You cannot put an age on Entrepreneurship.
The ability to innovate and create is a talent that knows no boundaries.
The common misconception is that you need expertise, finance and experience to develop and run an enterprise and there is no doubt that these attributes contribute to the success of a business but they are not defining factors.
In fact, this misconception is the reason and many individuals are afraid for taking the first step in developing their dreams, their goals and their own business idea.
However, there are many people out there who are dispelling this belief and introducing an alternative narrative on what entrepreneurship means.
Patrice Fanning is one of these individuals. When Patrice was a student, not in College, not in Secondary School but in Primary School, she began an enterprise of her own.
Patrice loved chocolate. She wanted to have a chocolate bar for her lunch in school but the her pocket money allowance wasn’t enough to facilitate this.
She identified a want and a need and came up with a solution.
Each day in school she would escape out the window at lunch time to go the shop. Before leaving she would collect a list of orders from her classmates who wanted to get snacks in the shop and charge commission on each order. With the money that she made on commission, Patrice would then buy the chocolate bar that she wanted and could not previously afford.
Her enterprise grew to such a scale that she needed to recruit others to venture out the window with her, beginning what would be a lifelong journey of innovation and entrepreneurship. At the time, Patrice understood very little about profit and loss, she had no expertise in business development and no experience in the area but she saw an opportunity and went about making this a reality.
Occasionally, she was caught and reprimanded for her actions but in her words “the reward outweighed the risks being taken”.
Patrice was a natural entrepreneur, before she even knew what the word meant.
Later, in Transition year, she took part in the Mini-Company module offered as part of the TY programme and was able to develop her natural flare. She was taught the ins and outs of developing a business and was able then to put a name and a title on her talent and her passion.
Patrice went on to found the business Technically Write It: A company designed to create clear, user-friendly documentation that complies with legislation and are accessible to the consumer for which they are designed. Technically Write It is by no means the end of Patrice’s story but it is definitely not the start.
Entrepreneurship is rife in children and young people, who see the world differently. They aren’t bound by the same limitations of the working professional and have a vigor in their work like no other.
Enhancing this innovation and creativity is so important for the future of enterprise and there are many ways that we can help more young people like Patrice with a natural flare and inherent talent for creating, innovating and making the world a better place.
The Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP), works with 50,000 primary school pupils in Ireland. JEP seamlessly integrates teachings on Entrepreneurship into the primary school curriculum through games, learning aids, exercises and experiences.
The Junior Entrepreneurs come up with, research and implement business ideas while working with local entrepreneurs and being supported by their teachers.
JEP allows children at a primary school level to experience what they can create using their talents and innovation and gives them a clearer insight and understanding into the value of goods, services and what happens in their lives.
Fast forward a few years and the Student Enterprise Programme works to develop the same skills but with a slightly older age group. Secondary Students are supporting in setting up their own businesses with mentorship in;
- Finance
- Marketing
- Human Resources
- Promotions and Sales
- Teamwork
Students can apply what they learn in subjects such as business and economics in a hands on environment, enhancing their academic work.
Currently there are 480 schools around Ireland who take part in the programme helping develop the ideas of 23,000 students each year.
FORÓIGE – NFTE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Foróige is Ireland’s leading youth organisation, developed in 1952. Foróige work to encourage young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their development and the development of society.
Foróige recognise the role of entrepreneurship and enterprise in achieving their mission and have developed the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) as a result.
NFTE is designed to improve academic, business and life skills and is run, in and outside of schools.
The programme affords students the opportunity to:
- Study business
- Receive a seed grant to start their business
- Visit wholesalers for their supplies
- Meet with entrepreneurs
- Visit successful companies and businesses
- Receive mentorship from corporate professional
- Sell their products at the NFTE Class Trade Fair
- Prepare and present their business plan to a panel of judges
Foróige has noted that the NFTE programme has contributed to an increase in school completion and college attendance rates.
LET’S KEEP IT UP
Fortunately, this is not an exhaustive list of the resources available to entrepreneurs pre-third level education.
Access to these programme enhance academia, teamwork and presentation skills even if the individual never becomes an entrepreneur.
But, if they do; these resources provide students with a safe environment to explore their talents and develop an understanding of their capabilities without the risk that would be posed in the ‘real world’.
Developing and validating these young creative minds strengthens the innovators of the future.
If the seed is planted early who knows what cornucopia of ideas will ensue.
