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These are run every two weeks. The second set is more hands-on, such as a local form of The Apprentice (run in conjunction with Virgin Trains) or the '£10 challenge' in which participants are given £10 and challenged to grow this as much as possible in a day (known as FastLane). The society has developed a network of links with local entrepreneurs, its own alumni, and funders. This has led to student start-ups raising funding. The society has registered as a community interest company (Accelerate ME) which will enable it to take an interest in the start-up companies it supports with small tranches of funding, with the money coming from sponsorship from local corporate majors such as RBS. It provides members with support through close collaboration with the Manchester Enterprise Centre in its extra curricula activities, and with UMI 3 . Imran Hakim (pictured above with Dragon's Den stars Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones) is one of the country's top young entrepreneurs. Having graduated from the University in 2000 in optometry he brought his business acumen to the development of a what is now top ten chain of independent optometry practices running from the Coventry in the Midlands to the Isle of Man in the west and the Lake District in the north. This business marries the attraction and value of an independent to the back office and supply chain efficiencies of a chain. Best known, however, for the Dragons' Den and commercial success of the iTeddy product, he is now also Director of Entrepreneurship for UMI 3 and brings his own blend of talent and commercial drive – the ability to spot and pursue opportunities – to the assistance of university entrepreneurs, students and staff alike. 73 Picture © The University of Manchester MEnt students learn key enterprise skills such as opportunity recognition, idea generation and the ability to transform ideas into tangible business proposals. They also gain essential knowledge and awareness in areas such as finance, risk management and market research.

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