Author: Maulesh

Welcome to QAccelerator

QAccelerator is an intensive summer school that combines business training, expert support and coaching to help you accelerate your venture’s success. The programme will take place from 15th – 26th July 2019. We are seeking 15 motivated entrepreneurs to participate: 12 Queen Mary University of London students or graduates and 3 local Tower Hamlets residents.

What is an accelerator?

When you’re running a business, time is money and few business owners can afford to stand still. If you run a business which is moderately successful, you will be seeking to scale and build out an effective post-revenue growth strategy. Over 10 days, we will support you in taking the steps needed to take your business to the next level.

About the programme

Over the last five years, QEnterprise has supported over 2,000 students and graduates in starting, growing and scaling new ventures. We have designed this growth programme based on insights gained from delivery of QIncubator – our 12-week programme designed to support early stage ventures. 120 founders have graduated from QIncubator since 2018.

QAccelerator is sponsored by Santander Universities. The Santander Universities Division continues to support and manage Santander’s commitment to higher education. This is a long-term, strategic alliance with universities that benefits students and university staff in the communities where Santander is present.

QAccelerator is sponsored by Santander Universities. The Santander Universities Division continues to support and manage Santander’s commitment to higher education. This is a long-term, strategic alliance with universities that benefits students and university staff in the communities where Santander is present.

What the programme includes

10 professional full-day business sessions (including Investment Readiness, Marketing, Sales and Leadership)

• 1-2-1 Business Expert sessions
• 1-2-1 Financial Coaching
• Access to networks & community of ambitious founders
• Ongoing support & guidance
• Referrals to industry/sector experts
• Opportunity to be featured through QMUL and partner communication channels

You can apply if…

• You are a current QMUL student, alumni (<10 years) or business based in East London
• You already have a few customers and you’re ready to get more
• You are full-time, or almost full-time on your business
• You have been running your business for less than 2 years
• You want to connect with other ambitious entrepreneurs

Why did you choose to study with Experience Haus?

I chose Experience Haus because I needed the relevant skills to become a UX/UI designer. I decided to switch shortly after graduating from Industrial Design in summer 2018 because I thought the scope for innovation and improvement was diminishing in designing physical goods. Digital, or UX/UI design, seemed a lot more exciting and profound – nearly everyone has a smartphone or computer so that’s a good start. My friend Dimitri also studied with Experience Haus and recommended it to me so I jumped on.

After finishing the Product Design course, I knew there was a new Product Management course so I signed up to that too, because it is beneficial to know the methodologies and personnel businesses utilise to design their products or services.

Did you know what you wanted to achieve before you embarked on the course? What did you enjoy most about the course?

Yeah, I wanted to become a UX/UI Designer. I know this sounds very salesman-like, but if it wasn’t for the course, I wouldn’t have been able to share my UX research and design process during my job interviews, talk about what I did like user interviews, usability testing, and interface design. I wouldn’t stand a chance with only presenting the work I did in uni, and certainly wouldn’t have landed my UX design job.

What did you enjoy most about the course?

Learning the relevant processes like experience mapping, user flows, and applying it to a live brief from a startup was really enjoyable. More often or not, a lot of these vocational courses ask you to apply what you learnt to a theoretical project that came from your own thinking, which frankly, isn’t enough.

Also learning with fellow course mates who come from different backgrounds, be in a senior designer, marketing manager, or someone else straight out of uni like me made it more interesting too.

It has been argued that the value proposition is the determinant between business success and failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your value proposition bears the promise you give to your customer assuring them that your product or service will deliver value to them. In its simplest form, the value proposition describes the benefits your customers will get by using your products or service. It also explains what kind of a customer you are targeting, and finally why a customer should choose you from a pool of others. 

It is so sad many businesses don’t get it right from the beginning or they just decide to bury their value proposition in buzzwords or meaningless slogans. In fact, many businesses don’t even bother giving it even more attention on their sites and in their marketing campaigns. A good number don’t even know what it is all about. 

It always doesn’t matter your area of specialization, whether you are a techie startup seeking licenses for innovation or just a mere entrepreneur, developing an effective technology overview and its value proposition is more than a necessity. Simply put, your value proposition is supposed to describe your target buyer, more importantly, the problem the product or service will solve, and why your prospect should choose your products or services rather than the alternatives. 

Your value proposition must have the following components:

1. Target market. These are your customers

2. How your product or service will solve their problem.

3. Why you are best suited for the job

In its ideal form, your value proposition is all about the customer. How the customer will benefit from your product or service. In essence, you are trying to explain yourself to your customer in a manner that brings out the best to them. That’s why it has been coined to answer the question; “what do you do?”

Here are some of the importance of creating a clear, compelling value proposition for your brand.

Your prospects will easily understand what you offer. It is a fact that customers already know what they are looking for whenever they are searching for something online. Therefore, your value proposition should immediately let them know that you can meet their needs. If it can’t achieve this, then you risk losing your customer to your competitor.

Sets you apart from your competitors. It’s almost a guarantee that whatever field you are in you must have competitors. A good value proposition sets you apart from them from the start. It tells your customers why they should choose you rather than them.  

The best strategy for wooing the right prospects. Having a good value proposition increases your chances of getting the best prospects for your business who are likely to convert into customers. Because of a good value proposition which is developed ideally for your ideal customers and explains why your customers should choose you. 

Offers your customers a better understanding of your products or services. The best value proposition should tell your customer the value of your product or service and what benefit they will get from purchasing it. It should also explain why your product or service is their best option. 

Clarity in messaging. Needless to say, your value proposition is a clear and concise statement that should make it clear immediately to your customers what you offer. The most effective way to communicate your message clearly is placing your value proposition in all your main entry pages like home page, product page, and category pages. 

In conclusion, the value proposition statement should be concise, easy-to-understand that customers will easily remember. If you do this right, you will not only win customers but also gain their loyalty which will definitely boost your sales.