The children in 5th Class have started the Junior Entrepreneur Programme and will hope to showcase their own business project at the end of March. They have examined what an entrepreneur is, what an entrepreneur does and what skills an entrepreneur has. They then identified their own strengths and personal qualities and have considered their potential to contribute to a team. Next, each child was encouraged to think creatively in order to generate a potential business idea to present to his/her group. Working collaboratively after listening to individual project ideas, each group then negotiated and agreed team business ideas.
These five group ideas were presented to the Dragons and to the children in 5th and 6th class in the Dragons’ Den last Thursday. Our Dragons were Eugene O’ Mara, Mr. Connor and Mrs. Mc Connell. The Dragons faced a very difficult decision in choosing which of the five potential business ideas would become the “Big Idea” that the entire class would develop into a business over the next 8-10 weeks. Their job was to ask questions, to give objective feedback on project ideas put forward by each group and to make recommendations on which idea had the greatest business potential. The 5 group ideas were: Car Cafe, Cookie Crumble, Glorious Gifts, Seashell’in and Crispy Café.
After considering the level of entrepreneurship required by each idea, its feasibility and seasonality, its potential market and profitability, the Dragons chose Glorious Gifts as the “Big Idea” that 5th Class children will develop into a full business between now and Easter. Our sincere thanks to Eugene, Mr. Connor and Mrs. Mc Connell for acting as our Dragons last Thursday. Well done to all the children who presented very creative ideas with confidence and enthusiasm!
