Young Enterprise at Burnholme Community College
In June 2011 Young Enterprise offered Burnholme Community College the opportunity to join their program and set up a Young Enterprise business. The Merchant Adventurers (York) were kind enough to offer each of the secondary schools in York £600 towards the administration/registrations fees and therefore the school felt it was far too good to refuse.
In September six students from Year 10 volunteered to start their own business. Mr Gladstone (lead teacher) met the students several times to discuss business ideas and it was finally decided that recycled products made into household decorations would be the way forward – ‘Top N Tale’ was formed.
The Young Enterprise model of business requires each company member to take a specific job role to ensure the business has a chance of success. The group discussed their individual strengths and weaknesses and it was decided that the following students would take the following job roles –
Emma Richards – Managing Director
Danielle Simpson – Finance Director/Operations Director
Josephine Hardy – Marketing Director
Megan Poulter – IT Director
Geena Whittaker – Sales Director
Lauren Cumberland – HR Director
Young Enterprise kindly allocated expertise advice from two local business people – Frank Atkinson and Chris Birch. They visited and continue to visit the students to give valuable business advice to the company.
From September to November Top N Tale manufactured their products in the Design Technology department at Burnholme Community School. Over 80% of the goods were made through using recycled wood, paint and fabrics. To raise money for additional materials and resources the students sold shares in their Top N Tale company to family, friends and members of staff from the school.
On the 7th December the students were invited to Manchester to sell their products on a market stall in the city centre. A 6.30 am start from the school to Manchester just showed the commitment of the students to their business. By 9.30 am the stall was fully stocked with homemade decorations and Top N Tale were ready for business! Although the weather was cold, wet and dreary, the students were undeterred and through their good business acumen, quality goods and excellent selling techniques they generated £150 of hard earned money.
By now the students had a taste for success and they wanted to sell more goods. On Saturday 10th December they took part in the Burnholme Christmas Fair alongside professional stallholders and they generated a further £160.
From the two sale sessions the company has now generated over ££300 and the students have invested some of this money into additional resources and materials. Their next venture is on Sunday 18th December at Newgate Market in York. The company wants to show the people of York what they have to offer therefore they have phoned City of York Council to enquire the cost of a market stall and after some keen negotiating a market stall has been secured. The pupils have also managed to secure a regular slot at the market should they require.
Top N Tale will continue to trade under the Young Enterprise name until July 2012 and it is expected that the company will do very well in the overall Young Enterprise competition. Top N Tale will exhibit their products at Venturefest at York Racecourse and also at the York Designer Outlet in February 2012.
