Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Business Lab for students
The Business Lab is part of the extracurricular initiatives delivered by the LBS Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange
The purpose of the Business Lab is to provide free advice and guidance to full and part time students (and alumni within two years of graduation), who are looking to develop their business ideas or start-up to help them succeed.
The advice and guidance provided draws on the practices of coaching and mentoring.
Advice provided
The advice and guidance provided covers a wide range of ‘subject areas’ most frequently:
- Writing a business plan
- Researching markets
- Applying for a start-up visa*
- Starting a company
- Reviewing a business idea e.g. for Eureka Competition
- Working for a start-up
- Making and growing sales
- Solving problems
- Validating a business idea
- Etc.
The advice could also be linked to entrepreneurship lectures for those students who take courses of such kind across the university.
It is not a place for counselling or similar.
*this visa scheme is now called the innovator founder visa and requires sponsorship.
Entrepreneurship Coaches and Mentors
-
Lucile Allen-Paisant
Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Alfred Chinta
Course Director / Leeds Business School -
Paul Hampson
Course Director / Leeds Business School
Entrepreneurship Coaches and Mentors
-
Lucile Allen-Paisant
Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Alfred Chinta
Course Director / Leeds Business School -
Paul Hampson
Course Director / Leeds Business School -
Stephanie Dawson
Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Kyran Parker
Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Shane Wright
Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Andy Da Lima
Academic Lecturer, MSEBD Course Coordinator, Business Operations, Strategy and Entrepreneurship
The advice is provided by Professor Lebene Soga and appointed entrepreneurship mentors/coaches from the LBS Centre for Entrepreneurship & Knowledge Exchange.
The Business Lab is open to other persons to join and become advisors specifically persons who can offer relevant knowledge, experience and skills within the subject areas. Example, colleagues in the Careers team may also be mentors/coaches in the Business Lab. Training will be provided for all mentors to ensure consistency.
The advisor can take on several different roles in the course of advising, depending on the requirements of the student that includes being a coach, mentor, an information resource, a role model and a friend.
The role calls for critical skills including listening, encouraging, drawing out, reflecting back and challenging assumptions, and, as necessary, providing critical feedback on ideas or plans under discussion.
Students can attend the Business Lab as a group or as individuals.
The students can expect their questions to be addressed effectively. An answer might not be available instead the student can expect to be guided to find the answer. Importantly the student can expect to leave with a plan of action.
They can also expect to learn about skills and mindset needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.