Accounting/Business: Dragons’ Den with Associate Professor Elaine Darby, Programme Area Director (Undergraduate Accounting), Henley Business School, University of Reading

In this fun, interactive Dragons’ Den event, students will engage in analysing, evaluating and challenging an entrepreneur’s business plan. This event will help students develop key academic and professional skills whist gaining an insight into university level study.

Elaine Darby, Associate Professor at Henley Business School, will engage students in a Dragons’ Den style interactive session where they are the Dragons. This is an opportunity to explore a business proposal from the perspective of an investor. Dragons will prepare questions and challenges for Elaine, the entrepreneur, and come to a conclusion. Would you fund it, and if not why not?!

Elaine will also briefly talk to students about accounting degree programmes at Henley Business School, with a focus on the BA Accounting and Business (Flying Start) degree, which is an innovative degree offered in partnership with top accountancy firm, PwC. This will be of particular interest to students who like the idea of starting university with the expectation of a graduate job offer from PwC and a fast-track route to becoming a professional accountant.

Session Objectives

• ∙Enhance participants’ understanding of the different elements of a business plan (funding, ownership, marketing, production, logistics, financials, exit strategy)
• ∙Develop participants’ critical thinking skills through their questioning of the information presented to them
• ∙Enhance professional skills including negotiation and team working

Session Outline/Format

• ∙Welcome, intros, objectives – leader gives session outline
• ∙Session leader takes role of entrepreneur & gives a pitch to ‘Dragons’
• ∙Schools prepare questions / challenges
• ∙Schools ask questions & entrepreneur fields questions
• ∙Schools vote yes / no on investing and justify their decision
• ∙Session leader wraps up the Dragons’ Den exercise
• ∙Session leader gives an overview of accounting degrees at Henley Business School
• ∙Opportunity for schools to ask questions about studying accounting at university
• ∙Thanks & close

Lecturer Biography: Elaine Darby

Suitable for: Year 10 students.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: No preparation/pre-reading is required for this event.

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school/college. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 or 4 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience.

Booking a Place: Invitations to this event will be sent to schools and colleges in Berkshire by Henley Business School, University of Reading. Following an invitation, if you have a group of students that you think would benefit from taking part in this event, please contact us via email or via the contact form at the top right of this webpage (or at the bottom if you are using a mobile device). Subject to availability we will then book your place.