High Wycombe: Young Enterprise Company helps young entrepreneurs

Eden Shopping Centre hosted a trade fair with a difference, as it invited entrepreneurs of the future to set up shop for the day on Sunday February 9.

Through the Young Enterprise Company programme, young people run their own real companies with help from a volunteer mentor from the local business community. As part of the scheme, young people take on functional roles within their companies, and the trade fair is an exciting and realistic way in which they can promote their products and services.

Budding tycoons aged 15-19 from 26 schools across High Wycombe took part in the programme, and Eden Shopping Centre hosted a trade fair to showcase the businesses, giving them the chance to bring their ideas to a real, paying audience.

Business ideas included gluten free snacks, smoothie melts for children and homemade bags. Many teams turned to technology for inspiration, piggy backing on the growing mobile market.

Each team set up a stand from which shoppers could buy their products and see their innovative ideas for future companies. The students also faced tough competition, with prizes awarded for particularly exceptional ideas.

Best Business was awarded to Highcrest Academy for Alliance’s educational children’s books. The judges, including Caroline Anderson, marketing manager at Eden Shopping Centre, singled out The Beasonsfield School’s Med-a-lert team for Best Stand.

Anderson said: “We are thrilled to be supporting the Young Enterprise trade fair and it’s fantastic to see such creative and exciting ideas. It’s so important for young people to learn skills in business planning and bringing an idea to fruition, and schemes such as this are providing valuable real-life business experience for the young people of High Wycombe.”