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Blog, Enterprise Education, Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Why SME Owners Should Invest in Entrepreneurship Education—Not Just for Themselves, But for Their Teams

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the heartbeat of every economy. They employ more than half the world’s workforce, drive innovation, and hold deep community roots. Yet many SME owners spend their days firefighting—caught in the demands of daily operations, chasing cash flow, managing staff, navigating regulation, and trying to stay one step ahead in a rapidly shifting world.

In the middle of all this, entrepreneurship education might sound like a luxury—something for startups, students, or aspiring founders. But here’s the truth: entrepreneurship education could be one of the most valuable investments an SME owner can make—not only for themselves, but for their team, their growth, and their long-term survival.

In fact, when SME leaders adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and embed that thinking across their organisation, they don’t just adapt to change—they lead it.

Let’s explore how.

Rethinking Entrepreneurship: It’s Not Just for Startups

First, we need to expand the definition.

Entrepreneurship is not just about founding the next tech unicorn or pitching investors in Silicon Valley. At its core, entrepreneurship is about spotting opportunities, solving problems creatively, creating value, and managing risk with intent.

It’s just as relevant to a five-person construction firm as it is to a fintech startup.

Entrepreneurship education, then, is not about teaching people how to launch new businesses—it’s about embedding the skills, habits, and strategies that help SMEs survive, adapt, and thrive in a changing market.

It helps you ask better questions:

  • How do we add more value to our customers?
  • What new revenue streams could we unlock?
  • Where are we wasting time or money?
  • How do we build a culture of innovation inside our team?

The Business Case: Proven Benefits of Entrepreneurial Thinking in SMEs

1. Improved Strategic Decision-Making

Entrepreneurship education trains business owners to step back from the day-to-day and think strategically. It introduces frameworks like Lean Startup, Business Model Canvas, or Design Thinking—tools that help you test ideas faster, reduce waste, and make data-informed decisions.

A study by the Kauffman Foundation found that SME leaders who had undergone entrepreneurship training made faster and more effective decisions around pivoting, product development, and resource allocation.

The benefit? You spend less time stuck—and more time steering.

2. Greater Adaptability in Uncertain Markets

Markets change. Technology evolves. Customer behaviour shifts. SMEs that survive aren’t the biggest or best-funded—they’re the most adaptable.

Entrepreneurship education helps you build that adaptability into your business DNA. You learn how to prototype new services, experiment with pricing models, diversify offerings, and respond to feedback quickly—without risking your core business.

During COVID-19, SMEs with prior exposure to entrepreneurial learning were more likely to adapt their models—shifting to online sales, developing new delivery methods, or entering adjacent markets.

3. Enhanced Team Performance and Innovation

Entrepreneurial education isn’t just for the boss. When your team learns entrepreneurial thinking, something powerful happens:

  • Staff take more initiative
  • Problems are solved internally rather than escalated
  • Creativity flourishes
  • Customer service improves

Imagine your receptionist suggesting a new way to automate bookings. Or your warehouse staff proposing a system that cuts delivery time by 20%. When employees think like entrepreneurs, they look beyond tasks—they look for opportunities.

Fostering what’s called “intrapreneurship” within your team can dramatically improve engagement, retention, and innovation. And it starts with how you train and empower them.

4. Increased Business Resilience

Entrepreneurship education teaches you how to handle failure, mitigate risk, and bounce back. These are not abstract skills—they are survival tools for SME owners.

The UK’s Enterprise Research Centre found that SMEs run by owners with entrepreneurship education were more likely to bounce back from shocks, avoid closure, and retain customers—even when facing industry disruption or economic downturns.

Resilience isn’t just emotional—it’s strategic. And it can be learned.

Common Myths That Hold SME Owners Back

Let’s clear up a few misconceptions:

Myth 1: “I’ve already been in business for years—I don’t need more education.”
Even the most experienced business owners can become trapped in routines or outdated assumptions. Entrepreneurship education challenges your thinking, introduces fresh tools, and helps you rediscover curiosity and innovation.

Myth 2: “Entrepreneurship education is for big companies or startups.”
It’s for anyone who wants to grow, adapt, or innovate. In fact, smaller businesses often benefit most—because they can implement change faster and test new ideas without layers of bureaucracy.

Myth 3: “I don’t have time.”
Many entrepreneurship programmes are designed for busy owners—offered as short courses, workshops, or even microlearning modules that take 15 minutes a day. Think of it as time spent working on your business, not just in it.

What Kind of Education Should You Look For?

The best entrepreneurship education for SME owners is:

  • Practical – Focused on real-world application, not just theory.
  • Flexible – Fits your schedule and business demands.
  • Interactive – Offers community, mentoring, or peer exchange.
  • Affordable – Often supported by local authorities, business support organisations, or grants.

Look for programmes from:

  • Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs)
  • Chambers of commerce
  • Adult learning colleges
  • Online platforms like Coursera, FutureLearn, or Enterprise Nation
  • Universities offering executive education for SMEs

Also consider bringing it in-house: host a team “innovation sprint” or sponsor key staff to complete a short enterprise training programme. The ROI will surprise you.

Beyond Profit: Entrepreneurship as a Culture

The real benefit of entrepreneurship education isn’t just improved margins—it’s a culture shift.

It encourages openness to ideas, comfort with ambiguity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. It makes your business more proactive, less reactive. More agile, less fragile.

It also re-engages you as a leader. It reminds you why you started in the first place—not just to survive, but to build something of value.

And in a world where AI, global competition, and economic volatility are constant forces, that mindset is your greatest asset.

Final Thought: What’s Your Business Learning?

Your business is learning all the time—whether you’re guiding it or not. The question is: are you learning with it?

Entrepreneurship education is not about stepping away from your business. It’s about stepping into a better version of it. One where you lead with clarity, adapt with purpose, and grow with intention.

If you’re a small business owner ready for your next stage—don’t just hire more people or buy more equipment. Invest in what matters most: your own thinking, and that of your team.

Because in business, just like in life, your greatest competitive advantage is the ability to learn faster and apply smarter.

References

1. QAA: Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education Guidance (2018)

A comprehensive framework for UK higher education providers to embed entrepreneurial learning across curricula.
🔗 Read the full guidance

2. Advance HE: New Framework for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education

An updated framework supporting institutions in developing enterprise education strategies.
🔗 Explore the frameworkAdvance HE

3. Enterprise Educators UK: Policy Resources

Guidance and policy documents for enterprise educators across the UK.
🔗 Access policy resourcesEnterprise Educators UK

4. Evaluation of Enterprise Education in England (DfE Research Report)

An evaluation highlighting the impact of enterprise education in English schools.
🔗 Read the reportGOV.UK

5. The Impact of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education on Regional Development

A study analyzing how enterprise education influences regional economic growth.
🔗 View the studyGOV.UK

6. Entrepreneurship Education in the United Kingdom

An overview of the evolution and current state of entrepreneurship education in the UK.
🔗 Read the article

7. HEPI: Evolution of Devolution in Higher Education Policy

An analysis of how higher education policies have diverged across the UK’s devolved nations.
🔗 Download the reportHEPI+1HEPI+1

8. GOV.UK: Improving Entrepreneurship Education

Recommendations to the Prime Minister on enhancing entrepreneurship education in universities.
🔗 Read the correspondenceGOV.UK

9. Learning and Progression in Entrepreneurship Education (Wales)

Guidance on embedding entrepreneurship education within the Welsh curriculum.
🔗 Access the document

10. Enterprise Education Impact in HE and FE – Final Report

An evaluation of enterprise education’s impact in higher and further education institutions.
🔗 Read the final report

11. The Impact and Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Policy (Nesta)

An examination of publicly supported policies for entrepreneurship development.
🔗 View the working paperNesta Media

12. The Value of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education (British Council)

Insights into the significance of embedding entrepreneurship education in vocational training.
🔗 Explore the resource

13. Entrepreneurship Education in the UK: Impact and Future Research Directions

A review of the effectiveness of UK’s undergraduate entrepreneurship education programs.
🔗 Read the blog postDr David Bozward

14. Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Education Policy for the English Education Ministry

A proposed policy framework aiming to foster entrepreneurial mindset among students.
🔗 View the policy proposalDr David Bozward

15. Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education Guidance (UWE Draft)

Draft guidance intended to inform and promote the development of enterprise education in higher education.
🔗 Access the draft guidancewww2.uwe.ac.uk

16. The History of Entrepreneurship Education in the UK 1860-2020

A historical analysis of the development of entrepreneurship education in the UK.
🔗 Download the paper

17. Entrepreneurship Policy and Practice Insights – ISBE

Insights into current policy and practice issues related to entrepreneurship research.
🔗 Explore the insightsQuality Assurance Agency+4Enterprise Educators UK+4Startups Magazine+4

18. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in UK and China

A comparative study on innovation and entrepreneurship education between the UK and China.
🔗 Read the article

19. University of Huddersfield – REF Impact Case Studies

Case studies demonstrating the impact of entrepreneurship education on policy shaping.
🔗 View the case studies

20. The Case for the Devolution of Higher Education Policy – HEPI

An argument for devolving higher education policy to better address regional needs.
🔗 Read the articleHEPI+1HEPI+1

Blog, Enterprise Education

Rolling the Dice on Entrepreneurship in Universities

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Universities in the UK often struggle with entrepreneurship. It doesn’t fit neatly into traditional academic structures—it’s not a defined career path, it’s taught like a vocational add-on, and worst of all (to some), entrepreneurial students tend to challenge authority. But in today’s unstable higher education sector, that might be exactly what’s needed.

I once spoke with Professor Allan Gibb about this disconnect. His model (Figure 5 in Gibb, A., Haskins, G., & Robertson, I. (2009). Leading the entrepreneurial university. University of Oxford. of the entrepreneurial university still holds true, but implementation varies wildly. Vice Chancellors don’t seem to know where entrepreneurship fits, so they stick it wherever there’s space—like rolling a dice.

So, I made a literal dice: six faces, six random “homes” for entrepreneurship.

  1. Research & Enterprise – Often tied to funding pots like HEIF.
  2. Employability & Careers – Think Graduate Businesses and initiatives like Northumbria’s.
  3. Innovation & Enterprise – See UCL’s Enterprise or Birmingham’s Collaborate.
  4. Business Schools – Sometimes embraced, often sidelined.
  5. Institutes or Centres – Coventry University’s Enterprise unit is one model.
  6. Technology Transfer – Like Newcastle’s IP and licensing efforts.

The randomness highlights the problem—and the opportunity. Maybe it’s time to stop rolling dice and start placing strategic bets.

Lets quickly look at each and see what the pro’s and cons of each are:

1. Research & Enterprise

Pros: Strong alignment with funding (e.g., HEIF), links to knowledge exchange, impact, and spinouts.
Cons: Tends to favour staff-led innovation over student engagement; risk of entrepreneurship becoming a reporting metric which leads to cash to pay for other things.

2. Employability & Careers

Pros: Focused on graduate outcomes, enterprise skills, and real-world readiness.
Cons: Can reduce entrepreneurship to CV-enhancing workshops, lacking depth and strategic investment. Focused B3 Progression measured at 15 months after completion, so long term entreprneurial development is not supported.

3. Innovation & Enterprise Units

Pros: Dedicated structures (e.g., UCL, Birmingham) often offer incubators, funding, and expert support.
Cons: Can be isolated from the academic curriculum and suffer from poor integration across faculties.

4. Business Schools

Pros: A natural home—entrepreneurship is a recognised academic discipline with research, teaching, and networks.
Cons: Can become too theoretical, divorced from practice, or siloed from other departments. Provides many students who can create a business model but never be able to execute it.

5. Institutes or Centres

Pros: Flexible and agile, like Coventry’s model; can act as cross-university hubs.
Cons: Vulnerable to funding changes and may lack influence in university decision-making.

6. Technology Transfer Offices

Pros: Ideal for commercialising university research and developing staff-led startups.
Cons: Student entrepreneurship is often ignored; focus is on IP, patents, and licensing rather than broader enterprise education.

Each model has its merits and its blind spots. But the real issue is that entrepreneurship in higher education still feels like an afterthought—tacked onto existing structures rather than strategically embedded.

So maybe it’s time to stop rolling dice and start making intentional, informed decisions.

Where does entrepreneurship live in your institution—and more importantly, where should it?

Blog

Why Higher Education in Universities Must Change: Adapting to a New Era

Higher Education is highly politically. Left Right, Up, Down, everyone has view. So in this article I wanted to look at the widest range of changes which people are calling for. This is not about my views, its about looking at as many options as possible with a view to understanding them. The list below generally goes from left to right in the thoughts.

1. Education as a Public Good, Not a Commodity The capitalist model treats universities like businesses, turning students into customers and education into a commodity. This approach prioritizes profit over learning, driving up tuition costs and burdening students with massive debt. Education becomes a privilege for the wealthy, while marginalized groups are stuck in underfunded institutions. A socialist perspective calls for education to be a public good, accessible to all, not a product bought and sold.

2. Ending Educational Inequality and Privilege Higher education perpetuates inequality by favouring wealthy students, who gain access to elite institutions and better opportunities. Meanwhile, those from lower-income backgrounds struggle to afford tuition or even gain admission. This system of privilege needs to be dismantled to create a truly equal education landscape.

3. Decolonizing the Curriculum Universities often promote colonial and Eurocentric perspectives, sidelining non-Western knowledge and reinforcing oppressive systems. Decolonizing the curriculum is essential for creating a fair, inclusive education system that conveys the best knowledge to all.

4. Rejecting the Corporate University Universities increasingly align with corporate interests, focusing on profit-driven fields like business and technology, while underfunding critical areas such as the humanities and social sciences. Education should prioritize social good over corporate profits, fostering critical thinking and awareness.

5. Abolishing Student Debt Student debt entrenches inequality, especially for marginalized groups. The crippling burden of debt limits their ability to fully participate in society. Abolishing student debt is a necessary step toward making education accessible and equitable.

6. Lifelong Education for All Education shouldn’t be confined to youth but should be a lifelong right, especially in a world where industries evolve rapidly. Access to higher education must be expanded for working adults and those seeking retraining, creating opportunities for continuous learning.

7. Research for the Public Good University research is often commercialized, driven by corporate interests. This skews priorities, leaving critical issues like climate change and social justice underfunded. Research must serve society’s needs, not corporate profits.

8. Worker Control and Academic Democracy Universities are run by administrators and trustees with little input from the educators and students who drive learning. This hierarchical structure is undemocratic and needs reform. Faculty, staff, and students should have greater say in how universities are run.

9. Radical Redistribution of Resources Resources in higher education are unequally distributed, with elite universities enjoying vast wealth while public institutions and community colleges struggle. Redistributing resources can create a fairer education system that benefits all.

10. Smashing the Hierarchies Within Academia Academic hierarchies mirror capitalist oppression, privileging full-time professors while overworking and underpaying adjuncts and contingent faculty. Academia must become more equitable, valuing all contributors and dismantling elitist knowledge systems.

11. Education as a Tool for Collective Liberation Higher education often reinforces existing class structures, producing elites who perpetuate the status quo. Universities should instead foster collective liberation, challenging power structures and empowering students to fight for social justice and equality.

12. Rejecting the Politicization of Education Universities have become overly politicized, pushing left-wing ideologies around race, gender, and identity politics. This narrative undermines national unity and fosters victimhood. Universities should focus on objective, fact-based knowledge, prioritizing national values over divisive political agendas.

13. Restoring Meritocracy and Excellence The current focus on diversity and inclusion undermines meritocracy, weakening educational standards. Admission should be based on academic achievement rather than identity politics, encouraging competition and rewarding individual excellence.

14. Defending National Sovereignty in Education Globalization has shifted universities away from serving national interests. Restoring national sovereignty in education, ensuring universities prioritize domestic needs and defend national identity and security.

15. Reasserting Traditional Values Universities must return to traditional values, rejecting progressive ideas around gender, family, and societal roles that have led to moral decline. Education should reinforce cultural norms that promote stability, responsibility, and social cohesion.

16. Ending the Culture of Victimhood The far-right perspective also argues that universities have fostered a culture of victimhood, encouraging students to see themselves as oppressed rather than capable individuals. Education should promote self-reliance, personal responsibility, and resilience.

17. Reforming the Role of Government in Education Government interference, particularly through mandates on diversity and inclusion, has eroded academic freedom. Universities should have more autonomy, free from political pressures that distort academic priorities.

18. Promoting Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity Free speech in universities is under threat, with conservative voices often marginalized. Intellectual diversity must be protected to ensure that all perspectives, especially right-wing ones, have a platform in academic discourse.

19. Cutting Waste and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility The cost of higher education has surged due to administrative bloat and unnecessary programs. Universities should cut waste, reduce bureaucracy, and focus on delivering high-quality education efficiently to benefit both students and taxpayers.

Conclusion

Higher education is critical to shaping a fair, equitable, and progressive society, but the current system is plagued by inequality, market-driven interests, and rising student debt.

Whilst coming up with this list, its clear the left and the right have different viewpoints, but in some of their points its just looking at the same problem from a different perspective. For example, if we cut waste and restore fiscal responsibility, then we should be able to reduce fees or provide better access to those in greater need.

I also come to this problem having worked in Universities, so don’t believe every university should be the same, e.g. address the same market and provide the same service. Supermarkets don’t, Airlines don’t and therefore we should design a higher education market place which services all the customers we would like to access it. This may mean Oxford and Cambridge charge £50,000 per year for undergraduates and receive no public funding, whilst another institution provide undergraduate degrees for £2,500 year or using a subscription model based on £300 per year with a student taking from one year to up to 50 years to complete a degree.

Then the options are endless, the possibilities to solve these problems can become real. Its just making sure we innovate this business model which has been in place for just over one thousand years.