OU students from far and wide have turned their clever ideas and academic interests into money-making businesses, with the support of the OU – and so could you.
If you’ve got a great idea, an interest or a skill that’s in demand, turning it into a business could be the best move you’ve ever made. Make 2022 count – pursue your passion and make a positive difference to your life and career. These students did:
Lea Gibson
Social Sciences graduate Lea, who was made homeless at the start of her OU journey, set up a business helping people in the community to feel less alone.
She said: “I am working with a charity doing sexual health and wellbeing education and have also started my own business. I go out in the community and support the wellbeing of young people, especially around mental health and making sure people don’t feel alone. I know what that feels like.
“The OU literally changed the way my life is. I wouldn’t have been able to see my own potential without the backing of the OU.”
Sam Vellana
From OU Psychology student, to sustainable textiles business owner, Sam has faced many hurdles in getting to where she wants to be, including dealing with her mother’s serious illness. Now she’s made her long-held passion for sustainable fashion her career.
During lockdown, she began making masks and headscarves with her mum who was undergoing chemotherapy, but seeing how much fabric waste there was, Sam had a bigger idea. She began focusing on the sustainability of her crafts and working on projects that will use scrap fabric and patterns so that home crafters can do the same. She holds a long-term goal of stocking sustainably produced cottons in her online shop.
Sam said:
“Set your aspirations high, fight for them, and no matter what the outcome is, even failure, you’ll have the greatest opportunity to learn and for change. It’s the changes we make in ourselves that are our most profound accomplishments.”
Allana Francis-Ashmeil
Known as ‘Coach Ace’ to her students, Allana launched her children’s coaching business during her OU Sport and Fitness degree. She worked full time, teaching sport in a school, doing her full-time degree during evenings, weekends and school holidays.
She then decided to set up ‘Project Ace’ on the side. Her business empowers young people to pursue sport by offering clubs and academies, and she runs a sports ambassador programme for teenagers with an interest in sports leadership.
She said: “I always wanted to set up a business in sport to ‘give back’. OU study made me feel I had the capability to do more.”
Leigh Biagi
After graduating from her degree in Environmental Studies, Leigh set up her organisation – ‘On The Verge’.
She said: “In 2010 I set up On the Verge in my local area. This is an organisation which works with community groups to establish areas of wildflowers and bee beds as food sources for bees and other pollinators.
“I have also lobbied my local authority to adopt a pollinator strategy as policy. Had I not studied with the OU, I doubt I’d have had the confidence to do this.”
How the OU can help
The OU’s Entrepreneur’s Hub is packed full of tips, hints and signposts to course modules that might help you to do the same. From business management and design, to more in-depth postgraduate courses, there’s plenty of support on offer to OU students when it comes to bringing a business idea to life and making a success of it.
Another place that students can seek support and free learning is through the OU’s OpenLearn Entrepreneurship short course. There you’ll find 24 hours of free learning, which you can follow at your own pace as you journey towards making your business dreams come true. The course content takes you from your ‘lightbulb moment’ when you come up with an idea, to monetising it, running your business day-to-day and sustaining its ongoing trade. It has many video clips of inspiring people who have done just that.
So, if you dream of setting up your own business or charitable venture, or changing careers, what are you waiting for? If these students can do it, then so can you.
