Meet students-cum-business partners!

By Soma Chaturvedi

Itching to combine educational skills with entrepreneurial drive, two international business students have co-founded ‘Double Sushi' - a brand new business venture in Worcester, UK.

Still in their second year of a business degree at the city's University, Kristijonas Gedvilas and Kornelija Guzaite, were determined to put their thoughts into action. They presented the business plan to their parents, both of whom run successful businesses in Lithuania, and secured the investment to set up the takeaway.

Applying the fundamental do's and don'ts of setting up a business, ‘Double Sushi' is founded on a demand-supply gap in the market. Says 19-year-old Kristijonas, "We noticed that there was no sushi bar in Worcester at all. In Western Europe sushi is very popular, as it is in many other parts of the UK and we wanted to bring that to Worcester."

How did the University react to allowing its students to pursue business before completing the degree? "The University has been very flexible and supportive also," says Kristijonas. "It has not been an easy process; we were not taken very seriously at first. But we have got there and now we are really starting to make an impact."

Learning the ropes with a hands-on approach, twenty-year-old Kornelija took six months training from a top sushi chef to prepare the food. Now customers are served European Sushi with a twist, introducing new ingredients such as duck and chicken for those less keen on the fish options. The six-month-old business is happy to attract as well as retain its customers.

How has been the experience of juggling studies with business? "We are planning to employ more staff to help so we can concentrate on our studies," said Kristijonas. "It's quite difficult trying to establish a new business while studying, but we have thrown ourselves into it completely. We don't go out to clubs or pubs, we are very focussed on what we want."

The partners hope to scale up the business by opening more sushi bars in the future and are already setting their sights on new locations.

Proud of the achievement of its students, Mark Richardson, head of Worcester Business School, said, "It is inspiring to see two young people with the drive and determination to start their own business. It's certainly not an easy thing to do, particularly while still studying, but we will give them all the support we can to make it a success."

There is no dearth of talent in the world and many more success stories will continue to follow - just that the achievements can be compounded manifold if the young budding talent can expect similar support and encouragement from family and educational institutes, especially, when students decide to take their first step on a road less travelled. 

Other interesting reads:

- Travelogue of an entrepreneurial adventure!

- Would you prefer entrepreneurship over working for a company ?