Issue 145
The Digital Technium on the University campus
Business is the big idea...
25th September 2006
Everybody wants to be their own boss, right? But you can't do anything about your big business idea while you're still studying at uni, right? Wrong.
If you want expert advice on funding, finding space or just getting support then signing up for Swansea University's brand new Student Business Club should be your first move. It won't cost you anything and it could put you in touch with exactly the right people to help you get your idea off the ground.
If you need financial backing to develop your idea, or are looking for space to work on the idea, or simply want to sit down with someone and talk things through - in other words, taking those crucial first steps toward setting up on your own - the Student Business Club can put you in touch with somebody who has already been there and knows the ropes as well as how to avoid the pitfalls.
And if you're idea is that bit further down the road you could even become an Associate Member of the Technium network. There are several Technium centres across south west Wales, all dedicated to helping technology-led businesses realise their full potential as quickly as possible. Technium Digital sits at the heart of the campus, right next door to Fulton House.
PhD student Jon Harvey, 25, decided that the time was right for him to take his business idea to the next level, so he signed up as a Technium Associate Member and now has a desk in Technium Digital. But he doesn't have the worry and expense of renting space. He also has access to all the advice and expertise that the Technium network can offer, without having to worry about the day-to-day problems of running an office.
And there is the opportunity to network with like-minded people who were once where you are now - just starting up.
His company, Bay View Systems, specialises in online management systems. Jon said that associate Membership of Technium has given him a head start.
"It's a good environment for a start-up because it allows you to concentrate on building your business rather than worrying about the other issues, like finding office space and so on," said Jon.
"It also means there are business experts on hand to offer advice without having to pay extra for it." Jon hopes that, after his first year at Technium, his company will have grown enough to move to its own premises. "Eventually I'd like the company to have its own office with a team of us working on different things.
"Bay View's flagship product is an online database system for academic researchers, so I see everything else we'd be working on as supporting that," added Jon.
To find out more about the Student Business Club and Technium, look out for our stand at the Fresher's Fair or contact Sian Newman on 01792 602362 or at s.y.newman@swansea.ac.uk.
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