15 Mar YES Budding Entrepreneurs
Every year, our Year 13 Business classes are tasked with forming innovative enterprises that will appeal to students and the wider public as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). The advice and ideas gained at the annual Kickstart programme set the tone for the year and spark the creative thinking that has seen Pakuranga College businesses compete at the YES nationals in past years.
Below is a recap of the 2023 Kickstart programme by Year 13 students Angele and Celeste Alami:
On Friday 20 February, Year 13 Business students travelled to AUT South Campus for the day to attend an event held by the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) called Kickstart – YES is an organisation that hopes to create a supportive business community to help assist young adults to become successful entrepreneurs.
We learnt how to enter an innovative mindset, which is crucial to creating a good product. This was great because it sparked creativity in us and made us think out of the box. We did this all whilst keeping in mind that it should ideally be targeted at the New Zealand market. Once we were done, they encouraged some of the groups to share their ideas in a pitch-like manner to the wider group.
During the day, we also had a panel discussion with YES alumni students. Not only did they teach us valuable and key points when creating products, but they also gave us insight into their personal experiences and what worked for them. I found this to be a particularly eye-opening moment as this really enabled me to find out more from the perspective of someone who has already gone through this whole process and was once in my shoes.
We also had the privilege to have Stanley Henry, founder of the New Zealand business Attention Seeker, that was invited to speak about what their business does and what his journey looked like to get where he is currently. We took away the importance of reinforcing a positive and fun workspace as well as pushing through despite any struggles.
Overall, this was an informative and intriguing event that allowed us to have more insight into the year that is to follow and gave us the necessary resources to get our businesses up and running. We are super eager for what is to come!