Imogen completed a Business Consultancy in Practice project as part of her MSc in International Marketing. Her client was a local tuition provider in Edinburgh needing research and recommendations to support a business expansion into Glasgow.
Your project brief
Tell us a bit about your client and the brief they set you...
My client is a local tuition provider supporting learning and education for school-aged children across Scotland. For my BCiP project, they asked me to support them research and provide suggestions and recommendations regarding a number of issues that they are currently having in relation to expansion of their business. There were three key areas I looked at, specifically:
- Identifying their competition
- Building trust as an organisation
- Differentiating them from their competitors
They required a written report as the deliverable at the end of the project addressing the above with regards to expanding into Glasgow as a new business territory, but my report also contained information which they could refer too in future ventures.
What was your timeframe for delivering the project by?
This project had a time frame of just under two months with it beginning on June 1st and being submitted to the client on July 26th.
Your experience of the project
What were your biggest highlights whilst working on the project?
The biggest highlight was watching everything come together at the end. At the beginning it seemed such a large and daunting task, but by breaking it down it became more manageable, and it was such a great moment when it was finally finished, and I had something I was proud of to submit to my client.
What challenges did you encounter?
By working with a small, start-up business, it brought around challenges in terms of the advancement of the business. There were no previous years to base success upon or backlogs of data to analyse so when the business began to expand quicker than expected, keeping up with the different changes that affected the project was a challenge. However, this did give me the opportunity to work on my adaptability skills and kept me on my toes making the project even more enjoyable.
What do you feel you learned most from this project personally and professionally?
Personally, working on this project has really boosted my confidence especially for life after university. From coming into this course with no work experience, the idea of graduating in a year and going into an area I had no experience in was really daunting, but now thanks to the project and the opportunity to work with a real client the idea of that is exciting.
Professionally it has developed my skills in communication, project management and consultancy, all skills which will be useful in my future careers.
What support did you have on the project?
I gained support from both the University and my client. Richard Bent and Marc Robertson were the module coordinators who arranged lectures and seminars about all areas of consultancy to help with the project. We are also all assigned a project supervisor who is there to help support us throughout. The client also supported me with anything I might have needed throughout the project.
Next steps in your career
Has this project helped you decide on a future career choice?
Yes, before beginning my project I had a very narrow view of where I saw myself after university and that was working for a large, well-known company. The client I was working for however was a small start-up business and this introduced me to this form of company. Because of this I have recently accepted a role working for another start-up business once I have graduated, something I wouldn’t have considered if it wasn’t for this project.
What advice would you share with anyone thinking about applying for this PG course, or the BCiP option?
Definitely give it your all and grasp every chance. The opportunity of the BCiP project allows for both work experience and a talking point in interviews both which have benefited me since completing it. It is a truly great opportunity that ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø offers, and I would encourage anyone to apply for this course as it has been a great experience and I have really broadened my knowledge from the range of different subjects.
"The opportunity of the BCiP project allows for both work experience and a talking point in interviews both which have benefited me since completing it. It is a truly great opportunity that ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø offers, and I would encourage anyone to apply for this course as it has been a great experience and I have really broadened my knowledge from the range of different subjects."
[Story published 2021]
