’ mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

Having been involved in the development of the QAA’s guidance on enterprise and entrepreneurship education which was published back in 2012, I still feel that their definition encapsulates the definition of enterprise education really well:

‘Enterprise education aims to produce graduates with the mindset and skills to come up with original ideas in response to identified needs and shortfalls, and the ability to act on them. In short, having an idea and making it happen. Enterprise skills include taking the initiative, intuitive decision making, making things happen, networking, identifying opportunities, creative problem solving, innovating, strategic thinking, and personal effectiveness. Enterprise education extends beyond knowledge acquisition to a wide range of emotional, intellectual, social, and practical skills.’

For me, I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with many outstanding students – some with brilliant ideas, and others with what seem like fairly ordinary ideas but which are more complex to execute. Enterprise education in many ways is about developing a set of core skills (listed in the definition above), many of them ‘soft skills’ which can be hard to learn but which are critical to successful execution of any ideas.

As enterprise educators, our role is often about providing the stimulus (a project or task as enterprise skills need to be learned by doing) and a safe environment for students to experiment, learn and practice those skills, so that they build the confidence they need to have an idea and then make it happen. Seeing students succeed in developing their confidence in these skills and supporting students in their journey as they ‘have a go’ at their ideas is one of the true joys of facilitating enterprise education.

How did you first become involved with enterprise education?

I’m a scientist by training, having studied biochemistry at undergraduate level and completing an MSc and PhD in biochemical engineering. After finishing my PhD at University College London, I was offered an opportunity to be involved in a new initiative to develop a post-experience master’s programme at the interface between the department and the biotech industry. This naturally brought me into contact with many entrepreneurial companies and ultimately saw me start to develop more intrapreneurial pathways for myself. I then relocated to Cambridge in 2001 as part of the early team in the University of Cambridge’s Entrepreneurship Centre where, as part of their teaching and training team, my focus was to launch a range of initiatives – both extracurricular and within the curriculum of various degree programmes.

How has enterprise education changed over the years, and how does it benefit students today?

Back in 2001, enterprise education was relatively new, having been encouraged through government funding initiatives such as the Science Enterprise Challenge and the Higher Education Innovation Fund. It seemed to focus more specifically on entrepreneurship and either taught students how to write great business plans or put them in the shoes of the protagonist entrepreneurs of Harvard-style case studies. In my experiences at Cambridge, the former tended to be found in extra-curricular activities and student-driven business plan competitions, and the latter in MBA classes only. A key discussion point amongst entrepreneurship educators at the time was around how to move on from teaching and learning about entrepreneurship to stimulating learning for enterprise and entrepreneurship.

We’ve moved a very long way over the years, and with the input of various structures (such as the QAA guidance) and organisations (such as EEUK) we’re much better placed to nurture the personal and ‘soft skills’ for entrepreneurship – the skills that actually matter to execute on a great business opportunity.

From the perspective of implementing and delivering enterprise education, educators have also worked and succeeded in developing the ecosystems and environments within which nascent entrepreneurs can learn. I’m a firm believer in having role model entrepreneurs and practitioners as teachers of enterprise education, both formally and informally – through getting them into the classroom to deliver lectures, mentoring students, setting projects, giving feedback to student presentations or simply networking informally. I believe this is becoming more acceptable within our institutions and we’re starting to be more creative in how we involve entrepreneurial ecosystems in enterprise education. Which is great – as many entrepreneurs do want to ‘give back’ and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.

During over 15 years at the Judge Business School (University of Cambridge), you were responsible for developing and directing the postgraduate diploma in entrepreneurship. What would you say to any institutions or academics who have still not included enterprise education within their curriculum?

I’d definitely encourage them. Often development of some core enterprise skills is already incorporated through project work, team based tasks, presentations and so on – but it is not necessarily recognised as contributing to the development of enterprise skills, nor is the value of these skills really highlighted to students. Of course, such interventions do not cover enterprise education fully, but there’s plenty of help out there for institutions – so no excuses. There are many tools and frameworks, support networks and examples of really creative ways in which enterprise education can be delivered into the curriculum within individual modules or integrated at programme level.

As Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre Manager at the Wellcome Genome Campus, you specifically think about enterprise within the context of genomics and biodata. Why is it important that scientists and clinicians think about, and have a have a grounding in, enterprise? 

I feel extremely privileged to be located at the Wellcome Genome Campus – it’s home to two world leading research institutes (the Wellcome Sanger Institute and EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute) that together sequenced about one third of the first human genome back in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s – a task that took more than 10 years and $3bn to achieve. The science on Campus continues to be outstanding and technology has developed rapidly such that genomes can be sequenced in just a few hours and for less than $1000 – so significantly faster and cheaper. This technology, combined with the huge volumes of data that genomics generates, means that we have the knowledge and potential to impact human health through personalised treatments, diagnosing and treating rare conditions more effectively, managing the spread of malaria and other pathogenic diseases and so on.

However, to make this kind of impact, we need outstanding genomic scientists and bioinformaticians to actively combine both their deep domain knowledge and enterprising skills to take ground-breaking developments forward. It’s often said (by entrepreneurs here on Campus anyway) that scientists are used to failure and that launching a start-up is no more of a risk than doing a PhD or postdoc – so I have no doubt that many great scientists have the capability to think and act in more enterprising ways. I believe the key is inspiring them to think about their aspirations for themselves and their science beyond the lab, and creating the right environment to give them the confidence to be more enterprising in their approaches. Of course, we also need to give them the grounding to understand issues around intellectual property, develop their understanding of the industrial and clinical context so that they can define their market, explore business models and so on, but once they have established that they have a great opportunity – and then the focus needs to be shifted to nurturing them within the ecosystem.

Joanna Mills delivering a talk at the Wellcome Genome Campus.

For students who don’t want to be entrepreneurs, what other benefits does enterprise education provide?

Undoubtedly enterprise education develops valuable general employability skills. From an employer’s perspective, who wouldn’t want to have on board a bright graduate who has the confidence to use enterprising skills to test and develop new ideas, implement them and make an impact?

Where do you hope to see enterprise education in five years’ time?

It would be great to see it embedded creatively in all university curricula, and learning from new approaches continuing to be shared amongst educators.

I think there are some interesting developments in university education which provide excellent opportunities for us to be even more creative in the way that we embed enterprise education in the curriculum. For example, I’m involved in a project here at the Wellcome Genome Campus where we are part of a collaborative effort to deliver a degree-level apprenticeship programme in bioinformatics – this involves working with a range of genome and biodata employers and a university partner, who together seek to take a step towards fulfilling a significant workforce need in this field. The role and form of enterprise education within the overall curriculum has had very healthy coverage within our discussions to date, and is well supported by the potential employers – some of which will be entrepreneurial organisations and others where innovation is central to what they do. Within these new types of degree programme, and working with employers, we have the possibility to instil industry knowledge and enterprise skills in more powerful ways through real projects in the workplace. I’m excited to see what we can achieve and how our apprentices develop and apply their newfound enterprising skills and knowledge.

What does a typical day look like in the world of Joanna Mills?

Do typical days exist?! My days can be really varied – I have two distinct but related aspects to my role here at the Wellcome Genome Campus. Firstly, I manage the BioData Innovation Centre which is a base for eight partner companies that are all innovators in the genomes and biodata space – some are young ventures, including spin-outs from the two research institutes on Campus, and others are teams from more mature and sometimes international organisations. The other aspect of my role is to stimulate a more entrepreneurial culture on Campus, which is mostly through entrepreneurial learning activities and opportunities, but also through involvement in other Campus level initiatives. Therefore, my days could – and often do – include anything from thinking through how we accommodate a partner company during a phase of rapid growth, to hosting an entrepreneurship seminar or supporting some of our graduate students as they work on their early-stage business ideas.

Underpinning both aspects of my role, however, is the need to build an enterprise ecosystem for the Campus – one which connects the companies and the research institutes already here with the people within them on Campus and beyond – so that we have greater capacity to create and capture value from innovations around our science. So, I guess, if there are any typical aspects to my day, it would be that they always include some element of networking and connecting.

And finally, Joanna, tell us: if you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I actually put this question to my kids – one of whom likened me to a giraffe on the basis that they really don’t look like they can run but actually can move quite fast. For those who know me, I’m neither tall nor particularly athletic, and whilst I’m aspiring to do something about my fitness at the moment, being a giraffe would certainly help with being taller.

One interesting fact about giraffes, though, is the way that they manage their blood pressure when they move their heads – given that their heads are so far away from their hearts. Some recent research has found that, contrary to earlier thinking, giraffe’s hearts are relatively small but their heart walls are thick and, unusually, they have muscles in the veins of their neck. Entrepreneurship can certainly raise the blood pressure, for sure, but entrepreneurship – and enterprise education to a certain extent – is also about encouraging entrepreneurs to construct their own ‘thick walls and muscles in the veins’: that is, the support networks of mentors and others that can be so valuable during the tough and challenging times, and who can celebrate successes with you!

If you are looking to launch or grow a business this year, the following healthy habits will help you take strides towards being a boss everyone wants to work for.

Ready? Go.

1. Learn something new every day.

Entrepreneurs are always hungry (and not just because they’ve worked through lunch). They crave knowledge and new information as if it is an oxygen source. Take a daily step in the right direction by committing one new nugget to mind before you leave the office. Read business books, browse the broadsheets, listen to podcasts – and actively absorb them. All entrepreneurs are dreamers, but the most successful dreamers are also doers.

2. Don’t get bogged down in the detail.

It’s important to be involved in your business, but not so involved that you can’t step back when appropriate. Remember, your role is to steer the ship, and that means spending time on what will make your company successful – working on the business, rather than in it, if you will. Of course, in the early days you may not have the luxury of extra pairs of hands, but when you get to the stage that delegating or outsourcing is feasible, do it. Many hands make light work, and the best entrepreneurs understand that hiring help is not a step backwards but a step forwards.

(Not convinced? Let Richard Branson persuade you: “Going it alone is a romantic notion, but few if any entrepreneurs ever brought an idea to life without a lot of help.”)

3. Work smarter, not harder.

Working all hours of the day – and night – should not be a badge of honour. It is not a rite of passage that validates the label ‘entrepreneur’. In fact, successful entrepreneurs prioritise balance; they immerse themselves in their work, but switch off completely when appropriate. They understand that business is important, but that family, friendships and health are more so. As such, they ensure they have ample time off to spend with loved ones, and never compromise on sleep or exercise.

4. Never feed your ego.

Building a business is not all about you. Whilst the vision and name on the masthead may be yours, a successful company is so much more than the sum of its CEO. Avoid making matters so personal that every achievement and failure is about you. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the people who have walked the path before you. And always make time to praise others.

5. Just do it.

Nike had the right idea when they coined their famous slogan: sometimes, you’ve just got to get on and do it. If you have been sitting on an idea for a while, or have done your market research and need to act on it, then what are you waiting for? Taking tiny steps on the ever-evolving entrepreneurial journey is the only way to achieve your end goal.

Is 2018 the year you intend to start your own business venture? Whether you want to test an idea, grow your audience or start raising capital, Crowdfund Campus has all the tools you need to succeed. From our simulated Sandpit marketplace to our live crowdfunding tool, we can help you take flight. Contact us today to learn more and book a free demonstration.

In the spotlight:

Name: Professor Candida Brush

Location: Babson College, MA

Occupation:  F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship; Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership; Research Director, Arthur M. Blank Center (at Babson College).  Senior Editor, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Visiting Adjunct, Bodo Graduate School, Nord University.

You are an influential individual within the enterprise education space. What does ‘enterprise education’ mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

I don’t actually think about “enterprise” education; rather, I think about “entrepreneurial” education. Enterprise to me implies that this is about an entity, or a business—whereas I think of “entrepreneurial” as the mindset that entrepreneurs apply to different ventures, businesses or situations. Therefore, “entrepreneurial” education is about providing students, practitioners, and policy-makers with entrepreneurial skills and competencies.

How did you first become involved with enterprise education?

I became involved as a result of studying entrepreneurs—in particular, I did one of the first and largest studies of women entrepreneurs in the US in the early 1980s[i], and then in the 1990s I was involved in a major collaborative research project about nascent entrepreneurs.  This project was a random household study of entrepreneurs in the process of starting businesses. We examined the start-up activities to determine the actions they took that led to successful venture launch and sustainability.  Contrary to early theory – which argued that entrepreneurs were “born” – this major research project showed that it was actions that made a difference.

Can entrepreneurship be included at all stages of education, and within every subject? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Absolutely!  Entrepreneurial thinking is a mindset, and it includes identifying or creating opportunities, acquiring the resources, and providing the leadership to create something of economic and/or social value.  Entrepreneurial thinking employs both creative logic, rooted in who you are, what you know, and who you know, and the resources you can afford to lose – as well as predictive logic, which is a more systematic strategic approach (identify the problem, analyse the situation, acquire the resources and execute).[ii]  Because this is a mindset, it can be applied to any type of business – family, franchise, small business, new business, corporate innovation, etc.

You are a founding member of the Diana Project, a long-term study of women business owners. How much progress has been made in terms of supporting female entrepreneurs – and what still needs to be done?

Yes, this has been a wonderful adventure.  There were 5 of us who founded the Diana Project and over the years we have expanded the research globally.  We now have more than 500 scholars from 47 countries involved in researching women’s entrepreneurship.  Over the time of our research, we have seen great progress in the research both generally and practically, in terms of support, programmes and growth in start-ups by women entrepreneurs.[iii] In the US in particular, women entrepreneurs are a significant force (36% of all US businesses are 51% women-owned).  Yet, there are still challenges. Women still have difficulty in accessing venture capital in particular.[iv]

For students who don’t want to be entrepreneurs, what other benefits does enterprise education provide?

As I mentioned, having an entrepreneurial mindset is a way to think through problems and lead a business, whether or not it is a business you create.  Creative problem solving is useful in any type of enterprise.  Further, part of our entrepreneurial education involves learning how to fail and be resilient – this is useful in any situation!

You have been a strong proponent for diversity in entrepreneurship, commenting that the world needs to ‘recognise that all populations of entrepreneurs can and should contribute to the economies of the world—not just a select few’. Tell us a little about your role as Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership, and what you hope can be achieved through your work in this sphere.

Thank you for asking this question. Historically, there has been an assumption that all entrepreneurs are the same, and therefore, policy can be a “one size fits all”. But over time we have learned that there are many different factors influencing entrepreneurship. Socio-cultural, religious, political, demographic and economic circumstances may facilitate or inhibit entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs of colour may face different obstacles than white male entrepreneurs. Single parents of low income may similarly face different challenges.  Therefore, when we create programmes, policies and initiatives, we need to consider that economies can benefit when everyone has equal access to learning entrepreneurial skills and competencies.

You’ve had an amazing career, pioneering entrepreneurship through your teaching, academic research and writing (with too many awards and degrees to name here!). Can you share a few of your most significant moments or personal achievements with us?

This is a hard question, but I think the high points have been the wonderful collaborations with co-authors – in particular, my Diana Project co-founders.[v]  Our 20+ years of work, collaboration, friendship and other activities have been truly special.  I have other research collaborations, notably my work with Linda Edelman and Tatiana Manolova, and the energy, inspiration and excitement we have shared when writing papers also represents some of my favourite memories.

Professor Brush has been awarded many accolades during her distinguished career.
Pictured here with the Babson College Alumni Association Leadership Award in 2012.

What does a typical day look like in the world of Candida Brush?

Well, this completely depends! If I am on campus, I am mostly in meetings – back to back, working with my amazing Entrepreneurial Center Directors, and the staff, faculty and students at Babson on entrepreneurial projects and initiatives. If it is summer, I would write and work on my research in the morning, do calls early afternoon, and maybe get in a round of golf (my favourite pastime!)

And finally, Candida, tell us: if you were an animal, what would you be and why?

How fun!  I would probably be a dolphin – playful, defender of the seas, and intelligent (!). I am a pescatarian so this works for me, too.

[i] Brush, C. 1992. Research on Women Business Owners: Past Trends, Future Directions, and a New Perspective”, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 16:4, 5-30

[ii] Brush, C.,  Greene, P.  Balachandra, L., & Davis A., 2014 The Diana Report- Bridging the Gap for Women Entrepreneurs, sponsored by CWEL and Ernst & Young

[iii] Jennings, J. & Brush, C. 2013. Research on women entrepreneurs: challenges to (and from) the borader entrepreneurship literature?  Academy of Management Annals.    7:1, 663-715

[iv] Neck, H., Greene, P.,  & Brush, C. 2014. Teaching Entrepreneurship:  A Practice Based Approach, Cheltenham, UK:  Edward F. Elgar Publishing

[v] Gatewood, E., Brush, C., Carter, N., Greene, P., & Hart, M. 2009.  Diana: A Symbol of women entrepreneurs hunt for knowledge, money and the rewards of entrepreneurship.  Small Business Economics.  32:2, 129-144