Abstract

Many new ventures never use venture capital. So how do they get the money to start and grow their business? The answer lies with the customers. Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Banana Republic′s Mel and Patricia Ziegler all used customers to develop their iconic companies. In this session, Dr John Mullins of London Business School will talk about his pragmatic thinking on business and what entrepreneurs need in the early stages of a venture.

John is one of the foremost business academics and practitioners in the field of entrepreneurship. He has 20 years of executive experience in high-growth retailing firms including two ventures he founded and one he took public. John’s first trade book, The New Business Road Test: What Entrepreneurs and Executives Should Do Before Launching a Lean Start-Up (now 4e, London: Prentice-Hall/FT 2013), has become the definitive work on the assessment and shaping of entrepreneurial opportunities and is widely used by investors and entrepreneurs and in university courses worldwide.

If you’re interested in attending, please register online » http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/enterprisetuesday/register.html

John will be signing copies of his book ‘The customer-funded business’ at Enterprise Tuesday. The books are available to purchase for £20 (cash only) on a first-come, first-served basis.

Purchase a copy of ‘The customer-funded business’ » http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Customer-Funded-Business-Finance-Customers/dp/111887885X

Read press release on ‘The customer-funded business’ » http://www.london.edu/newsandevents/news/2014/08/_The_Customer-Funded_Business_1841.html

Enterprise Tuesday is a series of FREE evening lectures and networking sessions delivered by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) which take place from November to the end of February in Cambridge. The programme aims to introduce participants to the world of business, as well as to encourage and inspire individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial ambition. It is the most popular non-assessed programme within the University and the model has been adopted by numerous other academic institutions as well as corporations.

Enterprise Tuesday is open to all University of Cambridge staff and students, members of other universities and the local business community. The series is particularly relevant for postgraduate students considering future career paths, those exploring entrepreneurial opportunities and looking to build high quality networks with experts and practitioners.

Weekly format:

18:00-18:30 Registration We advise attendees to arrive as early as possible in order to ensure a seat (particularly in Michaelmas Term).

18:30-20:00 Lecture The lectures will cover some of the practical skills that are needed to successfully commercialise an idea. These lectures are delivered by a number of successful and experienced entrepreneurs.

20:00-21:00 Networking This represents an opportunity to network with guest speakers and other aspiring entrepreneurs.

Register now to secure your place » http://www.cfel.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/enterprisetuesday/register.html