Background to the build your own mba course

Stage 1 - Face to Face Courses

The Build Your Own MBA course has been developed as a result of the success of the thousands of face-to-face Bite-Sized MBA courses which we have run over the last few years.

Delegates from a variety organisations have benefitted from the face-to-face version of the course.

Businesses: We have run the course for businesses of every kind, from large multi-nationals at one end of the scale, to small start-ups and university spin-outs at the other.  Delegates from the following businesses have attended our face-to-face courses: BP, Nestle, Warner Bros, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Vodafone, Friends Life, BT, Chevron, Verizon Business, Yahoo, Thompson Reuters, NBC Universal, Associated British Foods, AEG Europe, WPP Group, The Wellcome Trust and BskyB.

Public Sector Organisation: We have run the course for a diverse mix of public sector organisations including: educational institutions, the BBC and over 50 NHS Trusts (including acute trusts, ambulance trusts and mental health trusts) helping their staff members to develop their strategies collaboratively.

Professional Service Firms & Banks: We regularly run the course for 23 of the 40 largest law firms in the UK and numerous US firms in order to enhance their lawyers' commercial awareness. We have also run the course for accountancy firms and investment banks. Delegates from the following financial institutions have attended our face-to-face courses: Investec, RBS, Lloyds TSB, UBS, Morgan Stanley, ING Bank, Goldman Sachs International, The Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, Swiss Re, Barclays Corporate, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Deloitte LLP.

Stage 2 - Prototype Online MBA

The popularity of the face-to-face course led us to develop a prototype online MBA which we trialled with several of our longstanding clients. This prototype made it possible for us to observe and record how individuals (1) utilise the online resources and (2) subsequently embed the MBA concepts into their day-to-day work. This has enabled us to develop the best user experience possible. As part of our research, several of our clients allowed us to film interviews with users of the prototype course and we have been given permission to publish the video below by way of example.

Press Play to watch the video

Stage 3 - The finished article: Build Your Own MBA

We have used everything we have learnt from the face-to-face Bite-Sized MBA course and prototype online MBA course to develop the Build Your Own MBA course. This online course can be run within your organisation without the need for any external trainers or facilitators. We hope you enjoy the course.

Bite-Sized MBA Testimonials

I found it fascinating. The course provided us with a real grasp of the core principles taught on an MBA and how to apply them. It has given me a completely new way of looking at our business and what the drivers of strategies are. It has also helped me understand our clients’ businesses so that I can ask them more intelligent questions. I am very much in favour of the course being rolled out more widely within our firm
Partner
Leading City law firm
This course has broadened our strategic thinking. We’re using the models to think about our market position relative to our competitors. It has also helped us to discover ways of integrating the various departments in the business so that they can work together more closely and exploit each other’s strengths.
Head of HR
FTSE 100 company
All of it was relevant and helped me to understand what goes on behind the strategy of our group and how we can be a more profitable company. It helps to contextualise those changes in the market that should influence our strategy. It has also got us thinking about how we can better organise the various aspects of our business so that they are aligned to the overall strategy of the business.
Business Development Manager
AIM listed company
Probably the best course that I have done in terms of offering immediate, wide range benefits in my job. It has made the complex understandable and encouraged me to figure out how our strengths are aligned with services we offer. All aspects have a relevance to my day to day work. I will recommend to other members within my department.
Manager
NHS Trust
Really stimulating and motivating. It has encouraged me to ask more relevant questions and think more about the industry that I work in. I now have a much better understanding of strategic business analysis and how to be more solution focused. The worksheets have also helped me to think about why things are done in a certain way, how they fit within the bigger picture, how they can be done differently.
Senior Engineer
FTSE 100 company
Found the entire course and materials very informative. Good for understanding the theories and principles applied by clients in their businesses and in the legal industry. Forced to think about issues which, as lawyers, we don't normally spend time thinking about. I think the course is appropriate for all levels. It would be particularly good to give this course to younger associates as it could help shape how they develop as young lawyers.
Partner
Top 10 City law firm
Helped me to understand how the whole analytical process fits together and how to assess the business’s strengths in order to determine the appropriate strategy. Contains many factors you wouldn’t normally think to consider. It is also useful in understanding the focus and position of my staff in the business. I will go back and review my business’s structure and strategy and consider how I can better utilise our limited resources to support the business.
Founder and MD
SME
Very relevant both personally and organisationally. It will help in strategic planning and service design. Lots of opportunities within our organisation to apply these concepts. I loved the methodology. The 7 step approach is easy to follow and take other teams through in terms of developing their service strategies.
Senior Manager
NHS Trust
A real eye opener that has helped us to identify what the key assets within our business are and how we can use them to develop a competitive advantage. On a personal level it has helped me to adapt my communication within the workplace so that I can speak to our board using terminology that they are familiar with and get a better understanding of how my current project fits into the overall strategy.
Lead Engineer
NASDAQ listed company
Great to have a framework to pin our efforts to - we are half-way through a strategic service portfolio review and it provides a reminder to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The Strategy Canvas is something that I want to look at introducing within our organisation to link our market assessment to strategy. Nice and simple way of presenting the information. I am also particularly interested in developing our sweet spot of opportunity.
Global Program Manager
FTSE 100 Company
Simply Brilliant! As a recent start-up company we were keen to learn more about business strategy and this course gave us all of the key elements, delivered in an easily digestible form. The videos are the perfect length and the whole course is very thought provoking.
Managing Director
Start-up Technology Company
The course is very thought provoking and absorbing. It strikes the perfect balance between theory and practical examples. The worksheets are also an incredibly useful resource that have helped us to analyse not only our own business but also the businesses of our clients. This has been particularly useful in helping us develop more bespoke marketing materials which are finely tuned to our target clients’ businesses.
Marketing Director
FTSE 250 Company
The concepts have been really useful in our organisation in terms of questioning our short term and long term goals and helped us to understand which projects to pursue and which to abort. It has really helped us to structure our thoughts on various aspects of our strategy in a much more logical manner. It definitely makes me approach my work with a different outlook.
Commercial Manager
Fast Track Technology Company