Young Enterprise gets into the Christmas spirit

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If you are looking to get in to the Christmas spirit this weekend, make sure you pop down to Liberty Wharf this Saturday where a number of students participating in this year’s Young Enterprise Company Programme will be promoting unique and affordable gifts.

The Company Programme involves students, also known as Young Achievers aged 16-18, from Island Senior Schools setting up and running their own company over the course of nine months, supported by volunteer advisors from Jersey’s local business community.

Teams of 15 Achievers per company pool their knowledge and resources, receiving guidance along the way as they face the very real challenges of everyday business, starting with electing a Board of Directors from amongst their peers, come up with their own business plan, raise share capital, and market and finance their product or service. At the end of their 'company year' they liquidate their company, and present the activities undertaken and results at a formal presentation which will be held early May 2014, as part of our awards evening.

Jordan Scott, Deputy Managing Director of Ignite, talked about how his team are gearing up for their launch event this Saturday where they will present “Bags of Fun”, their children’s party bag company, in the main foyer of Liberty Wharf. There will be sample bags available to view, Christmas sweets available, and of course party bag orders can be placed on the day (or via their website bagsoffunjersey.co.uk), with part of the company’s profits going back to charity.

Jordan added: “The team will be spreading the festive cheer, with some of the team coming in fancy dress, balloons handed out, and this hopefully will be a fun, lively and vibrant event that will have a great buzz. We would encourage you to take a moment to come down Liberty Wharf this Saturday between 11am and 3pm to see exactly what we are all about!”

Dominic Hebert, Chairman of Young Enterprise Jersey, commented: “It is very encouraging that, in our 26th year of operating in Jersey, we continue to receive phenomenal support from the local business community in being able to offer the valuable practical business experience that the company programme delivers. We had in excess of 100 applications from students locally this year which enabled us to run with a full complement of six teams.

All are showing tremendous potential and are at different stages of implementing their business plans – we have highlighted a couple of those already, though you may also have come across some of our teams at recent Christmas markets, as well as Calibre selling their traditional candies along King Street on Saturdays, Athena bringing to you recycled paper Christmas trees and so many more innovative ideas.

I am very encouraged by the teams’ awareness and focus on both environmental and community aspects of doing business, whether linking up with the Eco Active scheme, choosing to donate their company’s profits to a local charity or other such initiative. There is still a strong element of healthy competition between the teams and therefore hope that you will support their businesses, and of course help us to keep the momentum of students choosing to take part in the Young Enterprise Programme.”

For further information on Young Enterprise, please visit our website http://www.youngenterpriejersey.org.