How to Grow & Scale a Student
Group
Introductions
 Dave Jarman:
 Head of Enterprise Education
 Ex Careers Service & UBU
 Ex Sabbatical Officer
 Ex Society & JCR President
 Principles:
 You’re all running a business
that provides a service to a
customer (your members)
 You’re trying to create value
(profit) for your organisation
 You’re trying to create a
valued experience for your
customers
The Lessons
1.
2.
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4.
5.
SWOT
Strategy for Growth
Remember the Vision
Create a Culture
Think Big, Act Small, Fail Fast
Lesson #1
 SWOT Analysis
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Strengths: what are you already good at? What resources and assets have
you got? Positive feedback?
Weaknesses: What are you poor at? What do you lack? Negative feedback?
Opportunities: What is changing in the wider world that you could use?
What new skills or resources have you got?
Threats: What is changing in the wider world that endangers you? What
skills or resources are you in danger of losing?
 Do a quick SWOT with your group – be honest!
 Maximise Strengths and Opportunities, Mitigate for
Weaknesses and Threats
Lesson #2
 Strategies for Growth
 Do what you already do but better (market penetration)
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Encourage new members (market development)
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Why haven’t these ‘natural’ members joined yet?
Create new services for existing members (product development)
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Encourage loyalty and potentially engage more at a higher price
New ways to engage people and potentially charge them for
Create new services for new members (diversification)
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New offers specifically for new members – but don’t wander too far!
 Which strategy feels right for your ambitions?
Lesson #3
 Remember the Vision
 What is your group for?
 What does your group look like in 3 years time?
 What are your values?
 What would not be a positive change?
 What does your group look like in 3 years time?
 What do you want a reputation for?
 What do you need to avoid?
Lesson #4
 Create a culture
 “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
 Symptoms and Diseases
 Pick a characteristic that you want to be true of your
group:

Ambitious, Friendly, Professional, Caring, Honest, Enthusiastic,
Welcoming, Knowledgeable, Confident?
 What ‘symptoms’ or behaviours would you see or hear if
your members had that characteristic?
 How could you encourage that behaviour?
Lesson #5
 Think Big, Act Small, Fail Fast…
 Be ambitious – have a vision for the future
 Start doing stuff to realise that vision, however small the step
 If you’re going to make mistakes (and you will), do it quickly, pick
yourself up, try again…
 What could you start today that would lead to future
success?
Business start-up support
 Advice & guidance
 Seed funding (£30k)
 Desk space
 Education & Networking
events – ‘Monday Means
Business’
 Mentoring match-making
 Summer Enternships (£1500 +
desk)
 Surgeries:
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Book-keeping
Branding
IP & Legal Matters
www.businessbasecamp.co.uk
Twitter @BristolBasecamp
Facebook search ‘Bristol Basecamp’
Basecamp Master-classes
 Weekly short talks on start-
up:
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www.businessbasecamp.co.uk
Twitter @BristolBasecamp
Facebook search ‘Bristol Basecamp’
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Generating ideas
Good Ideas vs. Good
Business ideas
Understanding the market
Company Formation
Resources for start-ups
IP for start-ups
Finance
Elevator Pitches
Business plans
www.bristol.ac.uk/studententerprise