Tim Birdsall on WiNet - the Wittenborg University Network

WiNet stands for "Wittenborg Network," and is the commercial arm of the Wittenborg, run through a Dutch limited company called WUAS Network BV. This company is directly owned by the University, in partnership with me as a trustee and owner / director of BTC and training and consultancy firm based in Vienna.

WiNet creates brands, and then tests these brands on the market, while giving Wittenborg students to opportunity to get some real life project experience. The students are paid according to the legal specifications under Dutch law. “Key to the ideas, services and products that are brought into the WiNet organization is that they are viable running projects. WiNet is not an emulator, but a real life company with a normal balance, profit and loss!”

Within the projects, they have a manager - an external person employed by BTC in Vienna, and they report to this manager and the managers at WiNet directly. They have weekly / monthy targets and objectives, receive feedback for their work and advice on how to work better. When possible, WiNet invites the students to events so that they can see the results of their work.

At the moment, my own WiNet projects for 2012 are mainly sales related and include:

Pipeliner Sales Training - WiNet is tasked with creating and selling an "open" seminar offering for the european market. There will be 4 specific offerings in 2012. Pipeliner training is a method of sales training designed specifically for the IT industry. (www.pipeliner-sales.com)

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will be direct sales and calling clients to generate interest and business 

Speakermedica. In 2011, the WiNet group was responsible for designing the website and creating quality content. In 2012, WiNet will begin raising the brand awareness of Speakermedica in the Pharmaceutical industry worldwide (www.speakermedica.com)

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will see how brand awareness activities link into relationship based sales, and knowledge of the clients’ business .

Ooopygloop. This is a project which is more about fun than about profit!! Ooopygloop is a portal of online childrens stories, writen and illustrated by 2 cousins, which needs a sponsor. The WiNet workgroup will define the market, and create the advertsing material and then take it to the market.

The main learning and experience for the WiNet workgroup will be learning about creating a product for the FMCG industry