Matt Smith

The Lancaster network includes a wide range of people of all ages - from college students right up to retired entrepreneurs and business directors. Although the base of the network is made up of the Lancaster University students who are members of the society, the network also includes University departments, local colleges, University alumni, local businesses, entrepreneurs, business professionals, celebrities and numerous other enterprise societies around the country and indeed the World.

I took Presidency of the Lancaster University Young Entrepreneurs Society (LUYES) at the end of my first year of study. Over that year the society had fallen into the gutter and needed rescuing. With no events or contacts the members had deserted the society and left it as a shell.

The Lancaster network really was a by-product of the successful relaunch of the society. To restart the society I starting building connections within all the university departments and slowly spread out to the local community and further afield.

Through a strong marketing campaign at freshers fair I attracted a relatively large number of members and pulled together a executive committee to start organising events.

I continue to build contacts and help develop the society, slowly convincing more entrepreneurs, alumni and businesses to give talks, workshops and funding.

The best connections I have personally made are with leaders of similar university societies around the country including Essex and Bangor. The tips and tricks they have given me over the past few months really have helped me to build the society in terms of speakers, funding and recruitment.

The best connection I have made is introducing a contact of mine who is careers teacher at a local college to the Lancaster University Volunteering Unit - a multi-award winning student union project that among other things, works with school children to engage them in theoretical and practical enterpreneurial activities.

Treat every event just as importantly as your launch event. Even if you host such events every week, there will be at least one attendee who has not attended such an event before. Ensure all attendees are greeted warmly by an easily identifiable event organiser.

And of course keep the free food and wine flowing :)