Young Entrepreneurs Face Boardroom Challenge
Friday 11th April 2014
Strathclyde Enterpirse Pathway
Budding young business brains were put through their paces by two of Scotland’s most successful businessmen in the final stage of an exciting business development scheme.
Strathclyde Enterprise Pathway – an initiative run through the University of Strathclyde - helps bright young students develop, enhance and test their skills in preparation for success in the business world.
In the third stage of the Pathway process, Scottish businessmen Athif Sarwar and Shaf Rasul took to the University of Strathclyde boardroom to grill the apprentices on the different aspects of their business ideas
Cars - Athif Sarwar
Athif and Shaf quizzed the young entrepreneurs on their chosen market, their competitors and the feasibility of their plans.
Enthusiastic entrepreneur and businessman Athif Sarwar has a proven track record of commercial success in many sectors and is continually looking for exciting and innovative new ventures.
Athif said: “Putting the young hopefuls through their paces in the interview demonstrated that there are some really bright entrepreneurs out there. I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from them in the coming years.
“It is imperative that these students gain experience of a tough interview environment as it is one that they will need to face in the outside world if they are to be successful.
“Business ideas like these are vital for Scotland’s economic future and I hope that these interviews helped the students gain experience and vision for their future.”
Athif’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Glasgow gave him a strong foundation in project management and business strategy.
He has gone on to build a marketing and innovation strategy for United Wholesale (Scotland) which has greatly increased turnover and improved internal and external operations. The business is also the wholesale operation behind over 300 franchise Day-Today stores.
Athif has also expanded the business into areas including leisure, restaurants, hotels and pharmacies.
IT and property entrepreneur Shaf Rasul is one of Scotland's most successful businessmen.
He added: “The level of innovation I saw today was incredible. Many of the ideas that were pitched are workable business ventures which could make the participants very successful.”
As well as being a business columnist for the Scottish Sun, Shaf advises Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable as part of the Minister’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum.
Edinburgh-based Rasul has also featured in an online version of the BBC's Dragons Den alongside American Julie Meyer and host Dominic Byrne of the Chris Moyles BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
His core business interests include optical-media distribution business E-Net Computers which he established in 2000. It is now the largest storage media distributor in Europe and one of the biggest buyers of optical storage products in the world.
Strathclyde Enterprise Pathway is open to undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, postgraduate researchers, and early career research staff.
On the course, participants learn about networking, negotiation, presentation and leadership, and get the chance to take part in pitches and developing business plans.