With the UCFB Sports Entrepreneur Competition set to return for a fourth consecutive year, we thought we’d highlight some of the previous winners and see how their businesses are getting on.
UCFB student Thomas Freismuth has set up Premier League football camps in Austria and Slovenia following his pitch to the judging panel, after spotting a gap in the market in each respective country…
How invaluable has the expertise and help from Brendan Flood been? The chance to meet regularly with such a successful person like Brendan Flood is invaluable. I’ve learnt so much from him – the way he thinks, he speaks, he behaves. Moreover, I got a deeper insight into the industry. Who could give you a better insight into the football industry than a club director, right? I am very thankful to Brendan for sparing his precious time to help me with my business but also with my future career.
How would you describe the experience of presenting to the competition board?
It was a fantastic experience. I had a clear plan on how I want to pitch my idea. As the saying goes, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’, so I prepared for many hours ahead of the presentation and the potential questions I would face. The panel had some tricky questions, however I managed to convince them with my ideas and I also think with my personality. I am still in touch with Paul Fletcher who was asking questions regarding marketing and sales. Overall, it was a great experience to pitch in front of such successful people. Now I know that I’ve convinced successful people within the football industry with my ideas and personality, it gives me a lot of confidence for future meetings.
Please can you describe how you came up with your business idea and why?
I saw a little gap in the market: I realised that no Premier League club is doing summer camps in Austria and Slovenia. However, their competitors – the likes of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund – already have camps there. I thought that it’s a missed opportunity for English clubs, and I know that there is a big interest in Premier League clubs in these countries.
What’s your message to students thinking of entering the 2018 edition?
UCFB offers great opportunities – the students just need to take advantage of them! The UCFB Entrepreneur Competition can change your life, and you can become an entrepreneur overnight. The beauty of the competition is that you learn so many things just during the preparation. Then you get one chance to impress the judging panel. It is a great experience that challenges you to give your very best, but the good thing is you have nothing to lose and everything to win! You might wake up the following morning with investment for your business and the business card of Brendan Flood.
If you are a UCFB student and would like to enter the UCFB Sports Entrepreneur Competition, please email s.fitzjohn@ucfb.com with the following before Wednesday 31st January:
- Full name(s) of everyone in your business team. Individual entrants are also welcome;
- One main contact email address of your team;
- One main contact telephone number of your team;
- The degree programme that each team member is studying, year group and campus;
- Description of your business idea (500 words max);
- Name of your potential business/company.
