GEW, bras and a badger
2 pop-up bar launches, 2 permanent bar launches, an enterprise day, bras and a badger. We love Global Entrepreneurship Week. Here’s our highlights.
Pop up bars
We set up two pop-up school smoothie bars in York as part of York Business Week and GEW. We trained students at Archbishop Holgates and Huntington high school how to make smoothies, run the finances and chose a marketing strategy. Then it was up to them.
The results were well beyond even our expectations. The Sixth formers at Archbishop (pictured) achieved impressive revenues of £936 for the week – that’s 936 smoothies sold in 6 hours of trading. Their best day was £212.
The year 10 pupils at Huntington managed an impressive £642, despite it being charity week in the school. Their best day was almost £200 on the Friday. Both teams had to solve unexpected problems under pressure. After selling out too quickly on the first day break time, they made much more smoothies in advance on day two.
Enterprise Day Gateshead
It was up to Tyneside on the 13th for a smoothie enterprise challenge for Year 8 pupils at Kings Meadow School. They had a day participating in the Xing smoothie product development and marketing session.
Some great ideas came out of the day and we encouraged all pupils to present their final products to the ‘dragons’ in front of the whole year group. As daunting as it is, we encourage all pupils to present in front of people when given any opportunity, a critical skill for anyone to develop. Especially in customer service or sales. The pupils we’re brilliant.
GEW Hull
In addition to making 400 bottled smoothies for eager young participants at the Wednesday Primary School session and Friday Secondary School master class, there was a range of exciting things going on in Hull thanks to @HullsEnterpise.
I was on the panel of Judges with Hull Enterprise Patron Ruth Badger as part of the badgers Sett enterprise challenge. A fantastic opportunity for young people to receive funding for starting up a business from any idea they have.
The overall winner was Loui Fowler. A 14 year old pupil from Malet Lambert. He blew the judges away with his confident presentation and business idea. He had designed a range of retractable banners which were waterproof and hardwearing and could be branded for a sports team, used at cricket or rugby matches with words such as ‘no try’. He had personally been in communication to China about supply of the products and had prototypes to show us. He and was very confident that there was a market for them and so were we.
Primary school, Victoria Dock came up with an idea for a stationary business at their school and also won some funding for setting this up. Again their presentation was really impressive, especially because of their young age.
I spoke on stage to the Students at the post 16 and secondary school events about what employers looked for in people applying for a job and words to encourage those who had an idea to have confidence to explore it and take the plunge in starting a business.
E-factor
Our school smoothie bar set up at John Whitgift Academy Grimsby helped to host a talk from successful Bra Tycoon Michelle Mone, CEO of Ultimo Bra. They were on hand to provide their smoothie drinks for the attendees on arrival and departure. They provided a great service and product for the @E_Factor event. We were really proud of their hard work.
Opening of new smoothie bars
The opening of North Hertfordshire College student run bar and Hessle High coincided with GEW. Both went really well and we are pleased to welcome them to the ever growing Xing family.
When we started setting up smoothie bars in schools we were told that it was too risky to give young people the responsibility. That it wouldn’t work. They continue to prove them wrong. What we’ve learnt is that young people respond to the responsibility of running a real business. Giving them the freedom to fail gives them the incentive to succeed.
I set out in GEW to inspire young people. But find myself inspired by them.
Bring on next year! #GEWpassiton
Phil