Full Circle Digital Magazine August 2013 | Page 63

YOUR CHILD • YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SOCIETY

The first school to implement the YES program is Kommetjie Primary School. Their pioneer spirit is driven by their commitment to provide every one of their students with a well-rounded education, and to prepare them for life. Another way you can help is by coming to support the first Entrepreneurs Market Day on the 19th of September 2013 at Kommetjie Primary School where the grade four and five students will be presenting their newly created products.

The YES program was founded by Grant Notten, a business man, adventurer and father of four. It is his passion to share his knowledge and insight with the next generation so that they can make the most of their opportunities. It is his aim to reach as many people as possible. How many times have you said, “I wish I had had more career advice as a child, and I wish someone had taught me some practical life skills about business when I was at school, so that I did not have to learn the hard way. I also wish I had followed my passions and talents and developed them further, and used them in my career?” Well, this is the vision of YES (Young Entrepreneurs Society) to be a bridge between school and the real world,

teaching people how to turn their passions and talents into a business. YES integrates with the school curriculum and provides a fresh, out of the box, approach - this is what UCT Business School refers to as full colour thinking. However it is different to other entrepreneur programs because it was developed and is run by an entrepreneur, and the students are taught real business skills. One of the first things we ask the students is “What would you do if money didn’t matter?” We also encourage them to examine what their skills and passions are. This a good way to get them to explore and broaden their minds about the various career choices they have, and give themselves the motivation to start working towards it at an early age.

YES is an 8 week program that can be adopted for ages 5 to 95. Each week we deal with the key building blocks of creating a business. The students learn from experience by setting up their own micro business, as well as setting up a Market Day event, to showcase their product and business skills, while trading with real customers. During the program they learn about product development, marketing, sales, presentation and finances. They also learn valuable life skills such as confidence, selfbelief, leadership and project planning. At the Entrepreneurs Market Day they get to keep 50% of the profits that they make, and the remaining 50% goes back to the school as a fundraiser.

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FULL CIRCLE DIGITAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2013