Welcome back,

Oxford Entrepreneurs has an action packed line-up of events for you this term. Speakers include John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, and Sir Tom Hunter, billionaire philanthropist. Idea Idol’s glitzy 6th week final is set to give away £10,000 and be the entertainment event of the term. We also are also working to confirm Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Smoothies and Tim Smit, the visionary behind The Eden Project.

Check out our term card and sign-up now!

Want to get more involved? See below to apply for a position in one of the most dynamic committees in Oxford.

If you have any enterprise related items you would like to add to the newsletter please send them to president@oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk

See you at an event soon!
Alasdair and the OE Committee

Sign Up Now for the Flux 2008 Business Competition!

Flux is a national student enterprise and employability competition running throughout the UK over a period of 8 weeks this term - the South Central Regional Final will be held here in Oxford on February 14th. The top 11 teams will then go forward to the Grand Final, where teams will have the chance to win £500, as well as building their skills and having fun!

At each Regional Final, a team of 6 students from each participating University takes a scenario from an existing business and uses a business planning tool, XING, to visualise aspects of the business. 10 experts are there to give you a helping hand, by evaluating your performance, and supporting you with business knowledge. You aren’t judged on what you already know, but how you perform as a team, how well you use the advice given, and whether you play to your strengths and recognise your weaknesses.

Enter now to be part of the Oxford University team! Whatever year you are in or whatever you are studying, you can enter, as long as you can be free to participate on 14th February… To enter go to the web site www.flux500.com and sign up.

Different Models of Sustainable Change

Oxford Hub Series, Magdalen Auditorium
Wednesday January 23rd, 8pm

Our generation of students needs to think more broadly if we’re to tackle the social and
environmental problems of today and the future. For too many people, charity work is
something for which you don’t get paid, while commercial work involves leaving your
morals at the office door. This panel discussion, presented by the Oxford Hub with
sponsorship from JustMeans, will involve representatives from charities, social enterprises
and the private sector. The panel will explore the relative merits and failings of the different
models of social change that they represent.
Speakers confirmed: James Townsend, Trustee - Teach First; William Stephens,
Ethical Trading Co-ordinator for Food - Tesco; Stuart Thomason, Level 2
Development Manager - UnLtd*; Charlie O’Malley, Co-founder, Enso Ventures

The Spark Challenge - Win up to £500,000 funding and an enterprise makeover.

Five social enterprises that pitch at Spark’s April event will win a two-day makeover ‘challenge’, which will be undertaken between May and October. At the end of the challenge, the corporate teams will present their recommendations to the social enterprise and summarise what they have achieved in one day and what steps the enterprise should take in the coming months.

Apply now http://tinyurl.com/33uzfu

Uuni.com Big Idea Competition Update

Winner of the first ‘Early Entry Prize’ in uuni’s ‘Big Idea’ competition is… Tom Craig from Cambridge University for his idea: High Street Oracle. If you want to talk to Tom about his idea or congratulate him you can find him on uuni.com with the username jatc2.

If you didn’t enter Idea Idol the final deadline for entries for The Big Idea Competition is 31st January 2008 and you can enter your idea at www.uuni.com/bigidea. Let’s get Oxford in with a chance of winning the £25,000!

Join the Oxford Entrepreneurs Committee

In the past year Oxford Entrepreneurs has grown to become the largest free student society at Oxford. The Committee attracts our most talented and interesting members - most of us want to start businesses on graduation, if not already doing so. We’re getting great experience from building the society, running it in a way which is a model for our members in terms of innovation, quality and ambition. We embrace diversity - our committees have included people of various nationalities - Russian, Nigerian, Portuguese, Indian, Thai, Chinese amongst others!

The roles we are recruiting for are Creative Director, Secretary, Membership Officer, Relationships Manager and Treasurer. Job descriptions and general committee guidelines can be found at http://www.oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk/archive/2008/01/14/applications/

If you want to join us, send a CV and covering email to our Personnel Officer: Aniket Tavare personnel@oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk. Please tell us about your interests, where you’re at in life, what you can contribute and what you hope to gain. Open applications are welcome.

China-UK Business Plan Competition

9th February - Nottingham opening party
28th February - Entry Deadline

Do you think your project could be commercialized? Can you put together with a business plan to make it happen? Do you want to get advice and feedback from venture capitals? Would you like to compete for a share of £20,000 prize fund?

Enter now! http://www.wininuk.org.uk/

The Future of Privacy

21 January 2008 7.00pm
Science Oxford

Come along to the launch of Science Oxford’s latest exhibition ‘Futurescope’. Dr Adam Joinson will launch the series of events at Science Oxford by exploring how technology is changing social relationships. What is private? Followed by networking nibbles.

For more information or to book a place please call 01865 728953 or email mark.wearing@oxtrust.org.uk.

Experience Exchange

5th February 2008 6pm
Science Oxford - Free

Seize the opportunity to obtain a guiding hand from mentors with real, practical business experience. Last chance to register for The Oxford Trust’s Experience Exchange. They need applications from science and technology companies by Wednesday 16th of January.

More info and sign-up www.oxtrust.org.uk/experienceexchange/

Entrepreneurs International Challenge (EPIC) 2008, deadline extended

Apply by 19th January
Event: February 19th – 23rd

EPIC is a five-day international entrepreneurship competition hosted annually by the LSE, bringing together bright, ambitious students from 50+ universities to develop and enhance their entrepreneurial thinking skills. Inspired by the Apprentice, the two stage competition tests students on their Sales, Negotiation, Marketing, and Strategy skills in an entrepreneurial context.

OE is keen to send a team so either apply with your 4 members at http://www.epicuk.org/ or email president@oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk to be formed into a team.

School Aid Network

Monday, January 14th 6:00 pm
Said Business School

Dr. Cheryle Berry, the Chair of Trustees of this new UK-based charity, will explain how the organisation works with young people to develop social enterprise skills.

The School Aid Network has three main aims:
* Increase access to education, and promote health and security for young people around the world
* Assist schools and charities to support each other through fund-raising, volunteering and curriculum development
* Promote understanding and appreciation of other cultures

To learn more about the School Aid Network, visit www.schoolaidnetwork.co.uk

Latest Enternships

Work in a vc-funded Internet Start-up
We are looking for all positions from Web Developers and Software Engineers to UI and Design experts and Systems Developer/Admins.
http://www.enternships.com/enternships/80

London’s Community Lottery
Community Money CIC is an entrepreneurial non-profit social enterprise start up seeking to address the issue of financial exclusion in London with a number of innovative programs. It is launching London’s Community Lottery – the proceeds of which will fund an affordable loan and grant fund and money advice. We are looking for a number of fun & enterprising interns who can commit for 1-2 days per week for up to 3 months to help promote the lottery and sign up new members to join at £1 a week. Are you up for the challenge?

Odds and Ends

Last Ever Lecture - Dying professor on achieving childhood dreams.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184

“One thing I learned… is that I could never take a job simply because it might look good on my resume. I have to do things I enjoy.” Raymond. V. Gilmartin, Chairman, President and CEO of Merick & Co.

“Passionate people get things done… Passionate people energize other people and build enthusiasm, and as you surely know, enthusiasm is contagious.” Leonard Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Radioshack Corp.