Latest news with #YoungEnterprise
Otago Daily Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
From covering ground to covering crackers
Top Gore runner Millie McFadzien, 17, has turned her athletic advancement to food design, creating and marketing a smoked eel pate made from Southern-caught tuna. The St Peter's College student has had a successful week, pitching her pate to business experts in Invercargill and placing in the top 10 at a national cross-country competition days later. Millie finished ninth out of 120 runners in the senior girls 4000m race at the secondary schools cross-country championships in Whangarei on Saturday, with a time of 15min 29sec. Days earlier, Southland Business Chamber members were "blown away" by her pitch for the eel pate, she said. It was initially her father's idea, after seeing something similar on an episode of Country Calendar . She then engaged supplier Waituna Eel with an idea to resell its Lake Ellesmere eels on the international market, but was redirected to the idea of a pate by company chief executive Calvin Claridge. Millie then connected with Invercargill chef Ethan Flack and together they devised a recipe. "It's good on crackers and all that," she said. Her marketing company is called The Lost Larder and the agency Naked Creative has donated its time, creating the label and olive-green brand design. Millie was also fortunate to have the support of Southland signwriter Creation Signs who made her two pull-up banners, T-shirts and labelling for the pitch. Bluff fisheries company Ocean Beach also gave her some start-up funds for the project. The project is part of her school business class, as well as the national Young Enterprise scheme competition, which is a charity-funded programme that fosters and provides mentoring for business ideas of senior high school students for a year. Millie has ideas for other rare edible products under The Lost Larder, such as rabbit heart pate. She is looking to engage a food scientist to list the nutritional information on the packaged product, and potentially an industrial kitchen to seriously carry on with this venture. She has that to look forward to along with her running, as her top-10 finish meant she qualified for the NZ Secondary Schools Team that will compete on the Gold Coast, Queensland in September. Of her race on Saturday, she said it was "quite tough" as the course was steep, hilly and muddy. The following day, her Southland mixed team won the relay race, as well. Pre-orders for the eel pate can be sent to thelostlarder@
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Students not LYTE on good ideas
A group of five Craighead Diocesan School students are getting a taste of the entrepreneurial world. As part of the 2025 Young Enterprise Scheme, students Ella Laming, Briar Allan, Georgia Smith, Georgia Greenslade and Ruby Laming have launched their start-up business LYTE Hydration. Their product is a dual purpose, single-use energy sachet that combines pre-workout and electrolyte formulas. Chief executive Ella said the special twist with their product was that it is mixed with barberry powder, a natural ingredient scientifically proven to help with acne. "When you work out, you sweat, and that leads to bacteria on your face. "It all goes hand-in-hand, you are recovering back the hydration you lost exercising while also helping with that acne side of things. "It's something you can use on the go, it's portable, easy to use and you literally just rip it open and pour it in your water bottle." The group wanted to make something innovative and creative, Ella said. "We received guidance from Regan Powell, the Young Enterprise co-ordinator and he helped us with the idea for barberry powder as a way of adding something a bit different into our mix." Chief financial officer Georgia Smith said the reason they decided to go for a hydration product was that they were all involved in sport. "We found it annoying ourselves that when you go to the gym you have to get separate tubs for pre and post-workout. "It was like, why can't we come up with a convenient option that can serve for pre and post-workout in just one session, one product. "A lot of our generation go to the gym and are involved in sport and with a teenager target market, acne is a thing everyone struggles with. Our product serves to help with that." The scheme required each company to complete four different challenges and yesterday the students took part in challenge two, the pitch, where they had to present their business plan to a panel of professionals. Over the next two terms they will complete challenge three, promotions and sales, then challenge four, the annual review. They had also recently just completed their first production batch of 40 sachets, Ella said. "We're going to sell them first to the school to get feedback. We plan to then stretch out to the community after this first lot of selling. "We've had to do all the labour ourselves so far, which is fine for a startup but it is time-consuming. "We'd love to look at getting it manufactured if we are successful. We did look at it for a start but the cost was way too much." Marketing and sales director Georgia Greenslade said they were also doing it as part of a school subject. "I feel like the the reason a lot of us took this class is because there were so many specific roles. I took it because I'm interested in accounting and finance. "We can specialise but also be involved with everything within the business, so you kind of learn everyone's part plus the thing you're passionate about which is something I've really enjoyed about it." Ella said the group had learned a lot about teamwork and collaboration through creating their product and business. "Also to cater to everyone's strengths and work in a way where everyone feels that they can contribute, feel heard and be part of the process. "We also learnt that mistakes are part of the process, It's how a business forms — everyone makes them and you just have to learn from them. "How you bounce back from the mistake is how you measure your success as a business." They are aiming to sell their product for $7.99 and are looking to introduce several different flavours. Anyone wishing to learn more or follow their progress can do so by visiting LYTE. hydration on Facebook or Instagram.
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Balm a well-oiled business
They live together, go to school together and now they are in business together — naturally. St Hilda's Collegiate boarders Ellie Templeton, Meg Miller, Greer Egan and Emi Martin, all 17, are taking part in the Young Enterprise Scheme. The business studies students have developed a 100% natural leather restoring balm which they are selling under the brand Nature's Prime. With three from farming backgrounds, the group was passionate about promoting primary industries and finding an alternative use for products. They researched what leather conditioners were on the market and, while some had similar ingredients, none were made with all New Zealand-sourced natural ingredients which was what they wanted to achieve, they said. They also wanted a balm that would appeal to both urban and rural consumers, suitable for all leather goods — from bags, shoes and furniture to saddlery, belts and boots. The balm was made from beeswax, lanolin, avocado oil and sunflower oil and it was manufactured at Beauty NZ in Mosgiel. That followed a lot of testing — including most things leather at their own homes — and also validation from some well-known companies including Hinterland, Honest Wolf, Merchant and McKinlays Footwear. Meanwhile, their felted wool applicators came from Wool Technologies in Christchurch. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, they were recycled offcuts from woollen wine bags. All four had their own positions in the business: Ellie was chief executive and production director, Greer and Emi shared the role of chief financial officer and administration while Meg was tasked with communications and marketing and was really hoping to get Nature's Prime on television. The four were grateful for the opportunity to take part in Young Enterprise, with Ellie saying it had shown them the practical side of what business or commerce could look like. Having to approach businesses and suppliers had given them a confidence boost and they also had to have confidence in their product. They had learned valuable business and practical skills "rather than just constantly learning out of books". The students, who said they were grateful for the support they had received — particularly from their families — hoped Nature's Prime might continue in the background when they went to university.
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Young Brits issued stark warning as nearly a quarter turn to TikTok money advice
A survey from HSBC UK and the national education charity, Young Enterprise, reveals that Gen Z feel judged about how they manage money, leading some to turn to unreliable sources for financial advice New research suggests that Gen Z feel judged by parents, friends and social media about how they handle their money. Despite a strong digital fluency and desire for greater financial literacy, the younger generation is dealing with low confidence and misinformation when it comes to personal finances. Survey findings from HSBC UK and national education charity Young Enterprise reveals that while half of Gen Z respondents are actively saving, 67% say they feel judged or embarrassed about how they handle their money - predominantly by their family. That compares to 33% of the wider UK population, exposing a generational 'shame gap' between young and older generations. . The survey also highlights that Gen Z does not feel particularly supported in their attempts to become more financially literate, especially by their schools. Only 13% of Gen Z respondents said they would turn to their school or university as a top source for money management education. This lack of formal financial education is leading Gen Z to seek less reliable sources of financial advice. Nearly a quarter of Gen Z respondents say they have turned to social media influencers for financial advice in the last year - almost double the UK average. According to the study this trend is not indicative of financial carelessness, but rather 'reveals the consequences of growing up without reliable financial education'. Sarah Porretta, CEO of Young Enterprise, said: 'The myth that young people are careless with money just doesn't hold up. Gen Z wants to be financially capable, but they don't feel supported…Teachers are doing their best in a crowded curriculum, but they need more support too – we can't expect them to tackle this challenge alone.' Research indicates that parents are paying the price for the lack of formal financial education. According to research commissioned by Moneyfarm, 84% of British parents said that their child would have access to money that they saved for them when they turned 18 - with the average amount being £23,000. While social media is not the most reliable source of financial information, it is helping younger generations fight the stigma about discussing their personal finances. The dying stigma is also enabling Gen Z to make more informed financial decisions, negotiate better salaries and encourage financial equity. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! Additionally, a 2025 consumer survey from Intuit revealed 58% of 18-35-year-olds are integrating financial management into their overall wellness routines. The report confirms that the declining stigma actually encourages 'a holistic view of wealth that aligns with personal values and long-term life satisfaction.' But as the research highlights, it is up to more than parents and teens to prioritise financial education. This past March, Conservative MP Peter Bedford brought forward a motion in Parliament to introduce a bill to make provisions around financial education in primary schools and tertiary education. Speaking in Parliament on the issue, Bedford said: "Schools should prepare young people for the adult world. Yet for all the focus on balancing an equation, there is no attention given to balancing one's bank are sending our young people out into the world and putting them into the game of life without even teaching them the rules first."
Otago Daily Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Students make up for canteen loss
After the loss of their school canteen, a group of industrious Gore students have seen a gap in the market, selling cheese rolls for charity and school credit. As part of their business studies class, a group of St Peter's College year 12 and 13s have been selling cheese rolls every Wednesday, at morning tea and lunch, and donating the proceeds to charity. The school's canteen used to be run by staff of Rosmini House, the hostel on campus, which closed down last year due to a declining roll. When the hostel closed, the tuck shop went with it, and now students Tori Pont, Nia Robertson, Makayla Taylor and Addi McHaffie are serving southern delicacies to the school's students and teachers. Commerce, economics, business and agribusiness studies teacher Will Byars said the way his students could get around the rules of being able to sell food on campus was to treat the catering as a fundraising drive and donate the money to The Cancer Society. "They've got some financial and social goals around that," he said. The young entrepreneurs were part of a combined class who he said had a particularly "good batch" of businesses this year. He said his student Millie McFadzien was working with Waituna Eel and making eel pate, which she would be serving as an entree at the Southland Business Excellence Awards next month. Another group had the "innovative idea" of a "basketball cube", which was all about improving shooting technique for young basketballers. The business ideas are also part of the national Young Enterprise scheme competition, which is a charity-funded programme that fosters and provides mentoring for business ideas of senior high school students for a year. Next week, the students, along with other schools across Southland, will be heading to Invercargill to do a five-minute pitch of their ideas to Southland Business Chamber members. "They're going to talk about their marketing plan, so it's quite daunting for them to talk to other adults about their idea," Mr Byars said. As students and some teachers lined up for the lunchtime rush, Addi said it could be stressful when everyone comes out as once and they had to go fast, but it was not too bad, as they split the jobs evenly between four of them. In an organised operation, she said they made the rolls the day before and prepared the ham and cheese toasties, which sold for $2 each. They had just started selling sherbert fizzes also. Their goal was to make $500 per term — but they had only been going for three weeks and were yet to crunch the numbers, she said. Mr Byars said he was going to make sure they did their banking and knew their profit margin for the week. Food technology teacher Lisa Perkins, who was popping in on the girls' activities, said they were doing a great job. "They are following all the food safety standards which is good," she said.
