Youngsters are the business (From This is Hampshire)

Youngsters are the business

5:20pm Friday 25th December 2009

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YOUNG entrepreneurs proved their worth when they were put to a pre-Christmas test.

Students from various schools and colleges manned stalls in The Malls shopping centre in Basingstoke and sold their wares to passers-by as they took part in a competition run by Young Enterprise North Hampshire.

The students formed companies in September and over the last three months have been preparing the products and sales pitches needed to make a splash with potential customers.

Profits raised – and some made more than £50 – could be returned to shareholders, including the students, donated to charity or used as a starting fund for the companies formed the following year.

But the day was not purely about pro-fit – it was also about prizes.

Vector, a company formed by Costello Technology Community College students, won the shield for best stall from Young Enterprise judges who marked the companies on the stall’s appearance, product quality and the students’ selling ability.

Year 10 student Genevieve Barr, 15, managing director of the company which sold personalised nameplates and gift flowerpots, said: “We are very exci-ted. We put in a lot of work after school. We had a lot of dedication from the team and commitment to the company, and it’s really shown through today. It’s been a great success.”

Mike Young, chairman of Young Enterprise North Hampshire, said Vector had a good-looking stall, with very attractive products which they sold well.

And he praised all the volunteer students as “a credit to their schools and a credit to young people in the borough.”

Year 10 students at Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College formed Neon, which sold tree decorations, soap and candles.

Their teacher Freddie Carr said: “It’s about encouraging the enterprise spirit, making mistakes and learning from them. They are putting the skills they are learning into practice.”

The other schools taking part were Everest Community College, The Hurst Community College, Testbourne Comm-unity School, Sherfield School, The Clere School and Technology College, Brighton Hill Community College and two teams from Basingstoke College of Technology.

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