We caught up with one of the Winners at the University of Westminster BIG Ideas Competition - RJam, find out more about their business below.

What problem is your business/idea looking to solve?

RJam is based in the observation that “sometimes there is just not enough time to go out and rehearse with other musicians”. This insight involves musicians that have a day job, but also people that want to develop their musical skills, and being active in their own social media. As a result, we created RJam, which is an app that allows users to create collaborative music through video multi-tracks in simple steps. The recorded and merged video multi-track can be shared in the social media. Also, RJam works as a social platform, where users are able to meet new musical peers by creating open sessions.

What inspired you to launch your business?

RJam came up through a conversation with one of my current business partners, who is a software developer and also a musician. He lives in Los Angeles and I am currently in London, so we communicate via Skype or Google Hangout. One day we were brainstorming about how to create music by distance, and that’s how RJam emerged.

Starting a business always has it's challenges, what has been your biggest so far and how have you over come it?

Fortunately, everything has been very natural and organic. However, the major challenge has been the development of the first prototype, because it is a complex process, and therefore it takes time. My team and I have overcome this by having an appropriate workflow and organisation, and reaching out to other professionals when needed.

You won £1,000 at the NACUE and Westminster Big Ideas Competition. What will this money help you to achieve?

This funding will help us to promote and develop the first stage of Rjam, especially because we are an independent start-up. This financial support will be invested on promotion and software development, which is crucial to deliver a high-quality product into today’s market.

What are the next steps for you - in terms of developing your business/idea?

The next steps consists in developing a solid marketing strategy, define details of the prototype before the releasing and get involved in more events such “Big Ideas Competition”. Since we are an independent start-up, it is highly important for us to acquire as much financial support as we can before the realising, as well as getting feedback from more experienced entrepreneurs.

What are some of the barriers you are facing as a young/budding entrepreneur?

As a young entrepreneur, the barriers are related to the amount of time that ideas take to become real and concrete. On the other hand, that waiting has a positive impact, since during that period we have improved the interface and concept through focus groups with music students at the University. This allows us to better understand the essence of our product.

What support do you need from your university/organisations/government, at this stage, to help you overcome these?

Events such as “Big Ideas Competition” are an incredible support. To have the opportunity to talk about a project, discuss its goals, and receive feedback from professionals from NACUE was very helpful. When I received the £1,000 prize, immediately I felt encouraged and confident, because the idea was reaching others.

Another good support would be the advice and feedback from more experienced professional for a longer period of time. In other words, a mentor who understands the industry and could oversee the development of the project.