Young entrepreneurs lead the way at West Cheshire College

Dec 7 2009 By James Shepherd

Young entrepreneurs Georgina Peace, Natasha Henry, Mark Dixon, Sam Williams and Carl Tomlins with tutors, Norma Jones and Georgina OBrien

ENTREPENUERIAL business students from West Cheshire College have been named as runners up in the regional finals of the UK’s largest enterprise competition.

The five-strong team of business students were tasked with developing an original and profitable business idea which could make a positive impact on the local environment, as part of the Make Your Mark challenge.

Young entrepreneurs Sam Williams, Georgina Peace, Carl Tomlins, Natasha Henry and Mark Dixon came up with Gardening 4 Dummies, a business designed to offer gardening services and support to help new gardeners start their own vegetable patches.

The competition involved developing a thorough business plan with marketing ideas and cash flow forecasts.

Dr Ruth Jones, FE Enterprise Hub Co—ordinator at West Cheshire College said: "We were delighted that one of our teams made it through to the regional finals and it’s a shame they were piped at the post.

"Their project won high praise from the judges and has definitely spurred us all on to get involved in projects of this type.

"The role of the FE Hub is to create centres of excellence to raise awareness of the importance of enterprise among young people, raise their aspirations and develop a ‘can do’ attitude toward entrepreneurship and enterprise and it’s events of this type that help to bring the message home."

The Make Your Mark challenge formed part of Global Enterprise Week – an initiative designed to highlight the crucial role entrepreneurs will play in driving economic recovery in the UK.