Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check Craig’s latest venture out at http://www.languageperfect.com/

Paul’s company website – http://www.obcrest.com/

http://www.konstructclothing.com/

School | Marlborough Boys High School

YES Product | Paper bricks for fire fuel

Now a seasoned academic at the University of Canterbury Adrian took part in YES during its early years with his Company developing a successful product and market that led to them handing over ongoing operations to the local IHC.

“Our product was paper bricks for burning in fireplaces that we manufactured by way of a special compressed brick press.  This machine was made for us to enable multiple bricks to be produced at once.  We sourced our raw materials from our contacts and initially we did the manufacturing ourselves working in shifts.  Later we used the local IHC to assist on a contracted basis as we were not able to keep up with demand and devote sufficient time to manufacturing.  We had some initial teething issues but we got our process refined and managed to sell sufficient products to make a small surplus.  We then allowed the IHC to continue on the business through using the brick press,” recalls Adrian.

“During my YES year I could only imagine  going to university to complete commerce and law degrees but I never expected to be behind the lectern so to speak!” says Adrian of his early career plans.

Having completed Commerce and Law degrees at the Bachelor level and a Master of Commerce from Canterbury University, plus a doctorate (Doctorate of Juridical Science from the University of Virginia) Adrian is currently the Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of Commerce in the College of Business and Economic at the University of Canterbury. Adrian is also Professor of Taxation, having been an academic at the University of Canterbury for 20 years.

“I have a senior leadership role for the College and am part of the Senior Management Team for the University as a whole.  A major task has been developing and implementing a strategic renewal plan following the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes,” he explains.

When asked if he would recommend YES to students today Adrian responds, “I would certainly recommend it as a great experience and one that will benefit you in your future career, whatever it may be if in some way it relates to business.  It also brings a practical focus to your secondary school studies and provides an opportunity to challenge your team work skills.  A key benefit of YES for me was the business experience that I received which enabled me to appreciate at an early stage the risks associated with being in business, and the importance of working as a team.”

Adrian’s tips for budding entrepreneurs:

1. You need to have a good idea that you can talk through and seek advice from a trusted experienced advisor.
2. Build a good team with a variety of skills and talents, and the determination to make the idea succeed and become reality (or know when to either let it go pending further development or to bring in additional expertise).

Gen-i Group Accountant and Telecom Foundation Trustee Ben Richmond promoted Hawkes Bay with a major TV campaign for his YES company.

Ben shares his YES story and inspires budding entrepreneurs to think big.

Connect with Ben:

LinkedIN | www.linkedin.com/pub/ben-richmond/

Twitter |  @BenRichmond1 

Stefan shares his story from aspirations of being a Doctor to founding Charlies and shares his tips for success.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Connect with Stefan:

LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/pub/stefan-lepionka

School  | Chilton Saint James

YES Product  | Tush Cush Enterprises (2000) – plastic cushions. Aromatherapy Teddy Bears (2001) 

Nathalie refers to herself as a YES junkie having participated in the scheme two years in a row, first in 2000 and again in 2001.

“In the 6th form we formed Tush Enterprises and made corporate branded plastic cushions. But in the 7th form we stepped things up a gear with a hybrid value-added product, aromatherapy teddy bears” says Nathalie. “Essentially we were unpicking the back seams of a well known soft toy brand and stuffing it full of herbs and cloth soaked in essential oils. We outsourced the re-stitching to our Grandmothers” Nathalie explains.

Nathalie describes their first year of YES as a crazy success. “The branded cushions was a door opener. We saved for petrol money for a sales trip to Auckland and got meetings with most of the corporate marketing managers we targeted.” says Nathalie. And they did well, Tush Cush Enterprises was named as one of the top 5 companies in the Lion Nathan Young Enterprise Scheme National Awards.

The following year Nathalie believes they focused too much on the technical process and lacked the X factor. They still got to the National Awards but weren’t placed in the top 5.

“The most amazing thing about YES was the call backs and meetings we got with CEOs and corporate marketing managers for the plastic cushions” says Nathalie. “I’m pretty sure I have far more interesting products and services to chat about today, but it’s a massive struggle to get a look in” says Nathalie of her current experience as a social entrepreneur.

One of the biggest take-outs for Nathalie was the importance of being adaptable and problem solving on the go. “I think when we did YES we believed there was a correct way to run a business, but none of us had any experience so we just made stuff up along the way” says Nathalie. That skill has stayed with her to this day.

Nathalie also acknowledges the support and importance of mentors. “I can remember making our pitch for the Finals to a panel of distinguished judges including Angus Fletcher.  I have been lucky enough to have Angus as a mentor since then” says Nathalie.

And it was through her experience with YES that Nathalie years later, connected with Movac who Nathalie describes as “a group of awesome individual entrepreneurs” who funded Nathalie’s social enterprise startup Givealittle.

When asked whether she would do YES again, Nathalie responded “Absolutely, it was the only school activity that gave me practical skills that I can directly link to the way I work today.”

“For me, the whole experience of YES was really about realising that you create your own opportunities so if you are not satisfied with where things are at then it is a lot faster to change it yourself than wait for someone else to do it for you” says Nathalie.

“I was also pretty disappointed that my commerce study at uni didn’t really seem to serve up any practical trade skills for being in business – and for that reason I feel very grateful for the experience I had with Young Enterprise.”

“I also LOVED the freedom that it provided.  I can remember skipping classes to do deals on the plastic cushion and being in my element.  I guess I got addicted to the independence that being in business for yourself provides. These days that independence gets offset by the pressure of more risk and responsibility but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

So what is Nathalie doing now?

Together with a great team and investment support from Movac Nathalie founded Givealittle  and are getting ready to launch an exciting new product for the international market.

“I am also having a great time as a trustee on the board for the Telecom Foundation” says Nathalie. And if that wasn’t enough, she is also currently doing a project in philanthropic strategy for education which she describes as “bending my mind too”.

Nathalie’s three tips for budding entrepreneurs:

1. Be bold. It’s hard to say no to a young person in a school uniform.
2. Be imperfect – the most important part of the YES experience is all the bits that you won’t see on paper.
3. Make sure you truly believe in your product or service. It can be an uphill battle if underneath you think it is a bit lame.

Connect with Nathalie:

Website | www.givealittle.co.nz

Twitter | https://twitter.com/givealittle

School | Hutt International Boys’ School

YES Product | Craze Clothing

Former YES team mates Matt Rowe and Tim Pointer co-founded Wellington based digital marketing agency Uprise in 2009.

Starting a digital marketing agency wasn’t on the horizon for either when taking part in YES. “I always knew I would eventually be my own boss, I just never thought it would be in digital marketing as I was heavily into sports at college.  I thought that would be my career path,” said Matt, while Tim was aspiring to get into film editing and start a production company.

Uprise offers a range of digital services to its clients ranging from search engine marketing and online media strategies, to building a full online business with the partners both loving all things digital.

Matt credits YES with being the spark that ignited the business fire and Tim says, “YES was by far one of the most rewarding classes I took at school. Using the real world as my exercise book helped me learn first hand what works and what doesn’t”.

Matt & Tim’s three tips for budding entrepreneurs:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and when you do, listen to the advice and act on it.
2. Prioritise! Don’t do the easy stuff first, do what has to be done first… first. An hour a day is all you need to get an idea going and that way there is no risk if it doesn’t work out or you discover you are not passionate about the idea. By doing it this way are no worse off than when you begun.
3. Procrastination is like the residue left from milk in a glass. If you clean it straight away, you can wash the glass out with little effort, simply just using water. If you leave the glass to sit for a day, you will need to use water, soap and potentially, even a light scrub. If you leave that same glass for a week, you need to put in some elbow grease and a lot of effort to get that milk out of there. So… just do it straight away and save yourself the pain!