Make Your Mark Blog

My final stop last week on the Tenner Tour was at Orton Longueville School in Peterborough. Enterprise veterans they may well be, but could they rise to the tenner challenge?

Yes! I hear them all cry! Despite having only started the challenge last week due to a whole week of school closures because of the snow, plus half term break the following week the business ideas and creative juices were flowing with participants keen to start ventures that could get off the ground immediately and get them on their way to make their first profits.

When it’s the all-new Tenner map! Oh yes. Hot off the press, this map shows all of the schools and youth organisations taking part in Make Your Mark with a Tenner - all represented by a little dot (Tenner tangerine coloured, naturally!).

Ah, the magic that is google maps!

It’s really awesome to see that Tenner is UK-wide - and even awesomer to see that lots of schools from my old stomping ground of the North East are taking part. Hooray!

Check it out…

The Eastern Region office has had their director’s hat on these past few weeks and we can now unveil our Enterprise Week 2008 in the Eastern Region DVD!
The dvd will hopefully be on the website by the end of next week so watch this space!

The pub quiz lives long on the menu of British entertainment and it seems we are all drawn to the temptation of flaunting our recall of weird trivia in the company of friends. Not even the recent onslaught of the gastro set can keep the army of increasingly Australian quiz masters back!

The other night I entered into one such battle of wits in a swanky part of West London (it had street lights and dustbins). Half way in, our team got stumped by a picture of two “leading brands”. Our task would have been much easier if they hadn’t been hacked virtually out of recognition. Whilst we deciphered the Fujitsu logo- the Citi Bank pic was too tough (although some serial quizzers got it with smug applause).

On New Year’s Day I was in Dorset, visiting some very good friends who hide out in the hinterland of Shaftesbury. Cold and greying (never a tropical holiday destination) we stumbled into the only open shop on the high street- Woolworths.

Pretty much every echelon of kith and kin have lamented its loss to me in the last few weeks. As the fittings and fixtures were cleared around us I pondered where I would go in future for a rumage in the CD bargain bucket and a fistful of sickly pick’n'mix. It’s decline is probably the most visible sign yet of the “economic chill” (the current slang) that is setting in. However, the determination of it’s staff to fight on until the end (until the last Ben 10 playset was sold) and the administrator’s midnight scramble to save the brand, showed in a curious mix of circumstance and panic, the very human nature of our economy.

My last day of Enterprise Week (booo) was spent at Wolverhampon Molineux Stadium where I facilitated a group of students for the Wolverhampton EBP Business Challenge. The aim was to come up with a business idea that could potentially be franchised in the future. Out of the 9 schools that attended the group that won was, of course… the one facilitated by a Make Your Marker!

This morning I attended the launch of a new women’s support network.

The morning was very well attended by business women and public sector people who can provide invaluable advice and help. I was given a very warm welcome by Phil Cowper and his team from the Tameside Business Family www.tamesidebusinessfamily.com .

I arrived just in time to hear an inspiring talk by Helen Thomas MD of Meredith Thomas PR Ltd www.meridiththomas.com on what makes an entrepreneur. She surprised us all at the end of her presentation by saying that she was going to be 60 next birthday and had no intention of stepping down from managing her successful business. Helen has agreed to be an ambassador for us and spread the word that it’s never to late to give it a go!

Last night I attended a fab Fab Over 50s event in Preston. Obviously I was only allowed in under my roving reporter remit! The event was light hearted and entertaining aimed at confidence building and presentation skills.

Organised by Spark ambassador, Janet Harrison www.creative-academy.co.uk in partnership with image consultant Cliff Bashforth www.simplyimage.co.uk . Cliff gave image hints and tips to an audience of 70 or more of us hanging on his every word. I found that I’m similar to Kylie (unfortunately not because of my bum) and due to a senior moment (must have been the company) I’m not quite sure why.

Last night I was at a reception for MPs, in honour of Global Entrepreneurship Week. It was held in a sumptuous building in central London, and organised by the august Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. The wine flowed freely, the room was full of chatter, and entrepreneurs and politicians shared stories and suggestions about public policy in the UK.

But the show was stolen by Chrissey Townsend, founder of the Teviot Action Group. About ten years ago, she moved to a desperate estate in a neglected part of London. The area had 95% unemployment, with rampant drugs- and drink-abuse.

Today I have been at Brew Tea Bar were teams of students from 5 schools across Merseyside have been taking part in the Brew Tea Challenge.

Make Your Mark Ambassador - Phil Kirby set Year 12 students from All Saints High School, Bebbington Sports College, Broadgreen International High School, Carmel College and Pensby High for Girls the challenge of creating a new tea blend and designing a poster campaign for the new tea.

Phil opened his Brew Tea Bar in August this year and it is going from strength to strength and when I spoke to him about Enterprise Week and he mentioned this challenge we were delighted to invite schools along to take part.

This morning I went along with PET (Progressive Educational Tools) to the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry to support 20 disadvantaged students in the MYM Challenge! Although they had all been excluded from their schools for one reason or another and all come from disadvantaged backgrounds we could definately see some potential for future entrepreneurs!

It just goes to show that even the ones that “dont have potential” or “are lost causes” actually have some of the best ideas and deserve a chance to prove it.

The winning idea was a social networking site for 2012 Olympic participants and the lucky team recieved a prize at the end for their fabulous efforts.

There’s a major business networking event and exhibition at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, London on Monday 17^th November from 6:30pm. The organisers are holding it in support of Global Enterprise Week 2008 and are expecting up to 1,000 businesses to attend.

This event brings together many networks and business communities and offers the opportunity to meet other high calibre business delegates, openly network in a relaxed and friendly environment, build strong business relationships and gain valuable information about the issues that most affect business.

As I struggle to start writing my first EVER blog post, one of the central messages of the seminar I went to on Tuesday really resonates – what did I actually learn in school?

I’m really not sure.

Richard Gerver, world-renowned education expert, wasn’t sure either. For those still thinking that Britain’s education system is the envy of the world and you haven’t forgetten a jot, try the short pop quiz that Richard sprung upon us – and yes, these questions are all in the national curriculum (answers at the bottom) -

Year 10 students at Pensby High for girls were treated to a visit from Wirral MP Steven Hesford and Make Your Mark Ambassadors Clare Molyneux and Tim Coleman.

Steven, Clare and Tim were on hand throughout the morning to talk to the girls about enterprise, the Make Your Mark Challenge and how they can develop and build their own enterprise skills and potential.

Mr Hesford said: “Enterprise week provides a great focus on how we can create business opportunities, particularly for our up and coming entrepreneurs of the future.