Sheffield
I am to establish support for young people helping them to understand the concept of practical entrepreneurship.
Info
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It can be tempting to give as much detail as possible to sell your idea but sometimes too many words can be overwhelming. Win people over by making your idea easy to understand.
Tell us a bit more about your idea.
'The Initiative' will provide training within communities, schools and colleges to enable students to think creatively, explore what motivates them and consider being masters of their own destiny through running their own enterprises. A collaboration between business mentors, experienced entrepreneurs and interactive training will engage and motivate students alongside personal development training and tools which will enable them to discover whether entrepreneurship is appealing to them or not. Our greatest success would be to help young people from a variety of backgrounds to be more certain about their careers and personal motivations if entrepreneurship is not for them. We will provide additional tools and support to aspiring entrepreneurs to help them set up a business and begin trading. Our focus is upon practical entrepreneurship and with university tuition fees rising, setting up as self-employed and starting a business is becoming an appealing option for many youngsters with passion and finely honed skills. By providing inspiration and support tools from a young entrepreneur who has been there and done it will be the greatest motivation for young people of today wishing to follow in my footsteps. I have aligned with several agencies to provide over 700 mentors in specific industries to support these young people and have secured a research project to break cultural bounds and explore entrepreneurship in an international context - taking our support tools and training over to communities in the Middle East. This will share attitudes to business and career progression; as the Middle Eastern communities focus strongly upon personal development and sustainable careers with longevity, the UK is very different and it can be hard to find and hold down a job. The research will explore entrepreneurship as a route to the market, as a way of generating an income and doing good in society additionally through social entrepreneurship. This will then aid the launch of the same support services which 'The Initiative' will provide in the UK over in India - including building partnerships ready to share ideas, hold videoconferences and arrange visits between entrepreneurs young and established to support this education between both countries.
How will your idea make a difference to people’s lives?
It will engage a multitude of sectors from the society - with specialised trainers who are already on board in the project we aim to target NEET groups of students specifically, who are less privileged and have traditionally less motivation in society and in life. Our training and support tools will also promote the spirit of citizenship and assist young people in achieving their dreams with the support of local and national businesses. We are basically a dreams factory for young people! (*within reason.) We will provide young people with the motivation and tools to set up their own business and make a positive difference in the world, doing something they love. We will also re-engage disenfranchised members of society who require a little extra support and inspiration to enable them to succeed.
How long would it take to make your idea a reality?
It would take approximately one month to start up the idea. A logo has already been created and I have also created a website. I have also gained a variety of contacts and partnerships to help make the idea a reality; therefore after receipt of this funding I would need to pay for pilot training courses and to carry out the extended research internationally to build the project's full potential and begin heavy marketing into schools and communities. I would also use the funding to kickstart mentorship programmes and in providing training and engagement programmes under 'The Initiative' within community centres and schools.
Do you have any concerns with making your idea happen?
No, however I am aware that budgets from schools/colleges and community groups is low for such training therefore we aim to localise delivery wherever possible to minimise costs. This will be an ongoing concern throughout the project however interest is already gathering from schools who are aware of these plans and I already have a large number of young entrepreneurs and young people interested in benefitting from these services.
Why do you think you’re the right person to make this idea a success?
Yes! Having won a number of awards for entrepreneurship including Peter Jones Academy Ambassador of the Year, winning over £10,000 for my school in prizes for previous businesses and heading up an enterprise group containing 6 different businesses, I feel as a youth ambassador and national youth councillor also that I am aptly suited to delivering this project on a successful scale. I already have interest from Indian organisations to trial the concept abroad. My links with youth and the work I have already done in addressing youth issues and encouraging business skills in young people's work I believe place me in a strong position to carry out this work; especially as I have the experience of starting up my business very young, this adds to the relevance and prominence of our delivery. The strategic partnerships already made have reached out to 100 budding young entrepreneurs waiting to benefit from these services, a network of 700 mentors who will input onto the programme and provide mentor support to young entrepreneurs. I have also secured a number of venues across the country to run training sessions in and am working with the DWP, Levi Roots and other high profile organisations who are all going to input into the project.
Budget
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Make a list of all the different things you’ll need to pay for to make your idea happen.
Expenditure
Initial Freebie Workshop Delivery
£1,750
International Marketing
£4,500
Ongoing promotional costs - website upkeep and PR advertising
£1,000
Quality Measures & Ongoing Costs - CRB checks, insurance and meeting room costs
£750
Budget Total
£8,000
Oh no! You're planning to spend a bit too much on this idea. Better give this a rethink.
Video
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Top Tip...
Why not make a short video about your idea on your phone? Upload it to Youtube then paste the embed code in the space provided on the left. Don't worry if you can’t see your video straightaway – all videos have to be moderated before they appear on your page. Any inappropriate content will not be approved.