International student kick starts podiatry business
International student and recent Salford graduate, Emma Bai, is one step closer to setting up her own business after securing £2,000 in the university’s Launch Global ‘International Business Ideas Competition’.
The Launch Global programme was designed to inspire international students to develop their business ideas and help to guide them in exploring entrepreneurship as a career option.
The programme's ‘International Business Ideas Competition’ is set up to support students in developing an entrepreneurial mindset, enhance their enterprise and employability skills, and have the opportunity to pitch their business idea to the Launch team after 4 weeks of learning and practising. They are then in with a chance of winning a grant from the £20,000 funding pot.
On securing the funding, Emma said: “Since I graduated from the Podiatry program at Salford, my business idea is to use my professional skills to serve suburban and rural people in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada.
“The location is set up in a small town, because of the limitation of health services in rural and suburban areas. The name of my clinic is: Step Up Foot Clinic and Orthotic Medical Center. We treat patients not only visiting us in the clinic but also patient’s immobility by doing home visits or using our special mobile service vehicle.
“Attending the Launch Global program offered me a great opportunity to fine-tune my business plan and gave me the chance to learn from other people's experiences. By winning £2,000 pounds, I am one step closer to my dream: setting up a clinic and serving local people.
“I am so grateful for this award and really appreciate the University of Salford in providing this precious opportunity to help international students to succeed in their own country. The podiatry program at Salford builds a strong foundation and skills for future podiatrists to serve their communities. I was so lucky to have had thorough training from the program which has prepared me well for helping my patients.”
Dr Jill Phethean who leads the Enterprise in Podiatry module, said:
"We wish Emma every success in setting up her business and look forward to more podiatry students following this precedent due to the addition of a new module 'Enterprise in Podiatry', which equips students with entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial knowledge and skills."
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