Evaluation

When we first started having the Enterprise lectures I learnt allot of things I didn’t already about Networking and getting yourself known. However, at first I thought the lectures were a bit of a waste of time even though I did attend them. However, as I started to research into things and doing the tasks I realised it is very essential to learn this and I know allot of courses don’t do enterprise so I feel like I know allot more and have benefitted it greatly.

Not only has enterprise helped me build confidence when looking for companies and talking to people, it has also made me think more about my design work and that I should aim it at what I want to do rather then having a large range of different things and I learnt thing by looking at some businesses work that have focused on one thing whether its editorial, Print or Screen based.

When starting the concept of building a studio business the tasks and things we looked at in the seminars all started to make since and it made me look at it as though I was actually to start my own design company and the roles each of us had and the target market, costing and setting up a creative market. I will be honest and say that at first starting a company would be over my head and I don’t have a clue when it comes to numbers. However, I found it extremely interesting to work out how much money we would need for start up costs and all the things we had to think about like equipment, where we would be based and how much we could earn between a group of 4 designers. My job was to promote our company and I had to find out the best deals for the job. Like I found out how much it would be to put our company in the yellow pages, and how to get it high on Google, and printing off business cards and flyers etc. Also, I had to find the best place for us to set up and in which City which was a challenge because It was too expensive to work in a big city like London but we wanted to be known and in a good spot so I chose Leeds as we have many competitors here yet it was fairly cheap living costs.

Our presentation at the end I believe was a success. Speaking is not my strongest point as I have dyspraxia and find it very difficult to talk in a group so I had the job of moving the slides but I still stood up in front of everyone and I tried my best to look professional and listen and be brave. I even know our presentation went well because at the end Bridget said 'excellent'. We covered all areas of the business plan and we rehearse it. I think the only thing was, there was allot of information we were saying and I think because Amy and Gemma were reading from a script, it doesn’t motivate the audience as much but if not then they would never of remembered all the points.

Getting a placement in the summer time I think will boost my confidence greatly and I got a really good place, the first on Google if you type in 'Graphic Design Manchester' so I am very pleased with this and I did it by networking as it was a friend of a friend and I went to have a look around and talked to the designers there and showed them a little of my work and they showed me threes and so I am extremely pleased.

Overall I feel much more confident for my future and starting my own business seems actually possible now so there is light at the end of the tunnel.