Entrepreneur and Waterworld Group owner Mo Chaudry explains why he’s suppporting the Peter Coates MSc in Entrepreneurship and why it is a tremendous kick start for fledgling businesses.
It’s no secret I’m an admirer of people who have built and sustained successful businesses from humble beginnings. In that respect Peter Coates and his family take some beating.
But here’s another thing which differentiates the Coates family from a lot of successful businesses… they’ve made a big success out of putting something back.
That’s why I’m invested in supporting the MSc in Entrepreneurship Peter’s launched with Staffordshire University, and that’s why every business in our area should support it too.
Peter’s £20million endowment provides the capital for a programme to give entrepreneurs an opportunity to start a business. To learn both from other start-ups and mentors who’ve already succeeded.
It’s a tremendous kick start. It’s a strategic boost for business in Staffordshire and will give our economy more of what we need… successful businesses which create wealth, create jobs and pay taxes to the state.
Will every business associated with the MSc succeed? Probably not.
But when I and a small panel helped judge the start-ups from year one of the programme and decide who would benefit from additional funding from his foundation, I saw some essentials: positive energy, entrepreneurial spirit, ideas and a willingness to take that risk.
Without those we wouldn’t have any successful businesses.
It’s no coincidence that in the home of Josiah Wedgwood – my ultimate entrepreneur and Stoke’s greatest Icon – we have business hero Peter Coates identifying and encouraging future entrepreneurs, sewing seeds of start-ups and success.
That’s glued into me… that overwhelming sense that positive purpose makes positive outcomes.
And that’s why I’ll repeat: we can all help this transformation to put Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire on the map as an entrepreneurial melting pot where amazing things are visualised, created and made.
If you’re in business and can support, mentor, inspire or encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs, then do your bit and support Peter’s commitment.
