Three entrepreneurial students from regional colleges have secured gold in a Dragon’s Den-style competition with their business venture ideas.
Paul Campbell from Belfast Metropolitan College, Nicola McLaughlin from North West Regional College and Adam Campbell from Northern Regional College, each won the coveted top prize at the live final of Business Launchpad, held in Belfast Met’s e3 building in its Springfield Campus.
Business Launchpad allows students enrolled on a full-time or part-time course at Belfast Met, North West Regional College or Northern Regional College to develop their business ideas and provide stepping stones for setting up a business.
Throughout the programme, students explored potential business ideas, held interactive workshops with local entrepreneurs, availed of tailored guidance and mentoring and wrote a business plan.
Seven students from over 170 reached the final stage of the programme and pitched their business idea to a panel of four established local business owners: Mary McCall, founder and managing director of TreatTicket.com; Jacqui O’Doherty, investment executive at eSynergy; Dr Paul Beaney, project manager at VITAL; and Frankie McCourt, regional economic development at Invest NI.
The business ideas ranged from an online customised sportswear design shop, to expanding an established craft business and setting up an equine therapy centre to treat mental health conditions.
Paul Campbell, who is studying a HND in computing systems at Belfast Met, secured his winning spot with Techprotorial which will offer online electronic dance music production services.
Nicola McLaughlin, who is currently studying EDEXCEL L5 HND in fashion and textiles at NWRC, pitched for a new innovative fashion label and blog which would attract revenue through brand advertising.
Adam Campbell, a software student at NRC, has developed PhraseMe, a visual communications app aimed at those with hearing difficulties which he aims to launch shortly.