Business Basics
The basics of business. . . valuable information and essential resources for building a business.
Check out our top picks, then use the filters below to further customise your search.
Fundamentals of Starting a UK Business
Government Advice and information for starting a business in the UK.
First Questions to Ask - Part 1
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on the questions to ask when you have that big idea.
How to Start a Startup
Sam Altman from Y Combinator leads this exciting online class from Stanford.
What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
An Oxford guide to IP and where to find information and support
Startup Tips Videos
Oxford students and alumni talk about their top tips for starting a business
Entrepreneurship @ Oxford
Our handy map shows you how to navigate the Oxford entrepreneurship ecosystem.
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Aspect
A network of organisations to support innovation, entrepreneurship and research commercialisation in social sciences.
Social Enterprise UK
National body for social enterprise – business with a social or environmental mission.
Entrepreneurship.org
An online resource from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to help entrepreneurs grow great ideas.
Amazon Small Business Accelerator
Join the #AmazonAccelerator to access a catalogue of more than 15-hours of online training anytime, led by leading business experts. The e-learning is tailored to individuals just starting their entrepreneurial adventure, as well as those looking to go for growth!
Idea Exploration workshops
This series will take you through the stages of turning an idea into a potential venture.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
An investment to help entrepreneurs create opportunities for education, capital and business support services.
Social Impact Education
A variety of co-curricular courses aimed at providing high potential, socially-minded graduate students across the University of Oxford.
IDEA Panel: How Talking About Diversity is Making Entrepreneurship More Inclusive (22nd June 2021)
On 22nd June 2021, IDEA hosted a panel dedicated to ‘How Talking About Diversity is Making Entrepreneurship More Inclusive’ with speakers from the Oxfordshire entrepreneurial community: Dr Mira Kassouf, Nathania (Tanya) Aritao, and Nicole Beach. This panel drew upon their own professional experiences to highlight different career paths for women leaders and discuss key principles for thinking about how women entrepreneurs can champion diversity and inclusion while using their talents for successful entrepreneurship.
1715 Labs
1715 Labs is taking the technology behind the citizen science project Zooniverse.org to commercial applications.
An Accidental Entrepreneur
Dan Holloway, founder of Mycellium, talks about embracing enterprise by chance.
Hexagon Business Centres
A unique business hub in central Witney providing serviced offices, meeting rooms, virtual office services and business support to businesses of all sizes.
Why Students Need to Learn Entrepreneurial Skills
Thinking about becoming a student entrepreneur? Or just looking to expand your skill set? Here’s why as a student you need to learn ...
OSEF 2020: An Entrepreneurial Space Odyssey
Attending OSEF 2020 was a great way for new Enterprising Oxford team member Andrea to learn more about Oxford’s entrepreneurial ...
Trendineer
Trendineer is a new, scalable, affordable online marketplace, redefining the way you shop online.
How is Entrepreneurship Relevant to my Research?
A brief reflection about how being an entrepreneur fit in with an academic career.
Koody
Koody is an online marketplace for financial advice making it cheaper and more accessible, building the future of wealth management.
Institute of Directors (IoD)
Organisation supporting, representing and setting standards for business leaders nationwide.
Get Your Startup Started
In this course, you’ll learn how to pitch your business and secure the funding you’ll need to launch your new company.
Head-to-head with Helen Williams of Vitaccess
Recently The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Helen Williams, Director of Operations, at Vitaccess – a pioneering digital healthcare consultancy.
The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Oxford Explore and Build
A bit more in depth, a bit more work, but the effort will be worth it!
YES Young Entrepreneurs Scheme
A global competition developed to raise awareness of how ideas from science and engineering can be commercialised.
Why Humanities Graduates Make Great Entrepreneurs
Th benefits for business that come from humanities.
OxWEST (Oxford Women in Engineering, Science and Technology)
We promote gender equality in STEM subjects by supporting women studying or working in these fields
The First Questions to Ask Yourself when You have that Big Idea Part 1
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
How Entrepreneurs and Academics Are the Same
What's the difference between an academic and an entrepreneur?
Global Challenges Research Fund
A £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK Government to support research addressed to developing countries.
Tech City Digital Business Academy
Free online courses to help you start, grow or join a digital business.
The Hill
A healthcare ideas lab, situated at the heart of Oxford’s medical, academic, digital and entrepreneurial communities.
Business Fundamentals: Customer Engagement
Learn how to design business and marketing activities to engage customers through relationships instead of one-off sales.
Business in Oxford
Business in Oxford has been designed to provide a detailed programme of informative presentations combined with networking opportunities.
10 Ways Entrepreneurs Think Differently
How often have you thought to yourself, "I wish I had my own business"? Many people dream about how good it would be, being their own ...
10 Rules for a Great Startup Idea
If you are looking to start a startup , check out this great infographic from Founder Institute (designed by Andrea Chen).
Meet Prime Advocates: Business for Good
Prime Advocates is a London-based not-for-profit corporate law firm and social finance consultancy. Its Social Finance Hot Desk connects pioneering social enterprise initiatives with free specialist legal advice.
Neve’s Bees
Neve’s Bees is a 100% natural skincare brand made from their bees’ beeswax with recyclable tins and board packaging.
Witney Business and Innovation Centre
If you’re looking to accelerate your business growth, Witney Business & Innovation Centre provides the ideal environment to do just that.
Business Plans and Other Important Documents
10 sections that could be included in your business plan.
Making decisions
This free course will help you understand some of the processes involved in decision making.
Oxford Healthtech Labs
Oxford Healthtech Labs builds on years of experience running needs-driven innovation training programmes at the University of Oxford.
How a Degree Can Help You Run Your Startup
Three members of Bloom&Wild discuss how their degrees have helped in their entrepreneurial life
Free Entrepreneurship Online Courses and Activities
Looking for something to do from the comfort of your own home? Check out these free online entrepreneurship courses, videos and resources!
What is an MVP (hint: it’s not the most valuable player)?
The most basic form of your idea that will generate the most interest/validation.
Oxford Case Studies: VeriVin
Smart technology for identification and classification of complex liquids in sealed containers.
Fundamentals of Starting a Business in the UK
Six different steps listed to starting a business in the UK.
Social Enterprise Awards
Since 2013, over 40 different ventures have been supported, from a community cafe to a soap recycling enterprise.
10 Ways to Scale a Business from Startup to a Huge Company
It’s one thing to start a business and another to scale it.
Venturefest Oxford
An annual event that brings together innovators, investors and entrepreneurs within the high-tech sector.
Oxford Fintech Programme
This programme on financial technology and innovation is designed to offer you the tools to face the future of finance.
The Oxford Academic Health Science Network
The Oxford AHSN brings together the NHS, universities, business, patients and the public to promote best health for the population and prosperity in Oxfordshire.
Oxford firm launches AI-powered interactive graphic novel app
TechTribe Oxford met Guy Gadney CEO of Charisma.ai.
Building a Business
Providing basic business skills to those who would like to develop/enhance their skills.
Ideas for Your Business Model
Every business needs a business model. But what exactly is a business model?
Social Enterprise Mentorship
Providing direct support to enable social entrepreneurs to reach their goals.
What Really Fosters Innovation (Infographic)
The importance of innovation and the conditions that foster it.
How to Finance and Grow Your Startup – Without VC
If you’re an entrepreneur at any stage of your journey, and you need money, this course is for you.
TAYO International
TAYO International provides financial education and management tools made for migrant workers.
Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning
The Centre for Teaching and Learning provides voluntary courses for university and college staff at the University of Oxford.
The Oxford Foundry
A new entrepreneurial centre for the University of Oxford, supporting students to become more entrepreneurial people.
Coursera: Entrepreneurship Online Courses (MOOC)
Online, free courses taught by top instructors from world-class universities and companies. So you can learn anywhere, anytime.
Startups.co.uk
UK’s leading independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business, established in 2000.
Oxford Case Studies: Mycelium
It is better to be extraordinary and fail, then try to be ordinary and succeed.
Science Innovation Union
A training platform, bridging the gap between academia, industry, and government.
Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards
One of the UK’s largest student and graduate business pitching competitions.
Business Model Canvas Explained
The Business Model Canvas is a business tool used to visualise all the building blocks of starting a business
Tech Nation
Empowering ambitious tech entrepreneurs to grow faster through knowledge and connections; to build a UK economy fit for the next generation.
OXFO L.E.V8 Women
Empowering Oxford's current and future female leaders and founders to pursue their entrepreneurial purpose.
True.
Europe’s only retail and consumer sector specialist, that operates across the entire investment vertical.
xEdu
Europe's leading business accelerator for edtech startups creating transformative learning solutions with pedagogical impact.
Get Interactive: Practical Teaching with Technology
This is a very practical course that will teach you how to create interactive online courses.
Charm Impact
Charm Impact is an impact investing platform that crowdsources small scale loans for clean energy startups in emerging markets.
When can I call myself a science entrepreneur?
Holly Reeve's journey from research scientist to startup co-founder
OXFO L.E.V8
A University of Oxford acclerator designed to support and nurture early-stage start-up teams affiliated to the University.
University of Oxford Entrepreneurship Support
Organisations and student groups providing opportunities to explore entrepreneurship in the University.
DigiVue
DigiVue aims to address attendance and engagement issues in students and make a positive impact.
Creative Industries Federation
Membership body that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries.
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.
Agile Lab – Begbroke Science Park
A shared workspace comprising an equipped laboratory with bookable bench space and equipment, and adjoining office space.
Oxford Hub
A centre for social action that’s open to everyone, and that takes a collaborative approach to solving some of today’s most pressing issues.
OX1
Oxford's first start-up incubator programme designed by student entrepreneurs, for student entrepreneurs, which does not take equity or IP.
Keats, pitching and being enterprising
How negative capabilities can help to identify opportunities for becoming enterprising.
Social Entrepreneurship: exploring the buzzword
Let's explore the buzzword that is increasingly featuring in the business and start-up sector.
OxLEP
Championing Oxfordshire’s economic potential, acting as a catalyst and convener to drive a dynamic, sustainable and growing economy.
Creating Business Start-Ups The Kawasaki Way
Learn how to start-up a business with advice from Guy Kawasaki.
So What is Innovation Anyway?
A definition co-written by Oxford students, the Careers Service and the Humanities Division.
OXFO Booster Grants
Apply for up to £2,000 grant funding for student society initiatives that introduce entrepreneurship in the University.
Oxford University Innovation (OUI)
A wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, it manages the University's technology transfer and consulting activities.
Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP)
OSEP has been set up to help existing and prospective social entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses across Oxfordshire.
What is an Entrepreneur?
Academia, entrepreneurship and . . . motorcycles? Dr Katie Jennings talks about what she thinks an entrepreneur is.
Priyav Shah, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at CuraCode
Priyav Shah is a Co-Founder of CuraCode which creates highly secure, low cost authentication labels based on a patented technology discovered at Oxford University.
Online Entrepreneurship Courses (MOOC)
Free, online entrepreneurship courses from ALISON provide a top-notch online entrepreneurship education to create a startup business.
YellowNest
Kannan Ganga is Founder of YellowNest, an early years education business providing affordable high quality education to all in the UK.
Digital Skills: Digital Marketing
Empowered by Accenture, this course will teach you some of the different digital marketing strategies and techniques.
Perch @ Eco Business Centre
A mixture of offices and coworking space. The perfect place for people who live and work sustainably
Leading for Impact
Leading for Impact helps you solve social and environmental problems in your current or future career.
Ethical Property
Office area set up specifically to support small, start up charities, social enterprises & local businesses.
Oxford Case Studies – Hutano Diagnostics
A start-up developing a diagnostic, tracking and surveillance platform for dangerous infectious diseases in Africa.
Brookes Enterprise
Enterprise Support offers exceptional opportunities for students, staff and recent graduates.
The Oxford Social Entrepreneur’s Journey
Useful information about social entrepreneurship in Oxfordshire.
Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success
Learn how to apply tools to better solve problems, generate ideas, and excel in your chosen career.
Tech hubs where your start-up can flourish
Workspace is about more than a desk: it’s about access to the right equipment, services, and facilities.
Head-to-head with Katie Bedborough of Oxford VR
A company to watch, OCFI-based Oxford VR has just raised £10m Series A funding. The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Katie Bedborough, their COO, to find out more about how their VR technology is being used in mental health treatments.
Oxford Case Studies: RisingWISE
Anne Miller is joint founder of RisingWISE, an initiative aimed at women in STEM at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge that aims to combat some of the disparities between men and women in achieving leadership roles and pursuing entrepreneurship opportunities in this sector.
TED Talks for Social Entrepreneurs
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
The First Questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 2
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
Oxfordshire Business Support
A practical guide to supporting Oxfordshire businesses at all stages, by people with honest first-hand experience.
NHS Clinical Entrepreneur
The clinical entrepreneur training programme is designed to offer opportunities for clinical, NHS staff and wider health professionals to develop their entrepreneurial aspirations during their clinical training period.
Innovation Forum Oxford
The Innovation Forum seeks to promote innovation by building bridges between academia, industry and government.
Oxford Case Studies – Uncomfortable Oxford
Are you sitting comfortably? Then it’s time to get up and take a bumpy walk through Oxford’s past.
Key Characteristics of an Entrepreneur
What does it take to become an entrepreneur? Do you think you could do it? There are a set of key charcteristics which many ...
Urbanoid
Providing high quality serviced office working space for small businesses and organisations.
EIT Health Summer School
The EIT Health Summer Schools support innovation by empowering the healthcare leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
Social Enterprise?Entrepreneurship? Innovation?
Let's shed some light on the definitions and relations between the three.
Working in Startups: Understanding the Growth Cycle
Growing pains - What are the phases a start-up goes through as it grows?
What does it mean to be Entrepreneurial?
It is not just about starting a business, or spinning out a company from research. It's a mindset, or a way of thinking.
Keeping your Startup Idea in Good Shape
Some advice from the Founder of ChattyFeet to aspiring entrepreneurs.
nanovert
nanovert is a platform boosting the value of business promotions with authentic exposure from local nano-influencers.
eScalate Social Enterprise Support
Supporting social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.
TechNation: Upscale
Helping the UK’s most promising tech companies to accelerate their growth and unlock the key to scaling successfully.
Brainomix
Brainomix is a spinout from Oxford University which automates the assessment of stroke damage on CT scans.
Scientific Entrepreneurship – MPLS Enterprise
Success in a start-up business is significantly enhanced with an understanding of key entrepreneurial characteristics and competencies. This weekly, term-long course provides potential science/engineering entrepreneurs with the knowledge to help succeed in an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Translational funding
Translational funding is used to bridge a ‘gap’ in development between early stage university research and its commercialisation.
The First questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 3
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
“We are all going to change the world: it’s just where and how?”
Food for thoughts: measuring the impact of our lives.
Udemy: Build. Measure. Learn. Lean Startup
Become a Lean Startup Guru. Learn Lean Methodology from Lean experts like Eric Ries, Steve Blank, and more.
Online FinTech Courses
Learn and understand fintech with free online classes from top universities and institutions.
MaRS: Entrepreneurship 101
MaRS’ Entrepreneurship 101 (E101) online course equips you with the skills you need to launch a successful business.
SSE Funding List
A page where to find all the details about grants and support to social enterprises.
Interview with Professor Linda Scott
Professor Linda Scott is interviewed on topics including women's empowerment, gender disparities in academia and women-led entrepreneurship after COVID-19.
CreativeLive video classes
Practical sessions about creativity, entrepreneurship, communication, design thinking and emotional intelligence.
Innovation for Entrepreneurs: From Idea to Marketplace
Developing insights on navigating the innovation process from idea generation to commercialisation.
Aspect launch new Accelerator!
Aspect’s new flagship four-month social sciences student and alumni accelerator hosted by LSE to support and scale socially-responsible student and alumni ventures is now open for applications.
Oxford Women In Business (OxWIB)
A thriving student society providing a platform for opportunities for enterprising young women at the University of Oxford.
Unleash Your Potential: Innovation and Enterprise
Get an introduction to innovation and enterprise, and learn to generate and evaluate your own ideas.
Emerge Education
We invest in pre-seed and seed rounds in European and North American companies focused on education.
TED Talks for Entrepreneurs
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
Argos & Artemis
Argos & Artemis is the first global community and lifestyle platform designed to inform and inspire dog parents.
Why do an entrepreneurship course if you are not interested in entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship skills are essential whether you start a business or not. So what skills are these?
The First Questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 4
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
Support ‘hubs’ will boost Oxfordshire’s growing social enterprise sector
eScalate, the newest programme from OxLEP Business, is creating 6 ‘hubs’ to nurture social entrepreneurship across the county.
Understanding Intellectual Property (IP)
As a student, you need to understand what IP is, who owns it, and what can be done with it before proceeding with an idea.
IT Innovation Challenge
Supporting small start-up digital projects that will bring a benefit to the University.
The Curious Bear Club
The Curious Bear Club, a fun and interactive virtual coffee club bringing people together to learn about, discuss, and drink fantastic coffee.
RisingWISE: empowering enterprising women
Oxbridge network that aims to foster long-term relationships between enterprising early-career researchers and women working in industry.
I Have an Idea Related to Research… Now What?
As a student or researcher you need to know the rules around IP in the university.
Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries
Exploring the relationship between entrepreneurship and creativity.
The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)
TORCH provides a range of training and development opportunities for early career researchers in Humanities.
Culham Science Centre
Creating a powerhouse of high technology innovation and enterprise in South Oxfordshire.
Oxford Case Studies – OxyClot
Training the next generation of global leaders in digital health innovation.
Oxford Case Studies – Albus Health
An University spinout determined to combat this with a radical approach to asthma care.
The ‘secret’ network that transformed my startup
An unusual type of network where you could build really good business relationships.
Student Entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship education is becoming more prominent, with many students seeking to learn more about business.
Why Students Need to Learn Entrepreneurial Skills
Thinking about becoming a student entrepreneur? Or just looking to expand your skill set? Here’s why as a student you need to learn ...
Startup Bootcamp: Fintech London
A leading program supporting innovative companies in the financial services industry.
Oxford Venture Capital Network – Student Society
A network to help both Oxford students and startups grow.
Humanities Business Engagement and Partnerships
Supporting the breadth of academic research interests in the Social Science and Humanities Divisions.
MPLS Enterprise Programme
Opportunities for Oxford University members to get information about Oxford Entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Working Flexibly: Ask Me Anything with Sarah Haywood
Flexible working, and steering away from the traditional 9-5 structure, has a central role to play in increasing productivity and enhancing workplace equality. COVID-19 has posed intense challenges for the UK’s working parents and carers and, according to a recent Working Families survey, an ‘overwhelming majority’ of care givers ‘do not want their employer to revert to business as usual after lockdown is lifted’.
WCFI
"Set in 15 acres of beautiful woodland, our state-of-the-art office, meeting and conference facilities create an inspiring business environment."
Developing your Creative Practice
A development fund designed to support independent creative practitioners.
Oxford Case Studies: SociAbility
Matt Pierri is the CEO and Co-founder of SociAbility, whose main aim is to map the accessibility of social spaces within Oxford’s 44 colleges and halls, as well as a broad sweep of social venues, including cafes, restaurants and bars in a dedicated app.
Code Academy: Online Coding Courses (MOOC)
Teaching the world how to code. Learn to code interactively, for free.
TED Talks for Exploring Entrepreneurship
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
Are You Ready to Start a Business?
So you've been thinking about starting a venture recently, but how do you know if you actually are ready?
Startup Tips: What to do with your idea
Oxford student and alumni entrepreneurs give insightful advice about their startups
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Enterprising Oxford is a University of Oxford initiative to help connect people to the entrepreneurship resources they need, and to promote entrepreneurship across Oxfordshire.
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