The Young Entrepreneur Programme could help TY students emulate the success of ‘Dragon’s Den’ judge Bobby Kerr
THE RECESSION has been particularly traumatic for young people.
Transition year students, many of whom have only ever known the benefits of boom time, are suddenly declaring Penney’s, the 1980s, and eating in amongst their favourite things.
Paradoxically, the collapse of confidence in business has given entrepreneurs an increased media profile, and RTÉ 1’s Dragon’s Den, in which budding entrepreneurs pitch their business idea to a panel of potential investors, has captured viewers’ imaginations.
Dragon’s Den judge Bobby Kerr was one of the guest speakers at the recent Blue Sky Day event, held earlier this month in Tralee, where over 600 Kerry- and Limerick-based students heard from some of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs. The event launched this year’s Young Entrepreneur Programme, a six-month project to introduce young people to enterprise. Students attended talks on how to put a business idea together, how to craft a unique business model, and how to pitch a business idea, as well as learning about the financial side at the business plan workshop.
Kerr’s career began in catering management, after which he took on the running of Bewley’s cafes for six years. He is now the chief executive and a shareholder in successful coffee chain Insomnia. Nonetheless, he’s feeling the pinch.
“I don’t think the investors [on Dragon’s Den] will be making as many investments during the second series,” he admits. “Still, it’s a good opportunity to highlight the importance of enterprise, and to give people an insight into what business is really like. Today’s event had the same focus. There’s a missing link between business and education, but kids are open to listening. The atmosphere here was electric, and hopefully it’s provided some inspiration to young entrepreneurs.”
Aisling Ní Shúilleabháin, overall winner of the Young Entrepreneur Programme 2008/2009, was also invited to speak at the event. TV3 news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick quizzed the 16-year-old fifth year student from Pobalscoil Corca Dhuibhne in Dingle on how she fits her studies in with running her start-up business.
“ABOUT 20 students from my class attended the Blue Sky Day last year, and we all had to complete a business plan,” she explains. “The speakers emphasised that the best ideas are those that solve a problem, so I developed Kiddie Crawlies: kneepads for kids so they don’t tear their clothes or graze their knees on hard floors and rough tiles. We’re finalising the design at the moment, and we hope to have them in the shops before Christmas. I’m hoping this is the beginning of a career in enterprise.”
Other speakers at the event included Anne O’Leary, who founded her computer-aided design business in the midst of a dire recession in 1987, sold it to the world’s largest distributor of information technology in the midst of the current recession. She’s now in a position to take a prolonged period of time off work.
In the Young Entrepreneur Programme, local business people will mentor shortlisted students. There are three category winners: second-level, third-level and best school, with prizes including a trip to Silicon Valley, €5,000 seed capital, and an IT package to the value of €1,500 respectively.
For more information, visit youngentrepreneur.ie.
