From cabaret to concrete. Three students from Faculty of Business and Management are behind designer furniture and accessories
Klára Sasínová (left), Milena Moudrá, and Kateřina Pekárková (right). | Autor: Betoniq ArchiveThree students from the Faculty of Business and Management at Brno University of Technology have embarked on a project involving concrete decorations and furniture. Although the project was originally created as part of the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development study program, the founders were so taken with it that they plan to continue it beyond their school obligations. In its first year of existence, Betoniq has moved from concrete decorations to furniture, and the founders plan to develop cooperation with architects and interior designers, for example.
Klára Sasínová, Milena Moudrá, and Kateřina Pekárková met while studying at the Faculty of Business and Management at Brno University of Technology, where they were tasked with creating either a fictional or real business as part of putting theory into practice. "We spent a long time researching the market and finding out what would be in demand, what we would enjoy doing, and what would be sustainable in the future," says Klára Sasínová.
In the end, they opted for concrete. "We all enjoy design and visual things. That's why we were looking for something expressive. We even thought of things like our own cabaret with dancers. But in the end, we came up with the idea of concrete accessories," explains Sasínová.
Students launched a company producing concrete accessories. | Author: Betoniq Archive
However, none of the students had any practical experience working with concrete or making things out of it. "Our teachers helped us a lot with this. They put us in touch with Professor Pěnčík. He gave us space in his class to introduce Betoniq to the students and gave them the opportunity to get involved in the project. Several people responded, and we ended up choosing one student. He then helped us develop a mixture tailored to our needs," says Kateřina Pekárková.
"The decorations themselves are mainly the responsibility of Kateřina Pekárková. She admits that the beginnings were mainly a matter of trial and error. "The products were literally created in my kitchen. I had a bowl, concrete, a spoon, and I tried to see what would work. Because we didn't know the material very well at first, there was almost always something that surprised us," she recalls with a smile.
After a year of operation, however, the founders of Betoniqu had gained enough experience to take on bigger projects. "Decorations have given way to our furniture line, which is produced with the help of an external workshop. These are wooden structures covered with micro-concrete. Because it is lightweight concrete, the furniture does not weigh much, but at the same time it looks as if it were cast entirely from concrete," explains Milena Moudrá, adding that after tables and stools, they would like to try their hand at large tables, for example.
Along with the furniture, 3D models were also created, which the founders would like to offer to architects and interior designers. This way, they can be used directly in designs for new spaces.
Betoniq has now moved on to creating concrete furniture. | Author: Betoniq Archive
All three students agree that although they use the knowledge they gained at school in their business, it is impossible to fully prepare for reality in the classroom. "We were definitely surprised by a lot of things. After all, school teaches business in general terms, and each field has its own specifics. At the beginning, we didn't even think about things like scalability. So we made it harder for ourselves right from the start. And many times we thought we could have chosen something easier. But we are learning a lot from it. What's more, we see potential for growth in Betoniq, so in the end we're happy with how it turned out," says Milena Moudrá.
The development of students is essential for us, says the program guarantor.
Robert Zich, Vice-Dean for Strategy and Development at FBM BUT and program guarantor, confirms that the opportunity to learn in practice is one of the main pillars of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development. "One of the reasons why the program was created was to offer interested students the opportunity to develop their studies based on entrepreneurship, practical experience, and teamwork. The focus on developing entrepreneurial skills offers enormous scope for the creation and implementation of ideas, and the teamwork environment develops managerial skills. The important thing is that these are the students' ideas, their development, and the development of their companies," explains Zich.
He adds that since the program was established, almost ten student companies have been created, which did not end with the graduation of their founders, but are now being continued by the graduates. "An interesting company is, for example, Adventure Venture s.r.o., which develops the Svahy brand. It is backed by two graduates of the program who started with the Flipky brand as part of the program. In the current third year, a project was created that has now been transformed into the company Sportera Team, s.r.o.. This company is in the process of obtaining the Startup BUT designation. In the current second year, there are several projects that have great potential," says Robert Zich, adding that these projects involve both services and manufacturing. However, according to him, it is not so much about whether the idea will one day become a successful business. "The key thing for us is that students can put their entrepreneurial skills into practice while they are still studying. Even on small projects. What matters is the personal development of the students. Then it's up to them how far they decide to take the project," concludes Robert Zich.
