Money Talks
A contest to find the next Sir Richard Branson or Simon Cowell will show that Brighton’s got talent.
If the British economy is to regain its vigour, we will need a new generation of entrepreneurs. We need people to follow in the footsteps of Richard Branson, James Dyson and even Simon Cowell. Some schools have begun to treat the subject of business seriously. Traditionally, those charged with teaching our academic syllabus seemed to look down on commerce, trade and cash. The principles of accounting, for example, have rarely featured in Maths lessons.
The two new academies locally – at Falmer and Portslade – have taken a lead from their sponsor, the millionaire businessman Sir Rod Aldridge. Both aim to teach social entrepreneurship. This covers taking responsibility for coming up with solutions to social problems as well as trying to learn business skills.
One of them, the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy is taking part in the Young Enterprise finals in Brighton and Hove on Thursday 3 May along with Brighton College. It’s fair to say that the independent school has more of a track record in encouraging its pupils to learn about business. And one member of its team in particular has established a track record of coming up with enterprising ideas.
Michael Stevenson, 17, is studying for his A-Levels. He and eight friends have come up with a business idea that they hope will sway the judges on Thursday – the Teen Verdict Awards. The awards are intended to encourage existing businesses to think about how they cater for young people. And with a £30 charge to enter, they are also intended to net a profit for the youthful team running the scheme.
This is the 40th year of the Young Enterprise competition. It aims to “inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise”. Its guiding principle is to do this through “learning by doing”. Each year about 250,000 youngsters take part, guided by mentors from the business world.
At Christmas Michael and his team were finding it hard to attract entries. Since then, he said, things have picked up. Mind you, he and his fellow sixth formers have had to fit the project in around coursework, mock exams and the real thing. He said: “After extensive judging, we have compiled a shortlist of the businesses we believe offer the best goods, services or facilities to the youth of Brighton and Hove.”
The categories and shortlisted Brighton and Hove businesses are:
• Best Place to Keep Fit – Ocean Wave Pilates, Yellowave, Lagoon Watersports, Active4Less
• Best Place to Unwind – Real Patisserie, Sleepy Dinosaur
• Best Quick Meal – Pizzaface, Real Patisserie, Kemptown Deli, Bagelman, Indian Summer, Fanny’s of Hanover
• Best Customer Service – Sleepy Dinosaur, Bagelman, Indian Summer
• Best Place to Make Yourself Beautiful – Shine Hair And Beauty, Electric Hair, Ockendon Manor
• Best Place to Spend a Spare £20 – POD Hair Group, LaserZone
• Best Thrill – Lagoon Watersports, LaserZone
• Wild Card Award – Sleepy Dinosaur, Indian Summer
The logic for attracting entries was simple: there are about 45,000 under-18s growing up in Brighton and Hove and about 32,000 students. The Sixth Form entrepreneur, who lives in Hove, reckons that smart businesses will want to tap into a market of that size.
Michael said that the winners are due to be announced in a fortnight’s time. He said: “We were delighted with the overwhelmingly positive response the Teen Verdict Awards received from Brighton and Hove’s local businesses. It was nice to see that they can both appreciate the city’s large population of young people as a valuable demographic as well as support local enterprising initiatives.”
After A-Levels and university Michael hopes to run his own business. The signs are promising. He has previously won a Dragons’ Den style pitch with a simple invention aimed at helping children to have healthier teeth. But regardless of what happens next, the local Young Enterprise final on Thursday looks likely to signify hope for the future because one thing’s for sure – Brighton’s got talent.
