Free Lunch Anyone?

Students with business ideas are shouting coffee or lunch in exchange for some professional advice from local business experts, in a new Kickstart initiative, “Food for Thought”.

The programme, launched by Kickstart Business Coach Ryan Priemus, encourages networking between students and the business community.

“Informal networking already happens in the business community but sometimes it’s hard for students to know who to talk to, or they feel too shy to ask”, says Ryan.

“Food for Thought matches them up with someone who can help, and by using a person’s lunchtime or coffee break we are not imposing on work or family time.”

Ryan says business professionals are already registering to join the programme, with the view that enjoying a free lunch/coffee while offering their expertise, experience and advice to an enthusiastic student makes it a pleasure. The lunch meeting is expected to last no more than 50 minutes, while a coffee meeting should last 20 minutes.

Ryan makes it clear that the free lunch is not a hamburger at the local fish and chip shop. “We expect them to offer a sit down meal at a good café because even if they spend $40 in total, it is still a very cheap and easy way to get expert feedback.”

Students too are excited about the initiative. Being able to tap into the experience of people who have ‘been there and done that’ make it appealing to the mass of student entrepreneurs looking at a vast variety of business ideas.

Kickstart is a DCC Economic Development initiative, and has been operating since 2005. It offers one-on-one business advice to tertiary students.