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Future Of British Business?
May 26th, 2009
BUSINESSES got a glimpse into the region's future when local entrepreneurs were honoured at the Young Enterprise Awards - with two local teams picking up top awards.
Pupils from schools and colleges around the Humber region were recognised for setting up businesses successful enough to impress commercial heavyweights.
The awards, supported by the Grimsby and Scunthorpe Media Group, were also backed by Corus, Clugston, HSBC and North Lincolnshire Council.
Our area was represented by two teams from Tollbar Business and Enterprise College, New Waltham.
Jam Hot Jewellery gave a presentation and picked up an award for Best North Lincolnshire Company and Outstanding Northern Lincolnshire Company.
The team produced a range of quirky jewellery, including crayon earrings, daisy hairslides, bow brooches and heart badges, which they sold in Freshney Place, Grimsby, as reported.
Member Nuala Clark, 15, said the group was very proud to have won. She said: "With our product, we wanted something that was retro, funky and jam hot, which means something completely awesome, it's a phrase we use all the time in our group of friends.
"We did a questionnaire around the school and did market research into the places we could get our product, which meant taking a trip to Camden Market in London.
"We are all really grateful for the opportunity Young Enterprise has given us."
Alex Smith, 14, added: "We decided on jewellery because there are lots of ways to go. Once we'd decided that was what we were doing we had to look into what people would want to buy."
Meanwhile Team Seren picked up the Customer Experience Award for their design - candles held inside wine glasses.
The group managed to overcome initial teething problems to run a successful business.
Fortunately, the young entrepreneurs - Steven Daly, 15; Tamar Goudie, 15; Olivia Hockney, 14; Michael Walton, 15 and Courtney Reed, 14 - were able to resolve the issue and went on to make a success of their candle business, even getting local firm MB Crafts on board.
Courtney said: "The main problem was that the supplier gave us the wrong type of wick, so the candles gave off a lot of smoke and burned too quickly."
The next step, she said, was to find ways to produce the candles faster. The eventual product proved a big hit with parents.
Young Enterprise is a national project which provides practical and financial support for young people to experience setting up and running their own businesses.
North Lindsey College picked up an award for Best North Lincolnshire Company.
Article from The Grimsby Telegraph - Saturday May 23rd 2009
