Brunel

Entrepreneur Magazine
INTERVIEW
Will Self
Why writers are also
entrepreneurs
Brunels graduate
scheme
Its back to achieve success
Entrepreneur in
Residence
David Riley talks to Launchpad
NEWS
e latest entrepreneurial news
Brunel
Entrepreneur Magazine
457776 LaunchPad Magazine No Lamination
2
3
Welcome to
Launchpad
Contents
News
Entrepreneurship in numbers
Prof. Julia Buckingham, VC at Brunel
University
Entrepreneurs from Arts: Iconik Sonik
David Riley: Brunels Entrepreneur in
Residence
Brunels Business School
Inspiring tomorrows entrepreneurs
Career: Self-made
Brunel Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme
Interview with an alumni entrepreneur
Saul Parkinson, Brunel Entrepreneurs Society
Pauline Seston, Placement and Career Center
James Lamb: From Dyson to designing the future
Made in Brunel
Get the best of the Internet
33
44
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
16
18
19
Jon Eilenberg - Editor
Adam Smith - Art Director
Amanda Stringfellow - Chief Subeditor
Alexandra Gardiner - Picture Director
Journalists and Lay-Outers
Alan Selby
Alessandro Pensabene
Eva Tapiero
Szu-Han Chu
Bettina Gimenez
Paul Lashmar
Piarve Wetshi
Image credits:
Iconik Sonik Artwork: Ben Self
Cover photo: Valerie Bennett
(www.valeriebennett.com)
Contributors
I
amdelighted to introduce you to
LaunchPad - a new magazine focusing
on the range of entrepreneurial activity
taking place at Brunel University. I am
sure you will be struck by both the range
and the quality of the activities that are re-
ported and discussed here; but what makes
this publication particularly impressive is
that it is produced entirely by Journalism
students.
So LaunchPad is a testament not only
to the wide range of enterprise and innova-
tion that is to be found at Brunel but also
to the talent of the students who have so
professionally produced this exciting new
publication.
Andrew Ward,
Brunel Universitys Director of
Corporate Relations
Get the best of the Internet
The Internet is a fantastic tool that presents a world of opportunity when used properly.
But it can also be a maze where the genuine advice stands alongside scams of all kind.
To help you make the best of it, Launchpad had a look at what the web has to offer to
help entrepreneurs, and selected the best of it.
START UP BRITAIN START UP BRITAIN : is is a response fromthe private sector to
the Governments call for an enterprise-led recovery
WHOTHEY ARE : StartUp Britain is a campaign founded by eight
successful entrepreneurs in 2011. It is backed up by the Chancellor
and HMGovernment and is privately funded. ey are partner with
various major brands (BT, Dell )
WHAT THEY DO: ey provide support to businesses at all stage
through events, local campaigns and mentoring. ey also provide
funding solutions for young people willing to start their own busi-
nesses.
SHELL LIVE WIRE : An independent service with no cost or strings
attached
WHOTHEY ARE : Shell LiveWire is an initiative launched by Shell in
1982 as part of its Social Investment Programs and is targeting young
entrepreneurs in the UK. It is also present in 21 countries.
WHAT THEY DO: Shell LiveWire aims at helping young people ex-
plore starting their own businesses. It provides online support through
discussion forums between members, business advisers and mentors,
free resources (such as legal and nancial guidance) and award pro-
grammes of up 10000.
UnLtd : e leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in
the UK
WHOTHEY ARE : UnLtd is a charitable organization founded in
2000. UnLtds goal is to provide support to social entrepreneurs at
various stages of their journey.
WHAT THEY DO: UnLtd oers help through a range of awards
combining mentoring, personal support and funding . Amongst
others, special programmes include the Big Venture Challenge for
ambitious social enterprise project, and the HE support for student,
graduate, or university sta.
By Bettina Gimenez
19
3
Boris Johnson cuts ribbon on tech start-up hub Boris Johnson cuts ribbon on tech start-up hub
e Mayor of London recently attended the opening of
Level39, a new business hub that is set to compete with
East Londons Tech City as a base for up and coming tech-
nology rms in the capital.
Based in Canary Wharf, the group behind the initia-
tive describes it as Europes largest accelerator space for
nance and retail technology startups.
ey say the new o ces, on the 39th oor of One Canada
Square, are perfectly poised to capitalise on the 7,000
technology, media and telecommunications workers in
Canary Wharf. Head of the operation, Eric Van der Kleij,
says members will also have access to business rockstars
through his extensive array of contacts in the City and
beyond.
Investors in new businesses to qualify for 64% tax
reliefs
Investors in new start-ups could qualify for tax reliefs of
up to 64% through a new government scheme.
e Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is designed to
help start-ups secure investment by incentivising their
backers through a range of tax breaks.
Measures include allowing investors to see a 50% reduc-
tion on their income tax if they invest up to 100,000, and
reducing capital gains tax on their investments returns.
Companies must have been running for less than two
years, have fewer than 25 employees, and under 200,000
in gross assets. 22m venture capital fund announced for London
businesses
New businesses in London are set to benet from a 22m
fund to encourage economic growth and enterprise in the
capital.
e money comprises 11m from venture capitalists
MMC Ventures, and 11m in matched funding from the
European Regional Development Fund.
Announcing the fund, Mayor of London Boris Johnson
said It is a top priority for me that these entrepreneurial
enterprises receive practical support to thrive and grow,
not least as many have the potential to become major
employers in the future.
Branson says businesses would benet from Branson says businesses would benet from Branson says businesses would benet from
Heathrow expansion Heathrow expansion Heathrow expansion
Richard Branson has led renewed calls for an expansion
of Heathrow Airport, arguing it would provide a much
needed boost to business and innovation in London.
Branson says people have been waiting too long for new
investment in the capital, and now is the time to see
more spending on big projects.
Many believe the controversial expansion of the airport
would revitalise businesses, as well as attracting more in-
novation to London from abroad.
Brunel holds Dragons Den investment
competition
Brunel University invited budding entrepreneurs to
compete for 1,000 in investment towards their business
ideas.
e event, on May 20, saw students promote a wide
range of product and service ideas to a panel of experts
in exchange for feedback and the chance to secure vital
investment in their start-ups.
For details on upcoming Brunel events check:
http://brunelentrepreneurs.com
The latest business and Brunel news
And also...
(p0001) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
1
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
4
4.6 m
or 96% of businesses in
the UK are micro businesses
employing 10 people
or less
70%
nd starting a business
appealing given the
current job market
4.8m
businesses in the UK
83%
of students believe
there should be more
advice available at
university on being
an entrepreneur
2.6m
businesses were
launched between
2002 and 2011
5%
of Brunel graduates
are self-employed or
freelancers
9%
of businesses
launched between
2002 and 2011
survived
44%
of students want to set up
their own business
after graduation
S
o
u
rc
e
: B
ru
n
e
l U
n
iv
e
rs
it
y

In
n
o
v
a
tio
n
H
u
b
: A
D
is
c
u
s
s
io
n
P
a
p
e
r
(F
e
b
2
0
1
3
)
Startup Stats
(p0002) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
2
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
5
Brunels Vice Chancellor, Prof. Julia Buckingham,
passionately believes in the need for entrepre-
neurialism at university
J
ulia Buckingham believes that one of the most impor-
tant aspects of entrepreneurialism at Brunel is the way it
prepares students for successful careers.
One of the things
Im very keen to do in
the University is not
just to make sure that
our students are very
good academically
and succeed in their
courses, but also that
our graduates are ready
for work, ready for life
and that they have a
high degree of social
responsibility.
She argues that
entrepreneurialism is
integrally linked to the
identity of Brunel as a
university: Brunel was
originally an engineering university, and while we have a
much broader brief now there is still an ethos of engineer-
ing that you are making things that are going to be useful
to people.
Brunel is a research intensive university, we have people
working at the cutting edge of their elds. ere is an ethos
of providing education and doing research that is going to
be of social and economic benet. Much of this research is
truly applied to make the world a better place.
Having taken up her post in October 2012, she is de-
termined that the University continues to promote every
possible entrepreneurial opportunity.
I think part of being ready for work is understand-
ing how business works, understanding how the economy
works and having the opportunity to be entrepreneurial.
e Vice Chancellor believes that there are many ways
a university can be entrepreneurial, but she says providing
students with real life skills is her primary motivation.
Im interested in giving students the opportunity to
develop entrepreneurial skills, and to experiment in a safe
environment. Setting up a business is such a big step, and I
would like to see some form of entrepreneurship education
oered to all of our students.
In this way Buckingham believes that skills obtained at
university are inherently valuable to entrepreneurial suc-
cess, as she explains: rough education you develop the
capacity to evaluate
evidence and to make
decisions based on that
evidence and that is an
important skill.
Learning about
research rst hand and
seeing the process from
conception, of some-
thing that is valuable in
the market place and
making the world a
better place for people,
is intrinsically valuable.
Where the entre-
preneurial bit adds is
through an understanding of where you can take those ideas
and that information into business and create real value out
of it.
Buckingham promotes an idea of entrepreneurialism
which encompasses the spirit of learning found in edu-
cational institutions. She says research is integral in this
setting, and applying it where necessary is not only our
responsibility, but the true essence of entrepreneurship
By Amanda Stringfellow
@AmandaStringfellow
Julia Buckingham
Entrepreneurship is taking an idea, developing it,
and successfully applying it to something which is of
social or economic benet
Isambard KingdomBrunel, 19th century engineering giant
(p0003) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
3
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
6
Iconik Sonik
Iconik Sonik is a sound design
company launched by three
students from the School of
Arts at Brunel University
T
hey produce sound features
for a variety of projects such as
art and music festivals. Katie
is the performer, singer, dancer and
manager. Ollie is the technician and
sound designer coming from a sound
engineer background. And Phil is the
link between these two, producing,
collecting and organising sounds as
well as helping with technical issues.
It was Phils dissertation that origi-
nally brought them together. In 2012,
Phil was in his last year at Brunel, and
his nal project was a multimedia
performance. He needed a dancer, and
as he says: Katie was the only one I
knew. ey both performed in the
performance while Ollie controlled
sound and lighting. In June the same
year they had their rst project as a
company. ey worked on the Weather
Art and Music festival (WAM) in
Reading. Here they created a sonic
art installation, where people could
come and interact and they have
already been commissioned for the
next festival in 2014.
ey all point out that they are
constantly looking for new instead
of just waiting for things to happen:
it is quite clear when you rst start
doing music that its not easy to get
in to, so you know youve got to put
yourself out there, you know youve
got to do as much as you can in
order to be successful.
Iconik sonics productions use a
variety of dierent media. ey de-
scribe themselves as very adaptable to
dierent projects. So aer their work
on the WAM they started another pro-
ject while Phil was in Brighton, Katie
in Reading and Ollie in York. However,
it turned out that they were perfectly
capable of working together over
distance. Until now they have not ap-
plied for funding. ey have managed
to use their own equipment or had it
provided by their employers. For the
WAM festival, for example, the festival
organisers helped them to access the
equipment they needed.
Right now they are in the process
of designing logos and business cards.
As soon as they leave university they
plan to apply for funding and move in
to a more structured business model:
once we graduate, the plan is to do a
formal business plan, now we know
what company we are and what we
have to oer. One of the funding
options they consider is the Princes
Trust, an organisation which helps
young people to start businesses.
Money would allow them to buy better
equipment to increase their chances of
getting new projects.
Iconik Sonik says that it would be
nice to have an o ce space to meet,
work and store their equipment. How-
ever, this is not at present their top
priority. ey are not planning to get
more people in to the company either.
For the time being we are happy
with the three of us says Katie. But
they all agree that in the future they
might want to expand the company to
promote the business
By Eva Tapiero
Iconik Sonik
Overcast, an Iconic Sonik artwork by Ben Self
(p0004) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
4
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
7
David Riley is an entrepreneur; he is the founder
of staffing and recruitment company, Mandeville
Recruitment. More importantly David Riley is a
successful entrepreneur; he built the company
for 17 profitable years until selling it for a sub-
stantial sum. Most significantly; David Riley is a
successful entrepreneur residing at Brunel Uni-
versity; who dedicates his time to help aspiring
students who have started, or desire to start,
their own business
F
or the past three years David Riley has been associ-
ated with the university where he holds formal talks
and face-to-face meetings with the Brunel students.
So David Riley is a successful entrepreneur residing at
Brunel, determined to impart his knowledge to the next
generation. e talented businessman believes that Britain
needs entrepreneurs, an infusion of young people who
can spot an opportunity and believe that they can gain an
advantage if they take action despite the risks involved.
David Riley said: I started a company, built a company
and took it through many stages and then sold it to a large
international group. at behaviour is associated with the
behaviour of an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship has been a perpetual trait in David
Rileys life: if you go back to my childhood and my teen-
age years I was always involved in something or another
to make money. Typical entrepreneurial behaviour from
chopping and selling rewood as a seven-year-old to buying
shoes from factory shops and selling them at school to the
teachers, pupils and canteen sta.
A good percentage of the students David Riley advises
come to him on their own initiative, drawn by his con-
siderable entrepreneurial reputation. But he also uses the
university network to seek out students who could benet
from his expertise.
David Riley says, networking is one of the most funda-
mental skills needed by future entrepreneurs, and every-
body else for that matter! For an aspiring entrepreneurial
student a connection with David Riley provides access to a
wealth of expertise and a vast network of helpful and inu-
ential contacts in the business world.
In his daily work David Riley meets many hopeful
entrepreneurs of the future and imparts the message that
there is always something to do and someone to see. Apart
from his face-to-face talks with entrepreneurial students:
he holds talks on subjects such as networking, business
planning and the way to think in order to start a successful
business. According to David Riley, the element of risk is
an integral part of entrepreneurism, and needs to be taken
in to account. Most successful people in business, politics,
education and sport have more failures than the average
person.
ey constantly try something, and when they fail ob-
viously they feel upset, they feel wounded, they feel like they
want to cry! But the time they spend on that is short and
somehow theyre able to get back up again and say well, in
the light of what Ive learned, now what action shall I take?
David Riley is adamant that failure is not incompatible
with success, in fact he believes that the two concepts can be
inextricably interlinked. He explained: failure is normally a
step on the road to success. Students who are taking action
and having a go can fail. It is all part of whats supposed to
happen at university, which is useful learning.
It is among those students who fail in entrepreneurial
activity at university that tomorrows successful entrepre-
neurs will come from.
David Riley
By Amanda Stringfellow and Jon Eilenburg
@AmandaStringfellow
@JonEilenburg
Entrepreneurs do tend to have similar
personality characteristics, and that is that
they move to action more quickly, and they
cope with failure better
(p0005) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
5
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
8
Business at Brunel - a piece of cake
W
hat do you think studying
business at university is
like? Your rst impression
is probably all that paperwork plans,
forecasts and accounts, not to mention
boosting those entrepreneurial skills.
Whilst the rst bit is straightforward,
entrepreneurship can be seen from
many diering perspectives. Some
think of business, others think of
personality.
To me it is a bit of both. You have
an idea, put it into action, get others
involved and watch it grow while con-
tinuously adding to it and obviously
watching the money grow. en there
is also the importance of being in the
right place at the right time, taking ad-
vantage of opportunities and overcom-
ing di culties.
But unfortunately none of this is
easily taught you
either have it or you
dont. Despite this
there is nothing wrong
with giving it a try,
which is just what one
group of business stu-
dents had the chance
to do recently.
During One World
Week the market-
ing, communications,
creative and evaluation
committees of the Uni-
versity all get involved.
Its impossible to walk
through campus with-
out seeing the colour-
ful rainbow of stalls, or
smelling your favourite
food from back home.
is year the Business School took
part, and Business Life Student Ambas-
sadors worked alongside Business Life
heads to create One Sweet World, a day
where students sold sweets and des-
serts from multiple countries, with all
prots going to causes chosen by the
RAG (Raising and Giving) Society.
Its a simple enough concept, but
behind the scenes many entrepreneur-
ial skills were being learnt. Students
experienced how to be cost-eective,
how best to reach the target audience,
how to know which products would
be successful, and how to allocate re-
sources. All of these skills are used on
a day-to-day basis in the real world by
business leaders past and present, such
as Richard Branson and Anita Rod-
dick. Even they needed to start small in
order to kick start their empires.
is year was the rst ever One
Sweet World event, and aer its success
During the intercultural One World Week at Brunel, Business Life met the students need for sugar as well as their need for
developing professional and personal skills.
Piarve Wetshi, student at Brunel Universitys Business School, writes on
Business at Brunel and its effort to promote entrepreneurial skills
You have a idea, put it into
action, get others involved
and watch it grow while
continuously adding to it
we can expect more of the same on
an even larger scale over the coming
years. Over 80 was raised, and student
ambassadors from rst years to post-
graduates saw this as a great chance to
exercise their teamwork skills.
Sales hats were donned as students
gathered up
potential custom-
ers on the quad
and sold their
delicious wares.
Strategic minds
were engaged as
students planned
budgeted, and,
most importantly,
happy customers
went away with treats ranging from
cornbread from Africa right through to
European coco rum.
So what is
Business Life?
Business Life is
an employability
programme for
business students
at Brunel Universi-
ty. Everyone knows
how competi-
tive the business
world is, especially
given the growth
in business-based
subjects at univer-
sity. Business Life
teaches profession-
al and personal
skills, making sure
students come out
with more than
just a degree. ose who take part can
gain condence, experience leadership,
attend special events, meet employers
and create professional contacts for the
future.
By Piarve Wetshi
(p0006) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
6
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
Inspiring tomorrows
entrepreneurs
An increasing number of Brunel
courses are integrating entre-
preneurism into the syllabus.
Third year journalism under-
graduates now take a module in
entrepreneurism. The module is
run by Paul Lashmar, a journal-
ist with thirty years experience
in the UK national news media.
Writing for Launchpad, Paul de-
cribes his innovatory module.
E
ntrepreneurism is a state of
mind, a way of looking out at the
world and constantly watching
for opportunities. e young entrepre-
neur needs to attune their mind so they
look at every situation and evaluate for
its business potential. It ts nicely with
journalism because good journalists
spend all their time looking for stories.
In British universities entrepre-
neurism was once only mentioned
in the business school a part of the
university then shunned by other disci-
plines. at has changed dramatically.
Business schools are blooming and oth-
er disciplines have now seen the light.
In response to the austere nancial
climate that prevailed aer the crisis of
2008 most departments in universities
now encourage entrepreneurism and
there are university entrepreneurial
societies. David Baines and Ciara Ken-
nedy, two journalism educators, say:
Universities
can be seen as
entrepreneurial
spaces where
students and
sta engage
creatively and collaboratively in testing
boundaries of knowledge and under-
standing; where students can take risks
they could not take in a workplace.
We encourage our students to think
of themselves as entrepreneurs. Even if
our students get a job, news organisa-
tions value sta that can spot revenue
opportunities that accompany new
social media and technology.
ere is not a drop in demand for
news journalism, but with fewer and
fewer sta jobs in the mainstream
media, more and more journalists are
creating their own outlets or working
freelance. At Brunel, we have respond-
ed to the changing world of journalism
with this module. We look at three
elements that together can be described
as entrepreneurial journalism:
e journalism entrepreneur
e self-employed journalist who
seeks to nd new markets for journal-
ism, create a business and make a prot
e freelance
A high percentage of journalists are
now working freelance for one or more
organisations. We look at what makes a
successful freelance.
e employed entrepreneur
e journalist who can spot
revenue opportunities in their
organisations.
e module is underpinned by
an assessed requirement to produce a
revenue driven website, blog or app or
even a combination. is product has
to be presented by the student at the
end of term. We believe that presenta-
tion is now a vital skill for students as
Most nd that the
slope is not as slippery
as theyd feared
By Paul Lashmar
Paul.Lashmar@brunel.ac.uk
students will soon nd themselves hav-
ing to present when applying for a job
or persuading a group of entrepreneurs
to put money into their proposals. We
also train our students on how to create
websites and other entities.
is approach has been very suc-
cessful in the United States as Ameri-
can journalism guru Mark Briggs says:
Entrepreneurial journalists recognise
the potential pitfalls and conicts of
interest in running a news-based busi-
ness. Most nd that the slope is not as
slippery as theyd feared. Smart, ethical
professionals with good values, who
practice serious journalism, can build
trust with an audience, just as corpo-
rate news companies once did.
So far none of our graduates have
become millionaires yet but they go out
into the world of work alive to pos-
sibilities. One student has designed an
innovative app that allows people out
in central London on a night out to
get geographical specic and real time
suggestions of places to further them-
selves. Another, Matt Smith, has set up
a hyperlocal website covering his native
Gosport and which he is going to run
and develop when he graduates
e
(p0007) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
7
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
10
A
piece of advice oen given to aspiring journalists is
to speak to professionals in the eld. And you dont
get much more professional than Will Self: with
nine novels, decades of experience in the publishing indus-
try and a distinct
satirical style, he one
of the best-known
modern-day authors
in Britain.
Surely he would
be able to tell us how
to make a living out
of words?
Well, I was
always aware that
the stu I really
wanted to write was
never going to earn
me enough to live
on, says Will, who
primarily considers
himself a journalist
rather than a novel-
ist. Aer graduating
from Oxford, he rst
made a name for
himself as a literary
writer which then
proved to be bank-
able on Fleet Street.
At the same
time, I did some-
thing people are
very uncomfortable
with, and rightly so:
I didnt object to a
personal image of
who I was becoming
a media image in
fact, I encouraged it!
In what the 51-year-old describes as his colourful past,
he says he might have made some decisions he regretted on
a personal level, but never on a professional one:
I did and said quite outrageous things, but that was
never a mistake for my career. Over the years, Will has
appeared on a range of TV programmes from comedy panel
shows to political debate forums. ese television appear-
ances may take up less than one per cent of his working life,
but the writer is very conscious of the power of the medium:
If you ask people on the street whether they know Will Self,
they will oen think of me as that guy o the telly.
e fact that he was
able to create his own
brand as a writer has be-
come particularly useful
in recent years: having
a name in a recession is
even better than having
a name when the liter-
ary economy is doing
well. While magazines
and newspapers nd it
hard to get revenue and
are commissioning less
and less people, they
still need a few writers
with a prole.
Just as it is the case
with any brand, prod-
uct or career, success can only be guaranteed if a certain
level of quality is maintained - and it is this quality Will
sees endangered. Is the internet helping writers to become
entrepreneurs or is it jeopardising the quality of our media
by oering everything for free?
Sooner or later free will result in crap. People who think
they are just attacking Hollywood moguls by download-
ing lms will realise they are wrong. ey are attacking the
Career: self-made
Will Self: prolific writer, intellectual lecturer and the bloke off the telly? The journalist and
author talks to LaunchPad about his brand, the freedom of freelancing and tells us why a little
pessimism cant hurt.
Will Self was appointed Professor of Contemporary ought at Brunel in 2012
I did & said
outrageous
things, but
that was
never a
mistake for
my career
(p0008) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
8
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
11
ability of creators to do their work. But eventually it will get
through to them: if you want high quality, you have to pay
for it.
e same goes for the way news organisations rely more
and more on social networks and Twitter, says Self. In a
time when newsrooms are unwilling and unable to come up
for foreign correspondents, the level of opinion journalism
is peaking: its easy to think, why do we need a reporter in
Damascus when we have our mate Ahmed right there who
can tweet? But all Ahmed really does is provide data. ere
is such a thing as good writing and professionalism and we
will soon realise that social media are no eective way of
providing news.
With the impact of the web clashing with the recession,
the new generation of journalists, writers and graduates
trying to launch a career in the creative industry are in for
dire times.
Will acknowledges that he was privileged to start out in
an economy in which he was paid for every single one of
his pieces - Who but a fool would write for anything but
money? he says, quoting Dr Johnson - whilst the current
situation oen aords young journalists to work for free.
Still: surely there is reason to be optimistic?
Seriously: I think pessimism is a better position than
optimism because its more realistic. For example, the whole
nancial collapse is a result of misplaced optimism. Be con-
dent about your skills but pessimistic about the situation
you nd yourself in.
Will, who loved and hated his own student years, was
recently appointed Professor of Contemporary ought at
Brunel.
e writer is enthused by the opportunity to work
with young people whose minds are still expanding, but he
is aware that these graduates will have to be more canny
and alert than ever.
Blogs and social media platforms may present a good
opportunity to create attention, but aspiring media prac-
titioners should be wary of distributing their skills too
freely: dont post stu at tedium on other blogs. Create a
concept for your own site that will attract a readership and
will become bankable. Also, acquire the ability to talk in
public because thats the one thing they cant download
from the web, your personal attendance.
In the media industry, things will get worse before they
start to get better, he says, and envisions a future in which
many of the countrys print media outlets will have to shut
down, the right-wing press will take over, people will be
fed up with it and pay walls will slowly but surely create
a way of gaining revenue through the web -Probably not
within the time of your and your fellow students genera-
tion, though.
Nevertheless: however strenuous the life of a freelance
creative might be, it has its perks to make it all worthwhile.
To freelance means you dont have to be subject to the
usual hierarchy and politics of a corporate job. And the
freedom of being your own boss is enormous - its a fantas-
tic thing
By Alexandra Gardiner
Sooner or later, free will
result in crap. By wanting
everything for free, people
are attacking the ability of
creatives to do their work
Learn how to speak in public - and how to sell your personal attendance
@AlexGardiner_
(p0009) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
0
9
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
L
A
U
N
C
H
R
A
D





12
FLATURL
a massive interest generated on cam-
pus. e rst year was not without its
issues, such as the short notice given
to universities, which led to some stu-
dents missing out, but this year several
improvements have been made.
Last year, despite 50 universities
applying for the scheme, Collingwood
says many others were put o by the
UKBAs stipulation that applicants
must have world class ideas.
If you talk to anybody whos in-
volved in entrepreneurship, you dont
know an ideas world class at the point
that it begins, or you very rarely know
that.
ese
things de-
velop, and it
depends how
much work
you put into
them, and Im sure theres an element
of luck involved as well, and whatever
else is happening in the market. But to
dene something as world class before
its begun is very dicult.
But the UKBA has responded by
changing the requirement this year;
students must now demonstrate a
genuine and credible business idea,
something Collingwood says is bound
to lead to an increased uptake.
But these teething problems have
not detracted from the core appeal of
the scheme, she says, which is ulti-
mately about attracting international
talents into an increasingly diverse
UK business market Its all about
innovation.
Reecting on this years success in
attracting talent from as far as South-
east Asia, Russia and the Middle East,
Collingwood concludes by highlight-
ing how initiatives like the Graduate
Entrepreneur Scheme can ultimately
benet the country as a whole if
talented individuals are encouraged
to stay rather than pursue their ideas
elsewhere.
ey are very driven. eyd al-
ready thought about this, and then the
opportunity came along. I think thats
what really makes them stand out
they havent heard about Graduate
Entrepreneur and thought, Oh, maybe
I could do that.
ey were already operating at
that level, or trying to operate at that
level, and that was what they wanted,
and this then gave them an opportu-
nity to follow it through.
International students can contact
the Placement and Careers Centre
to nd out more about this years
scheme.
T
his summer Brunel Uni-
versity will give 10 interna-
tional students the chance to
start their own businesses in the UK,
as part of the UK Border Agencys ag-
ship Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme.
e University made history last
year when launched the rst Graduate
Entrepreneur programme. And despite
the Governments cap on visas for
international students, the innovative
scheme was deemed such a success it is
returning for a second year.
More than 30 international stu-
dents competed for their chance to
receive sponsorship from the Univer-
sity to stay in the UK and follow their
dreams.
And whilst last years successful
candidates prepare to start work on
ideas ranging from tech startups to
consultancies, 10 more students with
genuine and credible business ideas
will have the same opportunity in
2013.
LaunchPad spoke to Claire
Collingwood, one of the key archi-
tects behind Brunels participation,
who says from day one she knew the
programme was a perfect match for
the University.
e main reason we wanted to do
it was because the idea of the Graduate
Entre-
preneur
Scheme
seemed
to t with
the ethos
of Brunel
University, in that were trying to
encourage entrepreneurship, trying to
encourage careers and placements, and
it ts with everything else we do.
e application process sees the
Placement and Careers Centre run a
two-day business bootcamp, as well as
workshops from experienced entre-
preneurs including David Riley, the
Universitys entrepreneur-in-residence.
Collingwood says the appeal to stu-
dents at Brunel last year was clear, with
to relaunch this summer
Brunel Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme
were trying to encourage
entrepreneurship, and it ts
with everything else we do
by Alan Selby
One of last summers entrepreneurial workshops hosted by the Placement and Careers Centre
(p0010) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
0
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
13
Ariel Liu
Young brunel alumnus and entrepre-
neur talks about creating a business
from scratch
A
riel Liu is a young Taiwanese designer and business
woman who created A Innity A, her own brand
consultancy, aer graduating with an MA in Design
Strategy and Innovation from Brunel University. Now
providing advice to projects ranging from Taiwanese drama
production to VIP fashion events, she says starting her own
company has been a struggle, but her growing success has
made it all worthwhile.
She chose to study Design Strategy and Innovation
because courses focusing on products and their design were
still relatively rare in Asia. She says at rst it was really dif-
cult to introduce new information to the Asian design in-
dustry, who considered it too theoretical, so decided to stay
in London and nd a job as a designer to gain credibility.
Aer ve years gaining experience in design companies
she knew the industry well, and had grown extremely inter-
ested in some projects she began to pursue in greater depth.
A Innity A was born out of all this experience in March
2011. Ariel says she took the decision to go solo because
owning her own business would mean she could choose
which projects she worked with. She said, Actually, I con-
sidered creating my own company for a long time, but it is
not that simple to do.
We didnt face huge di culties when we started our
business, there was only me and another girl in our com-
pany at the beginning.
e pair wanted to dene their company as a bridge be-
tween the Asian market and the British market. Ariel said:
We hope we can introduce excellent designers or brands
from Taiwan, Hong Kong or even from China to the UK.
We would also like to bring new information and mind-sets,
either mainstream or non-mainstream, from the UK back
to Asia.
Ariel learned a lot about business thinking and mar-
keting strategies when their rst proposals were rejected
by clients. She soon realised some issues were not directly
related to design, but more to wider business issues. We
didnt have that much working capital, so we could only try
everything we knew such as website design, magazine edit-
ing and lming. We discussed with our customers and did
our best to promote their brand in an aesthetic way.
Ariel believes the presentation skills she learned in her
time at Brunel are invaluable to her business. I learned
how to present my ideas to the customers, to cooperate with
them and to help them re-brand and package their product.
A Innity A is now organising an exhibition for Taiwan-
ese designers and brands to promote their product in Lon-
don. She says the process has been a brand new experience
for the company: You have to dene the exhibition rst and
then communicate with designers because those designers
may already have their own brand images.
You have to negotiate and merge dierent concepts to a
complete an image.
For students keen to create their own businesses, Ariel
suggests that they need to be certain what they actually want
to do - she sees this as fundamental to entrepreneurialism.
I think its absolutely wrong to create a business just
because you cant nd a job or dont know what to do. Its
not only a waste of money but also a waste of
time.
She explains that in the design industry, if
you want to make your products competitive
on the market, you need an entire produc-
tion line, involving a huge amount of money
before you succeed. As a result she recommends working in
the industry and learning how things are done before people
try going solo.
But she says despite the hardship she has faced, she
wouldnt change her experience for anything: Sometimes
when I face di culty, I ask myself why not just go back
to Taiwan? However, I always believe I can do more and
change a hard situation
By Szuhan Chu
I want to explore what I can do without
the protection of a big company
Ariel Liu
(p0011) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
1
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
14
Saul Parkinson
S
aul Parkinson was a resourceful rst year
student of Brunels International Business
course when he realized he wanted to
kickstart his career as an entrepreneur. His
decision led him to join the Brunel Entre-
preneurs Society (BESOC), a wise decision
as it turns out, he says, it has been not only
very benecial for business skills develop-
ment; at the same time it made possible for
me to associate with other people who also
wanted to excel in business. But that was not
enough for him; aer asking himself How can
I do more? he decided to make a step further. e
answer to his question came from the vote that elected him
as president of the society.
What Saul can do from such position is giving help to
other students like him. e core business of the BESOC
is indeed fostering entrepreneurship
among Brunel students. e main
purpose of the society is to promote
entrepreneurship, and to help peo-
ple who are interested in starting
their own business; we can give
them the skills to do that.
e society is determined to
provide the students with useful
practical resources they might not
nd in their business courses, and that
could be necessary to be successful en-
trepreneurs. Saul says, ats why
I joined the society in the rst
place; your course might be
just theoretical, going into
real business is completely
dierent. e practical side
is nothing like what you
study, so thats why its good
to have a balance of both.
BESOCs activity might be
summed up around three key
points: encouraging business
networking, improving basic
business skills and competence,
and promoting the entrepre-
neurial spirit.
The president of Brunels
Entrepreneurs Society explains
how they can help young
entrepreneurs
Business networking is what our society is really about
he says. Rather than just promoting entrepreneurship and
developing peoples skills, we focus on networking and on
giving students the opportunity to meet great industry pro-
fessionals. So we have got, for example, a millionaires series:
they come and they talk about their experiences and
how they have made success. It is a good oppor-
tunity to develop your contacts.
All the networking events oered by the
BESOC are, he feels, a great opportunity
to get in touch with other people with
ideas and the determination to promote
them, and who might want to cooperate
and create a new business.
But encouraging networking is not
the only way the society can support the
students. e BESOC is indeed very much fo-
cused on developing the skills and the knowl-
edge the students need about how to run eectively
their own business as well. e events that we put on are
specically aimed at students that want to become an entre-
preneur and are interested in entrepreneurship. It is a wide
range of lectures and workshops that help the students to
improve their prociency regarding, for example, knowing
how to write a business plan, how to source nance or get
people to back you.
Moreover, he says, the society is very committed to
spreading the entrepreneurial spirit and mindset among
young people. Entrepreneurs should exploit all the op-
portunities they have to develop protable business: it
might stem out even from art, music, design, potentially
from everything. Business is not simply related to industry,
entrepreneurship is all about having ideas, and passion to
make them real and make money from them. e only key
for individuals to be entrepreneurs, and for students
to run their own businesses, is the ability to
take action. Be creative, have an idea to
start with, and determination to stick
through it.
Saul says that entrepreneurism is
the buzz word for the 21st C. Join
the society, if you want to become
an entrepreneur; young people are
the future of business; what the
BESOC can do for students is
make this future easier to reach
By Alessandro Pensabene Saul Parkinson: Well help you to promote yourself
(p0012) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
2
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
15
Pauline Seston
A
t Brunel University one person embodies the Uni-
versitys focus on entrepreneurialism more than any
other. Pauline Seston,
Brunels Entrepreneurship
and Employability Consult-
ant from the Placement
and Careers Centre (PCC),
works tirelessly to encourage
budding entrepreneurs through guidance, workshops and
competitions.
In her view an entrepreneur is someone who comes
up with an idea, nds
the resources to put that
idea into practice and
eectively make money
out of it. And theyre also
prepared to take a calcu-
lated risk. But Pauline
says if you think self-
employment is only for
blinkered go-getters, you
could not be more mis-
taken: Weve all got an
element of entrepreneur-
ship in us. Sometimes
this inner entrepreneur
just needs a little guid-
ance and this is where
Pauline comes in.
rough the PCC she
oers students individual
counsel and group work-
shops, meaning there is
room both for focused
students with ready-
made business ideas, and
curious students who
just want to explore the
possibilities of self-em-
ployment.
Pauline says the core
of the PCCs role is to of-
fer advice, moral support
and point people in the
right direction - where
they might be able to get
more practical help. If students want to pursue their ideas
aer an initial consultation the centre has several resources.
ese include the Universitys Entrepreneur-in-residence,
David Riley, who oers expert advice and guidance, and
a broad network of businesspeo- ple who mentor
students and help kickstart their entrepreneurial
activities.
e workshops on
oer teach networking,
decision-making, writ-
ing business plans, mar-
keting, presentation, and a
crash course in intellectual property. All of these skills
are immensely useful to students from any academic
background, particularly as self-employment is likely
to be where the future
lies for a large number of
current students.
Pauline says the
sooner these students
recognise they are
entrepreneurs, the bet-
ter: eres this whole
misconception about
self-employment. Again,
a lot of students think
that self-employment
mean running a big
business or setting up
and running a business.
But a lot of art students,
for example, will go in to
freelancing - and thats
self-employment.
e guidance Pauline
and the PCC can oer
these pottential en-
trepreneurs is highly
relevant, and could make
the dierence between
success and failure for
many students who dont
yet realise their path to
self-employment is an
entrepreneurial one.
Is your future going
to be entrepreneurial?
Will you be self-em-
ployed? For more infor-
mation visit brunel.ac.uk/
services/pcc, and get yourself an appointment with Pauline
so you can hit the ground running.
By Jon Eilenberg
Weve all got an element of
entrepreneurship in us
Helping Students to Successful Business Adventures
Pauline Seston and the PCC arrange a number of workshops and invite speakers fromall strands of business -
such as here when the subject is women and business.
(p0013) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
3
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
L
A
U
N
C
H
R
A
D





16
lNTLRVlLW
James Lamb
F
rom a garden shed workshop to running his own
design company, James Lamb has enjoyed much
success since graduating from Brunel with a BSc in
Industrial Design.
When he joined Dyson in 1992, the burgeoning design
company that would revolutionise vacuum cleaners was still
being run from the aforementioned shed.
Since then he has held
various positions at promi-
nent design companies,
including a consultancy role
at Random Product Design,
before becoming a founding
director of eAlloy, another
design consultancy rm, in
1999. Between 2006 and 2010
James was co-director of
industrial design consultancy
e Product Works, before
he eventually started Lamb
Industries in 2011.
Alongside his career
James also nds the time to
work with students at Brunel
as Professor of Innovation.
LaunchPad caught up with
him to nd out more.
So James, What got you in-
terested in industrial design
and how did you start out?
I was always interested
in Art and Science. Indus-
trial design is a great way of
combining these passions.
My very rst design job was
as an engineering drasman,
designing garage doors. e
drawings were done on huge sheets of vellum before the
widespread adoption of CAD.
Not an especially glamorous
start but the fact that I was
being paid to draw and design
was very exciting! I then worked with James Dyson when his
was a ve-man operation based in a small studio shed next
to his house in Bath.
What is the story of your link to Brunel?
I studied Industrial Design at the old Runnymede
campus. ree years ago I spoke with Paul Turnock, course
director for Brunels design courses, to ask if there was a way
I could help his students. I spent a day a week teaching the
students how and why to draw. Two years ago an oppor-
tunity came up to apply for a Royal Academy of Engineering
Visiting Professorship in Innovation.
is was perfect for me, as the aim
is to ensure industry best practice is
part of the learning curriculum. So,
four days a week I run my design consultancy Lamb Indus-
tries, the h day I spend with Brunels design students.
one of my designs won seven
International Design Awards
Brunel alunnus and design extraordinaire dis-
cusses liIe Iron Janes Dyson's shed to running
his own conpany
James Lamb with his award-winning thermal imaging camera
(p0014) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
4
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
17
What has been your
favourite project?
Which one have you
found most challeng-
ing?
My most complete
design engagement was
to create a new ther-
mal imaging camera
for reghters. To
understand the issues
I participated in some
reghting training ses-
sions. e design was a
complete development
from ground break-
ing concept to fully
detailed parts. Exacting
ergonomic considera-
tions (reghters are
under huge stress) and
physical constraints
one metre submersion under water, a two metre drop on to
concrete, ame tests and so on made this a very challeng-
ing project.
e nal design was adopted by the Home Oce as the
standard issue for UK reghting. is meant the client
achieved three years of production with one order! e de-
sign won seven International
Design Awards and is in
the permanent collec-
tion of the Museum of
Modern Art in New
York.
Impressive! So what
are you working on
at the moment?
Right now we are
expecting rst o tool-
ing samples of a new
product weve designed.
Its a novel system that
monitors activity in
factories where multiple
dust extraction stations are
installed. e system knows when
a machine is running and adjusts air
ow depending on how many stations are
working. Normally such systems are all on or all o. is
way huge amounts of energy can be saved. First o tooling
samples are the rst parts that come from the moulds for
mass production. is is always exciting and nerve-wrack-
ing, as the parts weve designed have to work perfectly.
Exciting times. So
what does the future
hold for yourself and
Lamb Industries?
Weve just started a
three-and-a-half-year
design and research
project as part of a
Europe-wide consorti-
um. We will be looking
at applications for a
unique touch-sensitive,
light-emitting poly-
mer. is means that
products themselves
can become interfaces.
We will be working
with material manu-
facturers, universities,
design companies and
consumer research
organisations from Den-
mark, Spain, Germany, e Netherlands, France, Sweden,
Italy and the UK. At the end of the project we will have new
products, new materials and new methodologies for design
and engineer-
ing disciplines
to work
together.
Sounds like a bright future for the company and
the world of industrial design. Have you got any
advice for budding designers?
Designers and entrepreneurs need to
accept that failure is part of the process.
Innovators are trying things that havent
been done before, so dont expect it to
work rst time. Make sure you have
enough ideas and enthusiasm to learn
from these mistakes so you can try
another way and another Dont stop
drawing it is the fastest way to com-
municate and realise ideas. Computers are
great for perfecting detail, but no one ever
had a great idea staring at a screen..
By John Toner
Designers and entrepreneurs
need to accept that failure is
part of the process.
e Lamb Industries workshop, during development of props for War Horse
(p0015) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
5
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)
18
Made in Brunel is a student led organisation
that promotes the excellence of Brunel Univer-
sitys students. Encompassing a host of events
throughout the year, Made in Brunel aims to
engage and inspire industry by giving students a
platform to not only showcase their work, but to
voice their opinion.
A
s the brand evolves each year, its identity does also.
By focusing on the people behind the work Made in
Brunel endeavoured to create an identity that would
be dynamic and constantly changing, to reect the diversity
of Brunel students.
is identity stemmed from e Big 5 Personality Test;
a series of questions that reect all aspects of an individuals
personality, and as a result the visual identity reects each
and every one.
Made in Brunel represent a diverse range of people, each
with their own story which shapes their work and outlook
as aspiring professionals. Each year culminates in a main
exhibition in June, along with the annual book, a record of
the work from Brunel Universitys most innovative thinkers.
e overall goals for Made in Brunel this year are to
reinforce the recognition of Made in Brunel as an umbrella
brand, with the capability of promoting the excellence of
students from the entire University and to enable expres-
sion of student personality and individuality.
e organisation hopes to increase the aspirational value
of Made in Brunel and to continue to support students en-
tering the industry. is year, the group hosted a workshop
at the prestigious V&A Museum Friday Late to explore e
Secret Life of Furniture. is was to celebrate the opening of
the Dr Susan Webber Gallery of furniture and ceramics.
Made in Brunels Pop-up House ignited excitement
amongst students, sta and corporate relations of Brunel
University. roughout all of the activities, opportunities
for individual expression and communication of opinions
are created.
To give the individual students that Made in Brunel
promotes a voice, the organisation has been organising and
lming events that capture the stories and opinions of the
soon-to-be-graduates.
Four short stories were released in the weeks leading
up to the main exhibition. is was to give a voice to the
individuals behind Made in Brunel, focusing on the people
behind the work and not solely on their projects.
Made in Brunel has the potential to grow as a brand and
an organisation to represent students at a multidisciplinary
showcase, a platform with the capability of opening minds
to new ideas, new thinking and new possibilities
Made in Brunel
By Kathryn Harris
Made in Brunel
lets students
express their
individuality
and prove themselves
in an industrial
context
(p0016) 457776 LaunchPad Magazi ----- text_v01_(16pp_1N25K_hl107)

(
p
0
0
1
6
)
4
5
7
7
7
6

L
a
u
n
c
h
P
a
d

M
a
g
a
z
i


-
-
-
-
-


t
e
x
t
_
v
0
1
_
(
1
6
p
p
_
1
N
2
5
K
_
h
l
1
0
7
)