Students in the Dragon's Den

ENTERPRISING students from Culcheth High School took part in a “Dragon’s Den” style business challenge.
The students followed a condensed version of the Young Enterprise Quick Start programme. Instead of taking five days, they created and ran the two businesses in eight two hour sessions over 10 weeks, and presented their company ideas to a panel of judges.
Geoff Settle, their Young Enterprise mentor, said: “Although this was a very tight schedule the two teams learned a great deal and presented two very good enterprise ideas to the local Culcheth dragon’s and the Mayor and Mayoress.”
The students were set a challenge to create a business that would serve the local community and be sustainable. They were each given £15 – but also had the task of raising additional capital to fund their companies.
One of the firms was Bob A Jobs with the aim of doing odd jobs for the elderly for a small fee. The cost of jobs will be subsidised through the sale of seasonal gifts and fundraising activities such as their successful sponge throw that raised £47.10.
The other company Primary Gardens offers a service to local primary schools. They would design and set up small gardens, teaching the children basic techniques that would enable them to look after them in the future. The enterprise team raised money by customising and painting flowerpots and their aim was to expand the range of garden products on offer.
One of the dragons said: “The experience and lessons learned will stay with the teams for some time. Everything that went well and not so well is a reflection of what it’s like running a business.”
The dragons included Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr and Mrs John Joyce, chairman of governors Roy Sutton, Paul Taylor (Taylor Business Park) and Gary Skentelbery (editor of Warrington Worldwide and Culcheth Life).
Paul was so impressed with what he saw that he has made the teams an offer of a stall each at his Culcheth Farmers Market, where he will be promoting local businesses.
The dragons wished the teams well and congratulated them on their joint profits of more than £150.
Pictures: Culcheth High School pupils with the “Dragons”