Advancing Entrepreneurship Understanding in Further Education & Community Colleges

I taught a whole day of an intensive module in Electrical Engineering using SimVenture this week. Even though I’ve used it many times now, I found myself absolutely staggered by the depth, complexity and realism of the game and found several new screens that I’d overlooked in the past.

SimVenture is a dynamic interactive piece of software which allows my students the opportunity to be introduced to the world of business by seeing how it works in real life situations. This gives an ideal opportunity to combine theory and practice.

This year we had a big launch for Enterprise Week at the college. SimVenture was our Wednesday activity. It was received very well! Student and staff attendees ranged from Construction, Business, Joinery, ICT, Childcare & Unemployed Project. What a result!!!!!!!!

SimVenture is a fun, yet extremely valuable tool to learn about running a business. It is excellent to see how each business function relates to, and impacts another!!

I played the game for the first time today. I would like to congratulate you all for producing such a fantastic product!

SimVenture got me hooked into loads of stuff I had never considered, it's really addictive. The detail and the realism are very impressive and it taught me that to run a business properly there's a lot to learn.

I work as a Product Manager for SAS software and am pursuing an Executive MBA at Cass Business School in London. Today we played the SimVenture game. I was completely blown away by it and the immense potential it could have on learning about starting and running a new business.

As a Business Enterprise college, we had been looking for something which would allow users to experience the reality of business in an uncomplicated and risk-free environment. It is very accessible, convenient and realistic.

SimVenture is a brilliant game. I was trying to start a business in the UK last year. As a foreigner it was hard to understand the whole economics and legal system in the UK. I really appreciate that SimVenture has provided me with a great chance to learn and make my own business work.

A very realistic simulation, with all the fun and experience of running a business without the stress and financial implications!

SimVenture is an amazing piece of software. My friends and I have learnt so much whilst having so much fun. I would highly recommend it to all university students studying business, those doing A-Levels(if only I'd had this for my mine), GCSE studies and anyone who aspires to run their own business.

The event was very successful and discussions on the game and the learning outcomes have continued long after the last laptop was closed down. The feedback from the team suggests that this was a very enjoyable event, and at the same time educational.

It is fairly obvious to me that there is a great deal of potential in adopting the product for incorporation in courses at year 1, 2 and 3 level for any business student whether entrepreneurial or not - it gives a low cost way of making business mistakes and learning from them.

I don't know how to say this but... I have had two of the best hours of my recent teaching life this morning! It took me back to the fun I had when we ran the Physics degree and I was involved in the labs - they were fun - real students real experiments - real problems and real fun! Well SimVenture did that today.

We used SimVenture as part of a competition. The software was excellent. The students found it very challenging and really stimulating. It really gets the them to think and apply all business knowledge. An exciting piece of software which is addictive and rewarding.

Great to see things are going so well for 'SimVenture'. Mind you that's hardly surprising as it's a great tool and the classes of students that I have used it with have really taken to it and they really enjoy it.

We used SimVenture to help our new grads develop their business and team skills. The overall level of business understanding increased significantly and the grads agreed it was one of the best training events with which they had been involved.

SimVenture is in my opinion simply 'brilliant'. If everybody looking to start a business used this software to 'cut their teeth on' there would be 100% survival rates across the board. The simulation is easy to use and teaches all the disciplines required to run a business, and you can learn by your mistakes without risking a penny, its also fun and very addictive to play.

If the best way to learn something is by doing it, then SimVenture is the perfect 21st-century tool to learn how to run a business, without actually running a business.

The game was a real novelty for me and a true eye opener. For me it really brought home the fact that all our decisions in business are inter-related.

SimVenture is an excellent innovation and I'm confident it will attract more of the right people to set up in business. I am looking forward to seeing what a difference the software can make.

It's an amazing learning tool and we found that because students could see the consequences of their actions, which is what would happen in a real business, they have a much better understanding of what business is all about.

It’s challenging but great fun. SimVenture helps you to see the practical application of what we do in the classroom.

I'm hooked! SimVenture is a superb new learning resource for business education that really delivers. At last we have a business simulation that provides both an enjoyable and effective way for students, employees and budding entrepreneurs alike to experience what it is really like to manage a start-up business.

Rookie pilots can practice flying Boeings to their heart's content in a cockpit simulator without really crashing or killing anyone, so that when it comes to the real thing, they are fully prepared for emergency. SimVenture does the same thing for rookie entrepreneurs, except their fake cockpit is a virtual office where crucial decisions trigger success or disaster. Even if you crash and burn you can still walk away none the poorer but plenty wiser!!

SimVenture made me want to learn again. I wasn't great at school or college but when I found SimVenture I was able to almost teach myself business. And it was really enjoyable, probably addictive. I'd recommend SimVenture to anyone who wants to get young people interested in business.

SimVenture has not only explanation but an experience that could take you years of real world trial and error to gain. In short if you are looking for the ultimate enterprise simulation for use in schools, universities or at home look no further!

SimVenture was an outstanding success with our SIFE students. Now I've seen how they [students] really take to SimVenture, I'm a big fan!!

I didn't realise how in depth it would be in SimVenture when I started. I'm preparing to launch a business soon and I will be having another go or 2 on the sim before I go ahead to make sure I have not forgotten anything. It is a brilliant tool.

We used SimVenture with our first years as the basis for one of their courseworks. It challenged the students and generated a lot of enthusiasm. We like it so much we plan to carry on with it in the second year.

We plan to use SimVenture extensively to help students learn about enterprise management and entrepreneurship in an engaging and meaningful way. The software’s design, realism and depth are three of the key factors that make it such a useful teaching and learning resource.

I think it is an excellent resource that all schools teaching business and/or enterprise should consider. SimVenture brings learning to life and like Young Enterprise, people learn by doing.

In my opinion, we need resources that get as close to reality as possible so people can practice being self employed and a simulation is the most obvious solution. SimVenture is excellent and it is the only business simulation I would recommend

Over the past two week I have run the SimVenture programme with a group of Level 2 Electrical apprentices and Level 3 ICT students. Both sessions were 6 hours duration. Engagement levels were very high and I found myself facilitating rather than teaching.

We are a family educating at home and my two 12-year old children expressed an interest in following a GCSE Business Studies course this year. I am so glad I bought a license. The game is easy to learn and the more you play, the more you understand how different factors have to be balanced in a business environment.

SimVenture can be used for enterprise skills or targeted at specific A Level topics. It offers a great way to give students some practical business experience.

I was very impressed by the SimVenture game – it would seem to lend itself to being used in a variety of ways with students at all levels, in our case both undergraduate and postgraduate.