“I wanted to start my own business not only to challenge myself, but to use it as a platform to support the sustainability movement.”

Rebecca Malkin is the founder of Inshore Designs, a sustainable swimwear brand which aims to support the future of our oceans. She started her entrepreneurial journey whilst studying BA (Honours) Business and Enterprise Management. 

Tell us why you decided to start your own business? And what inspired you?

I wanted to start my own business not only to challenge myself but use it as a platform to support the sustainability movement. Setting up my own business has allowed me to apply the taught knowledge from university and help develop my understanding of how businesses work in practice. 

How did you go about the process?

I began by conducting research in the market I wanted to go into, focusing on my network to see how I could use this to help promote my business and develop my idea.

What level of support did you receive from the Enterprise team? 

The Sheffield Hallam Enterprise team provided an array of support ranging from 1-1 sessions to group workshops. I made use of website development, social media, legal and many more workshops. It gave me a broad understanding of what I needed to do to get my business from the idea stage to a reality. 

Would you have set up your business if there was no support readily available?

I may have set it up in the future, but the support helped propel my idea. Knowing I had a support network around me really helped build my confidence and understanding of what it takes to start your own business. 

How has the support helped you and your business?

The support available gave me the informed knowledge required to understand all the steps to launch a start-up. This enabled me to hit the ground running and sped up the start-up process, ultimately allowing me to enter the market faster and more effectively. 

What are your future ambitions for your career?

I am hoping to work within sales and marketing for a company when I graduate. I feel it is essential to gain skills, see how organisations work and how they adapt to situations. I will continue to run my business in the background.

What advice would you give to students thinking about starting up a business?

Research, research, research. This never stops, no matter what business you are in, the external environment is constantly changing and affects where and how you operate. I would also say don’t be afraid to ask for help or to develop skills you may be weaker in.

Business enterprise support available:

ScaleUp 360
Is an exciting programme providing tailored support to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and trading businesses with the ambition and potential to scale up their activity.

Sheffield Hallam Enterprise Team 
Supports students and graduates to develop the key enterprising and entrepreneurial skills when starting a business venture.