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Just one year on from setting up his Student Enterprise, 17 year old Aaron Leonard has sure come a long way in just one year. Read his story from student to entrepreneur below …

OCEANERA

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING

Hi, my name is Aaron Leonard. I’m a 17-year-old student from Wexford. I began my entrepreneurial journey with the Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) last year. As a result of taking part, I have built a very successful sustainable business!

Back last November I launched my eco-friendly business called GoECO. It all started with dropshipping compostable phone cases under the name GoECO which was on the Late Late Show briefly last year. Dropshipping is when a customer places an order on your website and another company packages and ships the product directly to the customer and all you ever see is the profit! In hindsight this process seemed great, but quickly problems began to arise. Customers were complaining of delayed shipping times of 3-4 weeks. Quality problems with the design prints on the back of the cases which I had to replace out of my profits! This lead to another problem we were only making 20% on a 30EUR product, with these problems I knew I needed a drastic change or the business would fizzle out! Then in January, with profits that we built up I began to stock phone cases in my bedroom.

We were in the height of lockdown and I, unfortunately, got Covid!!! I remember creating the website in bed at 3 am in quarantine. I started then making TikTok videos, with many going viral, and the orders began to flow in. I quickly ran out of space in my bedroom and took over the whole house at the same time expanding our product range into bamboo fibre lunch boxes and travel cups.

In March 2021 I decided to get into Organic clothing that is fair trade as we don’t agree with the exploitation of workers. All our clothing is made on a wind farm. From there I decided to change the business name to OCEANERA which means “The time of the Ocean” which we are living in now with all the plastic pollution and the climate crisis. At Oceanera we are devoted to reducing the plastic waste that ends up in our oceans. That’s why we now have a range of organic clothing, plastic-free products and all our packaging, is plastic free and compostable. In June we moved into our 1st office which in my spare time I renovated myself with the help of my Dad, I would work all day on the business and at night paint walls and sweep the floors!!!

Now back at school, it’s my first time ever running the business as well as trying to manage 5th year. It isn’t easy, having a schedule and sticking to it really makes the difference! On October 1st we launched our new clothing collection with many custom club deals happening. In the past few months, the business/brand really took off with over 16,500 followers on TikTok.

My message to upcoming SEP participants.:

From day one it’s important to build the business around something you are truly passionate about, because that is what will get you through the tough days, when sales are slow or when everything seems to go wrong. I personally never liked the term ‘mini’ business it already puts an expectation as if it’s not going to be anything big. I always, from day one, thought about my business as a long term project that will hopefully turn into my future career! One thing about my generation is we are not afraid to say what’s wrong with the way things are done and you have all the ability in the world to create something truly remarkable!

More info on this exciting new Irish company is available at oceanera.ie

16-YEAR OLD ENTREPRENEUR ‘COPPER-FASTENS’ TOP STUDENT AWARD
IRELAND’S FINEST YOUNG STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS CELEBRATED AT NATIONAL FINALS IN VIRTUAL CEREMONY AT CROKE PARK

A Monaghan student who developed Coppercase, an antimicrobial copper case to store face masks, has taken the top prize at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals. Matthew McVicar, a 16-year-old student from St. Macartan’s College, supported by Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Monaghan, noticed the excessive amount of face masks being disposed of in his community and created a copper case to solve the problem. His product is now being sold in pharmacies in Ireland and the UK.

“Just three minutes in a CopperCase and your mask is free from Covid-19 and other viruses and bacteria,” Matthew McVicar of Coppercase explains. “Hundreds of studies have proven the antimicrobial effects of copper and Coppercase is one of only seven companies in Europe who have this authorisation to place copper on the market as a biocide,” the Student Enterprise Programme Senior National Winner went on to say.

The runners-up in the senior category were Amy’s Y2K Vintage Shop, from Lough Allen College, Drumkeeran, supported by LEO Leitrim. The young entrepreneur set up an online store sourcing and selling vintage clothes. Meanwhile, SZE Stories from St. Louis Secondary School, Dundalk, supported by LEO Louth, came third with their book aimed at addressing student issues such as bullying.

The Student Enterprise Programme National Finals were held virtually and broadcast live from Croke Park to hundreds of finalists, students and teachers across the country. The Local Enterprise Office initiative, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, began in September with close to 30,000 students taking part.

The event was hosted by RTE’s Rick O’Shea and he was joined during the ceremony by An Tanaiste, Leo Varadkar and Student Enterprise Programme Ambassador, Derval O’Rourke, a three-time Olympian and entrepreneur with her health, fitness and wellbeing platform Derval.ie.

In the Intermediate Category, the first prize was taken by T-Snappi from Summerhill College supported by LEO Sligo. Their apron with snap on tea towel aims to address all sorts of kitchen mishaps. In second place were Tried and Tested from Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon supported by LEO Clare with a local celebrity cookbook. Timpeall an Ti from Castleisland Community College, supported by LEO Kerry, came third in the Intermediate Category with an educational board game for learning Irish.

In the Junior Category, the top award went to Go Green Now from Salerno Secondary School, supported by LEO Galway. They created a ‘go green now’ pack which included a tree kit with Coillte-sourced high quality acorns. Second place went to Two Peas in a Pod from St. Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, supported by LEO Wexford who created a card matching game to promote tourism. And finally, third place in the Junior Category went to Wreaths By Occasion from Moate Community School, supported by LEO Westmeath who use willow sticks from a local bog in their wreaths.

There were 72 student enterprises competing in what is Ireland’s largest entrepreneurship programme for second level students. The initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw 29,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools across the country take part.

An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, who took part in the ceremony, congratulated the students today; “Congratulations to not only the finalists being recognised here today, but to everyone who took part in the competition. To be a finalist in the Student Enterprise Programme is a fantastic achievement in normal times and its incredible given everything that’s happened this past year. Everyone who took part should be very proud of all that they have achieved. Special mention to their teachers, parents and all those who helped them along the way. The ability to create an idea, turn it into a business and to run that business is a skill that will be invaluable later in life. Ireland has a proud history of entrepreneurship and no doubt those here today will all go on to achieve great things. Government will back you every step of the way.”

Michael Nevin, chair of the Local Enterprise Office’s Enterprise Education Committee, said; “Year on year the Student Enterprise Programme continues to produce the very best of ingenuity and entrepreneurship amongst our secondary school students. It’s no surprise to see the challenges thrown up by the pandemic featuring in many of the businesses and the ongoing willingness for students to create businesses that not only sell services or products, but that help address ongoing issues in society. We see every year that the National Finals are not an end point for our student entrepreneurs, but a stepping stone on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey. From our class of 20/21 we will see some business leaders and global entrepreneurs of the future emerge.”

The National Final students, who competed across three categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior, saw judging take place virtually via electronic submissions. Each student enterprise was challenged with creating, setting up and running their own business, which must show sales of their service or product. The judging panel included business owners and representatives from enterprise agencies and associated bodies.

This year’s Programme also saw the inclusion of two optional competitions across the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. The first, “My Entrepreneurial Journey”, was run in the Junior and Intermediate cycle and open to any students involved in wider competition. It required them to map out the life of a successful entrepreneur and how that could be achieved. This year’s winners were Pro Games, Spectro Robotics, Our Lady’s Secondary School, Monaghan in the Junior Section and Mark’s Productions, Colaiste Eaman Ris, Kilkenny in the Intermediate section.

In the Senior category, there was a Covid-19 themed “Creative Business Idea” competition, which was open to all senior students taking part in the wider programme. In this competition, students could push their most innovative business ideas via a video pitch, without having to produce a product or service. The winners of this category were The Pocket Mask Cleaner, Colaiste Bhaile Chlair, Galway.

Last year, the 2019/2020 Student Enterprise Programme National Final winners in the Senior category were Handy Hose Holders from CBS Thurles in Tipperary for their practical milking parlour hose solution that has since been picked listed by Glanbia. The Intermediate category was won by Aim It Board from Loreto College in Dublin City, while Sofatop from Ballybay Community College in Monaghan took the Junior category award.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 250,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. Full details of all this year’s 72 national finalists are available on the Student Enterprise Programme website at www.StudentEnterprise.ie

ENDS

For further information:
Suzanne Meade – Fuzion Communications – 086 413 3031 / suzanne@fuzion.ie
Ciara Jordan – Fuzion Communications – 086 868 4555 / ciara@fuzion.ie
Declan Lee – Enterprise Ireland – 087 695 7451 / Declan.Lee@enterprise-ireland.com
Sarah Bohan – Enterprise Ireland – 087 653 9936 / Sarah.Bohan@Enterprise-Ireland.com

FULL LIST OF 2021 WINNERS:

Junior Category 

1^st:       Go Green Now, Salerno Secondary School, Galway

2^nd:       Two Peas In A Pod, St. Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, Wexford

3^rd:       Wreaths By Occasion, Moate Community School, Westmeath

Best Commercial Potential: The Natural Bubble, Royal School, Cavan

Best COVID 19 Adaptability: Parcel Trust, Colaiste Eamon Ris, Callan, Kilkenny

Special Merit: Safety Studs, Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Kerry

Extra Special Merit for Excellence in Marketing:  

2 Peas In A Pod, St. Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, Wexford

Intermediate Category 

1^st:       T-Snappi, Summerhill College, Sligo  

2^nd:       Tried & Tested, Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon, Clare

3^rd:       Timpeall an Ti, Castleisland Community College, Kerry

Best Commercial Potential: Handy Hooks, Ballymahon Vocational School, Longford

Best COVID 19 Adaptability: Covid Monster Comic, Lough Allen College, Drumkeeran, Leitrim

Special Merit (for Global Sustainability):    Bee Happy, Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Dublin  

Senior Category 

1^st:       Coppercase, St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan

2^nd:       Amy’s Y2K Vintage Shop, Lough Allen College, Drumkeeran, Leitrim

3^rd:       SZE Stories, St. Louis Secondary School, Dundalk

Best Commercial Potential: Irish Sea Mist, Bridgetown College, Wexford   

Best COVID 19 Adaptability: Easy Ex, St. Ciaran’s Community School, Kells

Special Merit: Zero Fog, Desmond College Newcastlewest, Limerick  

Special Merit: Cartai Feasa, Pobal Scoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Kerry

Social Media Awards 

Most Effective Social Media Campaign:      Oglo, St. Mary’s CBS, Portlaoise

Most Creative Use of Social Media: Wired Jewellery, Ratoath College, Meath

Most Interactive Business on Social Media:           Hook r’Strike, Colaiste na Toirbite, Bandon, Cork

The Natasha Lynch Commemorative Award for Excellence in Social Media:      Hology Photography, St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr, Offaly

Intellectual Property Awards 

Junior Category:        Reflecto Tags, Mount St. Michael Secondary Schook, Claremorris, Mayo

Intermediate: Timpeall an Ti, Castleisland Community College, Kerry

Senior Category:        Bootfresh, Ballinrobe Community School, Mayo

Special Merit Award:            Irish Sea Mist, Bridgetown College, Wexford

‘My Entrepreneurial Journey’ Award 2021

JUNIOR CATEGORY:

1^st:       Pro Games, Spectro Robotics, Our Lady’s Secondary School, Monaghan  

2^nd:       Magtran, Lough Allen College, Drumkeeran, Leitrim

3^rd:       Hydromobile X, Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Claremorris, Mayo

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY:

1^st:       Mark’s Productions, Colaiste Eaman Ris, Kilkenny  

2^nd:       Snap & Translate, Colaiste Mhuire, Ballymoate, Sligo 

3^rd:       Multi-Card, St. Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, Meath

COVID-19 Creative Business Idea Video Award

 Special Merit (for Presentation & Pitching):          Counting After Covid, Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny   

Overall Winner:         The Pocket Mask Cleaner, Colaiste Bhaile Chlair, Galway  

Not Long To Go Now!!!

With just over 2 weeks to go to the highlight of the Student Enterprise Programme calendar, all roads lead to Croke Park once again – albeit virtually!!!

The 19th Annual SEP Final takes place on Friday 14th May at 2.30pm.

Full details available in our April 2021 newsletter here

How I took the reins and grew a successful business at just 15 years old!

My name is Anthony O’Gorman and I am a proud Student Enterprise Programme alumni!

I’d like to share with you my own business journey and what I’ve learned on my journey to being a teen entrepreneur.

My enterprise journey started in 2019 when I had a unique Christmas business idea – to hand-craft wooden reindeers.

I started by selling to my family and friends initially. Then I brought a sample into my school (Tullamore College) and I guess it just took off from there! I worked on the reindeers in my father’s workshop using his tools. Every evening I came home with 10 or 12 orders and ended up selling over 200 reindeers that first Christmas!.

My business teacher Ms. Griffin suggested that I enter the Student Enterprise Awards. I was delighted that I took her advice and I won the Offaly intermediate title and then went on to represent my county at the national final.

The competition was very strong at the National Final and even though I did not win, getting there was the greatest achievement of my life so far. I received a trophy and €350 which I reinvested into expanding my business.

Top 3 Lessons I Learned:

From taking part in the Student Enterprise Programme, I learned a lot about business and about how I could improve my business model. I was able to identify the key changes I needed to make going forward such as:

• I was charging too little per product
• I needed to hire people to help me, as I had too many orders to manage in a short space of time
• I needed to start planning earlier

These three lessons would prove to be invaluable to me in 2020.

2020: Turning Covid-19 into an opportunity

Covid 19 took hold in March 2020 and I ended up with a lot of spare time, as the Junior Certificate was now cancelled. It was the perfect opportunity to grow my business. I realised that families were at home spending more time in their gardens and I decided to tap into this a bit more by creating handmade wooden garden accessories such as trains, wheelbarrows and planters.

2020 was a game changer for my business in so many ways:

-I developed a sales platform from my Facebook page Anthony’s Wooden Crafts

-I identified easier, less labour intensive ways to work . I invested in new tools and equipment – (no more hand sawing)

-I started planning much earlier in the year (September, as opposed to November the previous year)

I set myself a target of 1,000 reindeers and I began producing in October. When I went back to school after the Summer I worked in the evenings and weekends to build up stock. A local photographer took some photos for my Facebook page. My mother had come across the Shop in Ireland Facebook page and uploaded the famous picture. Little did I know where this would lead.

From there, RTE’s Philip Bromwell contacted me. My business was featured on the Six O’Clock News and the Late Late Toy Show – this is what dreams are made of! It was a crazy few weeks between radio interviews and my photo being across all social media sites and local newspapers.

It’s All About Your Support Network

My family was so supportive. Without their encouragement, it probably would never have grown. My dad was always there to pick up my materials, do deliveries and give advice. My mam is very handy with a paint brush and sowing flowers!

As I became overwhelmed with orders, family members came to help; as well as the mammies of my hurling team. My school teachers and school tutor were there at all times for support too. For that I am so grateful.

I ended up producing double my target. It was hard work and very challenging at times, but the positives far outweigh that.  One final special moment in this journey was donating 100 teddies to Temple Street Hospital; one for every child in hospital at Christmas. I wanted to give a little back and it made me realise how lucky I was to get this opportunity.

What’s next for Anthony’s Wooden Crafts?

I have my website almost completed now. So it will be more professional and easier for people to order my wooden crafts.  School is also important and although right now I am doing my best with home schooling, I would prefer to be in the classroom.

The experience of being an entrepreneur at such as young age has really improved my financial and communication skills. The biggest lesson I learned overall though is that if you really put your mind to it  anything is possible, and you will succeed and don’t be afraid to ask for help!