Latest Updates
- Please see the finale section below. You can create a 5 minute presentation to show us what you have learnt.
- Please re-read the updated FAQ.
Your journey
- Enter Team in Competition by Friday 21st October
- Book your pitch now. Pitch your idea to our judges on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th October
- Attend our workshops to maximise your chances of winning! (Risk assessment Wednesday Oct 26 and Thursday 27 both in 8W 2.31 from 1.15pm-2.15pm, Till training Nov 1 in 1East Meeting Room from 11.15pm-12.15pm)
- Introductions with mentors
- Come to our launch event for drinks, snacks and to see the shop on the evening of 7th November
- Make loads of profit during your day in the shop
- Make a presentation at the Grand Finale at the Guildhall on 25th November and see if you have won!
The Pitch
The Pitch takes place in the ERC which is next to the Enterprise office on Level 4 of Norwood House. Not all of your team has to attend. You will be pitching to a small team of the administration and BANTER team who will judge you on the quality of your Risk Assessment, Finance and Marketing and general organisation.
We advise you to use Powerpoint. Bring the presentation along on a pen drive (if you do not own a pen drive please email to banter@bath.ac.uk. The format should be Microsoft Powerpoint 2003. If you are using a newer version when you click Save as please select Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 .pwt .
Your pitch should be 5 minutes long. We will ask you up to 10 minutes of questions.
Marketing
You need to think about marketing. Teams in the past have built fantastic window displays, decorated the shop, handed out fliers to people, worn uniforms, handed out samples of their products.
These pictures may give you some ideas to get you started:
Finance
You need to think about your finances. Open the Finance template you will see an example of how to keep track of your finances. You should not delete Row 2 as everyone will get a startup loan of £200 (remember you do not have to spend it all). Rows 3-5 are examples of how to input transactions. Feel free to tailor this spreadsheet to your own needs but you must remember to input all your transactions.
Don't forget to attend the Making It All Add Up workshop on Oct 20
and Till Training on Nov 1
Risk
Before you are allowed to go into the shop you must fill in a Risk Assessment. First open the Risk Assessment template. This table shows common risks you may incur. You must tailor this list to suit your own idea and then take a printed copy along with you to the Risk Assessment training on October 26 and 27th to complete it.
PAT testing
Remember all electrical items must be PAT tested with Paul Brooks who is based on the SU corridor of Norwood House.
Food Hygiene
Are you planning on selling food in your shop? Please review both these documents for food hygiene our shop falls somewhere in between outdoor catering and mobile catering:
Catering for an outdoor event
Catering for an mobile event
On the day
Please review all the instructions on what to do at the start of the end of the day. Including picking up the keys and dropping off keys.
You should have already attended till training, please review this document before you start.
Grand Finale
On the evening of the Grand Finale you will have the chance to give a 5 minute presentation of what you have leant. No Powerpoint presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I start setting up the shop
You get the keys for the shop at 00.00 the day of the shop and you have to return them before 24.00 to security in the library.
What time can I trade?
You can trade between 9 and 5.00pm
How do I know which day I am in the shop?
When you registered you should have picked three preferences for days in the shop. We will try and accommodate everyone and be in touch with what day you have been assigned.
How does my team win?
The winner is the team that makes the most profit. This means income minus expenditure. It is not always the best strategy to spend the full £200 loan.
Do I get to keep my profits?
The winning team keeps their profits. Some teams will make a loss. Profit or loss incurred by any other team will be re-invested into the project.
I want to enter but I don't have enough people in my team
Don't worry send us and email at banter@bath.ac.uk or come into the office that is on Norwood Level 4 (above the SU corridor) and we will match you up with some other people who are in the same position
I'm not sure about risk assessment
We have a workshop to help you. It is on November 26 and November 27
I'm not sure about finances
We have a workshop to help you. It is called Making It All Add Up on October 20th. Or come and see us in the office on Level 4 of Norwood house to ask.
Where do I pick up my £200?
First you need to get your risk assessment signed off by Siobain Hone and the Students' Union. Then you can pick up the yellow form from the Enterprise office take it to student finance and collect £200 cash.
Can I still claim something back if I don't have the receipt?
No.
Can I use more than £200 by using some of my own money?
No. The competition is how much can you do with £200 so it would be unfair on the other teams to use more.
Can I claim back traveling expenses?
Yes, keep your bus ticket or receipt for any taxis. You cannot claim for petrol but you can claim for mileage.
Can we store things in the shop before our allocated day?
No the shop will be being used by another team.
Can we leave things in the shop after our allocated day?
No you must take everything with you including your rubbish. We provide two pre-paid rubbish bags per team. You must leave your rubbish outside the shop at the end of the day.
Are there any restrictions on the products or services we sell in the shop?
You can't sell anything illegal or that requires a special license e.g. alcohol. We won't let you do anything that has a high risk for the public or that brings the Student Union or University into disrepute.
Can I sell food in the shop?
Re-selling cold pre-packaged food e.g. biscuits, cakes won't be a problem if proper hygeine procedures are followed. Some foodstuffs are very high risk e.g. meat and dairy products. You will need to consider these carefully on your risk asssesment. There are some things the council will not let you sell. Please check with us for details. There are no cooking facilities in the shop.
You give us £200 can we add in some of our own money?
We want everybody to have the same chance. The Students' Union have to mitigate the risk by limiting it to £200.
Can I sublet the shop to some of my friends?
No. The shop must be run by your team members who must all be students of the University of Bath
Can I sell outside the shop?
No. You need a license to sell on the street outside the shop or around town - all money must go through the till. But you can pre-arrange sales with businesses and hand out fliers and samples outside the shop.
Is there anything in the shop when I arrive?
There will be 7 tables available for your use. We provide a till. There is a small sink with running water in which you can wash up.
Can I bring furniture, displays and electrical items from my house?
Displays and furniture need to be sorted out by yourselves. You are allowed to bring furniture, displays and electrical items from outside sources but all electrical items must be PAT tested by the Students Union - this should not be left until the last minute.
Will there be any change to give to customers (a float)?
We will put £25 of change in the till at 9am and at 5pm we will take £25 of change out of the till ready for tomorrows participants.
Can we buy things on sale or return (This means you get a number of items from a company and only pay for the ones you sell returning the rest of the stock)?
At the end of trading all property belongs to the Student Union. Sale or Return is allowed but must be carefully thought through e.g. returned at 4pm. You still must stay within the £200 start up loan.