Business Ambulance: Project Conclusion and Outcomes

Supporting Small Businesses Through International Collaboration 

The Business Ambulance project, funded by Erasmus Plus, has successfully concluded with great results. This innovative project brought together students from five different countries—Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Thailand—to help local small businesses with their social media marketing. Students used their skills to assist businesses, while receiving support from teachers and marketing experts. This approach made learning both diverse and rewarding. 

Project Highlights and Learning Experience 

During the Business Ambulance project, 125 students worked in different host countries through multiple rounds of workshops. The main goal was to help students learn practical skills by supporting real businesses. This included creating tailored social media campaigns on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, each Business designed to meet the specific needs of a local company. 

Students were placed into international teams, with each team consisting of participants from all five countries. This setup encouraged them to learn from each other’s cultures and work styles. Business experts helped guide the students, while teachers offered coaching, making sure every team member felt supported throughout the process. 

Impact on Businesses and Communities 

The project partnered with 25 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across five countries, providing these businesses with valuable social media marketing expertise. For example, in Berlin, students designed “Bee in Berlin” campaign for Der Holländer Plant Center, aimed at attracting younger customers and raising awareness about environmental issues, such as bee protection. The project had an impact beyond social media campaigns. In Thailand, students organized a cultural photoshoot for Thai Dress Ayutthaya, showcasing traditional Thai outfits. In Spain, students redesigned company websites to make them more attractive and easier to use.  

Read more about the company cases.  

A Unique International Learning Model 

The project used an innovative learning model that combined online studies through the eKampus platform, and real business work. This model gave students a chance to learn theory in the online classroom with the marketing experts and then work directly with real companies with the help of marketing experts and teacher couches. These experiences allowed students to learn social media marketing in an exciting and practical way. 

Get to know to our Learning Model 

Unforgettable Moments and Reflections 

Students shared their thoughts at the end of the project, and their reflections highlighted just how impactful the experience was. Many of them said that working in international teams and presenting their campaigns to real companies was the best part of the project.   
 
Here are some of the things students said about the project: 
 
“The best moment for me was the presentations. I felt like we were one big international family!” 

“It was my first time to go out from my country. It was amazing. I really love this place and friends here.” 

“Mostly, I am grateful for the opportunity of taking part in an adventure as such. I has brought me knowledge, joy and memories I won’t forget. I think I also gained a lot of confidence through this experience when it comes to being and working in another country. I fell in love with Groningen and its people and I will 1000% go back for a visit (or more).” 

“I really really enjoyed this. I liked doing the marketing to the companies and I think every team did really well and I’m proud of everyone. Best memory of the week was probably the Bangkok adventures, because I’m more of a big city person.” 

Results and Feedback 

Feedback gathered during the project showed great improvements, with average satisfaction ratings rising from 3.8 to 4.5 by the end of the workshops. This positive feedback confirmed that the project’s learning model worked well and adapted successfully to different countries and business contexts. Both students and businesses appreciated the real-world benefits of the collaboration. 

Conclusion 

We hope that the Business Ambulance project will inspire future vocational education initiatives. The learning model used in the project is flexible enough to be repeated, used, and applied in different fields and areas of knowledge. The project empowered students and SMEs by creating connections across countries, developing marketing skills, and making a real business impact. We are proud of the success stories and are excited to see how the skills and experiences gained will continue to benefit participants in their future endeavors. 

To hear directly from our students, teachers, companies, and marketing experts about their thoughts and experiences in the project, watch our video summary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5JmICLtk88 

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