Young South Canterbury entrepreneurs got to share their products with the community on Saturday.
Students from four of the region’s 12 Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) businesses sold their products at the Timaru Artisan Farmers Market.
YES aims to teach secondary school students a varied range of work and business skills, where students get an opportunity to create ideas, implement them and run businesses.
Being at the farmers market gave the business students the platform to market, display and sell their products to the community.
READ MORE:
* Resounding ‘Yes’ for young South Canterbury entrepreneurs
* South Canterbury Feds say hundreds of pages of rules need simplification
* South Canterbury school groups put heads together for business ideas
South Canterbury Chamber of commerce chief executive Wendy Smith said 12 student companies were participating in YES this year.
“These teams come from Mackenzie College, Roncalli College, Craighead Diocesan School, Mountainview High School, Opihi College, Timaru Boys’ High School and Geraldine High School,’’ Smith said.
“At the South Canterbury YES market, we had four YES companies attend the event – Smile Cards, Healthy Glow, B-Able NZ and Food Fight.”
Smile Cards sold creative cards with artwork and photographs, and Healthy Glow sold honey and cinnamon face masks, while B-Able NZ was selling hand badges – the company on a mission to educate, support and raise awareness for those with learning disabilities using the ‘Purple Hand’ movement.
Kirsty McBride, 17, left, Kaitlin Johnson, 17, Mia Andreassend, 16, Brody Cattermole, 16, Ashleigh Griffiths, 17, and Rickie Suddens, 16, selling Smile Cards and honey face masks at the market.
Food Fight’s market stall was selling a card game, imparting the public about nutritional facts, with the company’s mission to educate children on nutrition.
Smith said Healthy Glow almost sold out of their face masks at the market and are looking to expand their product range.
“The community rallied around our South Canterbury YES students,” Smith said.
“Many community members attended the market to support our YES students. Our students all reported as having gained valuable experience and enjoyed the customer service aspect of the market day. Mayor Nigel Bowen was also a keen supporter on the day and this created a buzz for all the teams.”
She said the motive of the event is to give students valuable experience in ‘’customer facing sales situations’’.
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Oakley Inkersell, 18, with his Food Fight stall at the Timaru Artisan Farmers Market on Saturday.
Smith said the next YES market would be held in August 2022.
“Keep an eye out in your local markets as all our YES companies have expressed interest in attending markets around South Canterbury.
“YES has also been offered two exhibitor stands at the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Innovative Conference to be held on November 3. Our students are excited about the opportunity to speak to business communities about their products and YES year.”
YES South Canterbury co-ordinator Stacey Gallagher thanked the Timaru Artisan Farmers Market and South Canterbury community for supporting the students.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
