A-level Business students from Cirencester College had their entrepreneurial skills put to the test when they competed in a Dragon’s Den style project.
Five classes of year one students were divided into teams to develop an idea for a business initiative to present in class. A winning team was selected from each class to go through to the final and pitch their ideas again, but this time to a panel of entrepreneurs who visited the College specially for the occasion.
This was an additional project for the students alongside their mandatory units, to challenge and develop their entrepreneurial skills. The Business team at College hope for this to become an annual event.
The final took place on the in the Sundial Theatre, and was judged by the following local entrepreneurs:
Paul Chessell – Managing Director at Specsavers in Gloucestershire
Vicky Marshal -Managing Director of ‘Hug Pet Food’
Andy Mitchell –Managing Director of Mitchell Digital Media
Simon Thomas – Montpellier Legal
Chris Dunn- Managing Director at Infosec
Lauren Thompson -Marketing Manager at Infosec
Students Ben Chamberlayne and Scarlett Maule kicked off the final with a confident pitch for a car wash business ‘Set Beyond Clean’, that would use premium products to add value to vehicles.
Next, Josh Hunt and George Woodman presented their ‘Airsoft Ballistics Shield’, they launched their presentation with a demonstration of the light-up shield Josh had made himself. The students pitched that this would complement demand for the airsoft hobby.
The team spirit and camaraderie encouraged at Cirencester College shone through in the pitch for ‘Heat Clothing’, a concept developed by Nathaniel Wilson, Bradley McDonald and Gabby Selley who were unable to present due to illness. However, classmates Charlie Anderson and Jack Long stepped in to present their pitch with just half an hours’ notice. This idea was for a clothing range in which the clothes would come with three different heat levels, that could be worn in various weather conditions.
Stephanie Harris and Tegan Scott presented their concept for a beautiful manor home that would provide bespoke pet care called ‘Hotel4dogs’.
‘Pandemonium Skateboards’ was the final pitch, presented by Ollie Taylor and Freya Clarke, this articulate and passionate pitch was for an eco-friendly skateboard concept.
After much deliberation, the judges declared ‘Yojo Jobs’ the winning concept. Libby Neighbour, Hannah Harris and Dan Triggs developed the idea for an app that would provide a platform to advertise jobs to young people specifically.
The judges stated that they showed great understanding of their own business skills.
The Business Department is very proud of all of the finalists who all demonstrated their fantastic entrepreneurial skills during both the preparatory period and the final pitches.
For more information about this story please contact chloe.suter@cirencester.ac.uk
