Research and Consultancy
Maybe you have a product or service that needs road testing, or are you looking for new. objective ideas of how you could move your business forward?
If so, consider whether BusinessHub could undertake research or a professional consultancy project for you.
We have an excellent track record of working with employers on research projects.
How does it work?
Clients submit a brief of what they are looking for, the results they want to achieve and an approximate timescale.
The BusinessHub team will determine whether what's needed is carried out by staff or if it can be achieved as part of a live project by Degree students.
Bakery and Confectionery
Using the state of art bakery facilities, the college has expertise in product development from idea to recipe stage, operational management, product planning and skills training and analysis.
Business and Marketing
We can help firms research the suitability of new products or services, both by using our extensive library of existing market research reports, and by devising new questionnaires and surveys, carrying out primary research and devising marketing strategies.
Catering and Hospitality
Projects undertaken include product development and innovation, advice on designing premises and facilities, food heritage awareness of ethnic foods (Chinese, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian) nutritional skills development.
Recipe and Product Development
Our new state of the art product development kitchen was built to help regional businesses make new product ideas a reality. Companies can use the facilities themselves to cook up recipe ideas and use staff and students as taste panel subjects to evaluate product ideas. Alternatively college staff will develop business ideas using the range of expertise available at the college.
The college has worked in the field of vegetarian, ethnic and local foods with City Service School Meals (Birmingham LEA) Dudley Catering Services (School Meals) and the Heart of England Fine Foods developing regional menus for a regional food promotion at the House of Commons. In addition we have worked closely with one of the largest contract caterers - Aramark - providing staff development and a vegetarian cookery qualification.
Education (Early Years, Post-16 and Colleges)
With its experience of working with students ranging from 16 to mature entrants and its policy of widening participation, we have a wealth of experience in working with the educational needs of a wide cross section of the community. Projects include helping providers in planning their curriculum, dealing with inspections and quality assurance and editing of childhood related texts.
Food
The college is able to assist businesses in the area of food production planning, service skills and development, product development, photography and quality assurance.
Hairdressing, Beauty and Salon Therapies
In addition to state of the art facilities, the college has specialist knowledge of black and ethnic hairdressing techniques and is well positioned to advise start-up businesses on business planning and training. The college also has a wide range of expertise in producing industrial training materials and delivering training to a diverse audience.
Sport, Tourism and Leisure
With many projects undertaken in the tourism sector, the college is well positioned to assist new and established businesses in tourism, some examples are shown below:
Land Rover Adventure
Students helped to carry out a cost analysis and mapped key generating markets for the Land Rover Adventure customer incentive scheme, established by the brands Global Marketing group in Gaydon. Their results led to the development of environmental and social management strategies and the creation of a tool kit for its franchise operators.
Peak District National Park
Students were given a brief to develop a variety of interpretive materials for Curbar Village and Woodland Area, they worked with local residents and went forward to present a set of new ideas of what could be done.
Information Technology
We have offered several bespoke programmes to various clients including West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council. The programmes were flexible and accessible, as appropriate for a mature client group.
Local Projects
We are frequently asked to participate in local community projects, for instance; in association with Birmingham City Council we have for the past three years been a partner with Shades of Black Community Group and community Service Volunteers to offer local communities and restaurants the opportunity to present traditional foods and recipes for the benefit of future generations.