Young entrepreneurs hold trade show
The S.J.C. Gymnasium in West Landivar was overrun with business activity today… but these are not your everyday entrepreneurs. They are the next generation of businessmen and women competing now for an advantage in the future. Patrick Jones reports.
Melanie Simmons, Business Dept., S.J.C. Junior College
“Our marketing students develop a product and they have to see if its feasible in the market, and then from there they develop their pricing, their promotions, and their place in which they’re going to market the product, and that’s what’s happening right now at the S.J.C. gym.”
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Everything from cookies to arts and crafts to massage services was being offered at today’s business expo. It’s the end of year project for these enterprising business students of Saint John’s College Junior College.
Brian Duncan, Proprietor, Bon Appetite
“Our booth is called Bon Appetite and we have pastries such as brownies and different doughnuts, cakes, drinks and with every two dollars worth of our pastries that you purchase you get a free subway sandwich. That is just to supplement your order.”
Phillip Gallaty, Proprietor, Stage One Gaming
“Here we’re displaying a sample of our video games. Our name is Stage One Gaming Entertainment. We’re involved with different types of video games. We’re offering different things that other places don’t have. We have the up to date systems, newer games. Most of the places now have the older type games, what you call 2-D, just a person and the background. We have 3-D, everything.”
Arthur Hyde, Proprietor, Del’s Food
“Well basically, we just have food. We pick food that we knew that people would want, because targeted students from S.J.C. sixth form. And what we noticed from the cafeteria was that they did not serve food such as relleno and tamales, and we felt these were gong to be the two biggest dishes, so this is what we are serving here.”
And their marketing strategy proved correct because before midday, the two main dishes were sold out. So what did they learn from this experience?
Arthur Hyde, Proprietor, Del’s Food
“For one thing I know its pretty hectic trying to get everything together. I didn’t realize it was so much work, you have to go here and here and here. And I know not to take time for granted, because it takes time and it takes a lot of preparation.”
Melanie Simmons, who heads the Business Department at S.J.C. Junior College, says students were tasked with executing a business plan from scratch. And that experience for many of the budding entrepreneurs was worth more than the money they earned from today’s activity.
Brian Duncan
“Well out of this experience we learned as a group how to work with other groups within the gym at the expo here itself, and how to work with other business outside, such as Subway. And we also learnt how to promote our products with those other business. And by doing that we promote those also, so it’s like a two way.”
While most of the students chose the traditional business models, Giovanni Santos and his group were the only ones to offer this service: a massage parlour. One satisfied customer gave “Desires as Such” a thumbs up.
George Watson, Student, S.J.C. High School
“In there was very soothing. First they put oil on my back and they start to rub. It’s very soothing and relaxing. I would do that again.”
Giovanni Santos, Proprietor, Desires as Such
“We learned a lot of group work, team effort and a lot of showing us how to brainstorm, how to design how to throw out different designs, it tests your creativity.”
Patrick Jones
“Do you think this will help you after you leave school?”
Giovanni Santos
“Yes man, of course. It helps you to be professional with people how to deal with public, and how to talk to people you know. And I guess that’s why it teaches us that leadership role, and I guess it will help us eventually.”
And while some will pursue their dream of one day owning their own businesses, others say they were content to just make it out of the gymnasium with a good grade. Patrick Jones, for News 5.
The five-member panel of judges awarded first place to Membos for their “Swirly Whirly”, second place went to BRACKS, the group that produced granulated sugar, while third went to “Make a Design”, which offered t-shirt printing.
