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Card business scoops 11 year old top honour at enterprise awards
A new generation of entrepreneurs was unveiled yesterday at the Institute of Directors in London by a panel of leading business experts with students from 21 schools and colleges crowned winners of Make Your Mark with a Tenner 2010.
Chapman designed and made his own range of Mother’s Day cards with a self-penned laminated poem insert. Scott used his £10 to buy materials to make a few cards; he then used proceeds from these sales to buy a small laminator and more materials. He then approached Sainsbury’s to ask if he could set up shop in their store in the run up to Mothering Sunday. They said yes and he sold almost 800 in just five hours, bumping his profits up to an impressive £537.51. Scott would like to sell the cards again in Sainsbury’s next year but is also planning to approach card companies in the US.
Scott says “I thought it would be really good to design a gift that people my age can afford with their pocket money, because people do not get much money, something that mums would like and could keep when we aren’t close by, maybe away on holiday and something that I could sell to shops and supermarkets.”
Enterprise UK Chief Executive, Tom Bewick, said: “Britain’s young people have the skills and talents needed to make money and improve the lives of others. All they needed was someone to believe in them and a ten pound note. This spirit of doing ‘good business’ bodes well for the UK’s economy in the future.”
Students came up with a whole host of businesses, many of which offered solutions to issues faced by, or of concern to, Britain’s young people:
Pupils from Sir Thomas Boteler CofE High School, Warrington, tacked underage drinking head on with their social enterprise, creating products around a character called O’Liver
Students from the Academy of Francis Assisi in Liverpool made £405 profit from their Change for Change project, which encourages people to make small changes in their lives to help the environment. They sold packets of wildflower seeds to combat the declining numbers of bees in the UK
Many participants discovered previously hidden entrepreneurial talents. Jamie Cole, 13, is autistic and sold home-made Easter quiz books. His teacher told us “Life for this young man is not easy but he has really got a lot out of this project and it has given him the enterprise bug”.
This year funding from the Big Lottery Fund enabled thousands more students to get involved, with around 28,000 students taking part. Peter Wanless, Chief Executive from the Big Lottery Fund, comments: “Make Your Mark with a Tenner has proven the value of a £10 note. It might not sound a lot but to the students who are given the chance to do something with it, it’s very empowering and we hope they go onto bigger and better things.”
Winners were selected from three categories: under 11s, 11-14 year olds and 14-19 year olds – with winners selected for the best business idea, the most profit generated and the best social impact. Special awards were given for Outstanding Individual, Personal achievement, Outstanding Community Impact, Business Growth and Most Enterprising School Environment.
Winners will now get their £100 to encourage them to take their business further and a special visit to their school or college assembly from a successful entrepreneur.
Make Your Mark with a Tenner was co-founded by serial entrepreneur Oli Barrett and Enterprise UK, which runs Make Your Mark. Financial backers include;
The Big Lottery Fund, giving a grant of £250,000 in 2010
Entrepreneur and Chairman of Enterprise UK, Peter Jones
The founders of Bebo - Michael and Xochi Birch
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