What it’s really like to study Business Entrepreneurship & Economics
We caught up with graduate, Oliver Pugh to see how he was doing after he graduated in 2012 studying Business Entrepreneurship and Economics:
Your Current Role
Whilst running a small events business after graduating I noticed that the there were several snack boxes being delivered at work and thought it would be a good idea if they incorporated a festival type theme to make them more fun. I put some ideas in an email and sent them to different brand agencies. After extensive research I realised that there was a gap in the market. A company then decided to buy into my idea, which set the foundations for my company, Earlybird. Since it started 16 months ago we have sold over 15,000 taste boxes, which combine art, music and food. The company is growing steadily and already worth around two million.
Your University / Career Journey
I really enjoyed my time at university especially the economics side as I have found this really useful when applying this to my business. The importance of knowing about the economy is vital when running your own company, and they are the skills that I lacked before coming to Northampton.
My lecturers were really supportive too, they were really attentive and were happy to give me advice whenever I needed it.
Your advice
Getting a degree helped give me the confidence to approach investors with my ideas and in turn start my own business.
Your Ambitions
My future ambition is to build a large company that I could then sell and I would like to use the money then to invest in small businesses and mentor young entrepreneurs.
