Business ideas go to market
Matamata College has entrepreneurs in the making.
The year 10 business studies students have spent 10 weeks creating a small business, with products to take to the market.
Flicker has created soy wax candles with french pear, vanilla, frangipani and mango and papaya scents.
Saas Interiors make horse shoe coat and boot racks, floating shelves and magnet picture hangers and Chalk and Cheese has designed and made cheese boards with a chalk board surface and coasters.
They, along with 22 other small businesses will showcase and sell their products at the Matamata College business evening and market at the college hall on September 14 from 7pm-9pm. The event is open to the public.
Year 10 business studies teacher Estelle Claassen says each group was encouraged to create their products from recycled goods.
‘‘There are so many things out there and people just throw it away so we wanted to take something that’s already there and make something out of that. We want to encourage them to look after the environment.
‘‘I’m very proud of my groups, I think they have done well. I like the fact they have new ideas.
‘‘I want them to appreciate how much work goes into business, how much people put into this.’’
She says the top five groups from the business evening will be invited to sell their product at the Christmas Matamata Market and Craft Fair.
Each business had to conduct market research, make the product, create a break even analysis to determine costings and how many products they would need to sell to make a profit, an design graphics to create their ‘shop’.
Sarah McDonnell, one of the students from Saas Interiors, says the project has given a good insight into how to operate a small business and has also given the group an appreciation for how much work is involved.
‘‘We underestimated it. Once we started doing the work, it was definitely harder than we thought.
‘‘We are really excited to go to market, see how all the work sells and show all our effort.’’