Make Your Mark Blog

Plymouth is the Enterprising Britain finalist for the South-West and I joined judge James Capper to find out more about how the area has changed and the ambitious plans for its future.

Plymouth has embraced enterprise as a way to transform a city centre and unite disparate areas of the community. We met people from a number of different projects that have contributed to raising the aspirations of young people in Plymouth, supported new businesses in the area and generated a sense of pride in Plymouth residents.

We heard about the University of Plymouth’s vision to turn the university into an enterprise university with enterprise education at its core, permeating all subject areas. The university actively promotes enterprise competitions and Enterprise Week activities and encourages real-life experience of enterprise: A group of young people run the Pilgrim Cafe in the univeristy and Plymouth is in the process of setting up a Young Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the city centre colourful banners promote Plymouth Summer Festival which has spearheaded a ‘cultural renaissance’ from the Jazz & Blues Festival to Plymouth Flavour Fest, a celebration of food from the region which draws 100,000 people to the city centre. Exploiting Plymouth’s geographical position, one of the most successful events during the Festival is The Artemis Transat boat race. Re-locating the boat race to Plymouth Harbour has had a huge economic impact on the city, attracting visitors from the UK and abroad and encouraging Plymouth residents to come into the city centre to take part in the celebrations.

Plymouth has a real vision for its future and, led by a group of committed, enthusiastic business and community leaders and supporters, I have no doubt they will build on their success and continue to promote the area as a great place to live and work.

Make Your Mark in fashion is in it’s final stages and our three fabulous teams of ethical fashion entrepreneurs are working to create new stand alone ranges for their respective mentor’s business. Miawi for Junky Styling, R.A.J.E for THTC and Berrie for Enamore will launch their collections in an exclusive catwalk show at The Hopsital Club on 16th September 2008 during London Fashion Week.

To find out more about the competiton and our finalist check out www.makeyourmarkinfashion.org

Just a reminder that there’s still time to get your applications in for the Girls! Make your Mark Awards.

There are four categories of awards<a

Female Entrepreneur of the Year
Entrepreneurs with a conscience
The pioneer
handbags and gladrags

There are some great prizes to win including exclusive and unique jewellery, mentoring, cash prizes and more, so please get nominating.

The deadline for entries is July 21st.

For more details and to apply visit

What a fantastic visit to Tynedale and their enterprise network last week! An excellent example of how a deprived rural community can be transformed through enterprise. The people were so united, involved and supportive of network and the wide range of enterprise initiatives in the community.

The community brought together through a shared entrepreneurial spirit, overcoming the barriers of a population dispersed over a large geographical area and considerable deprivation (worsened still by Foot and Mouth a few years ago).

The enterprise education in schools was particularly impressive with some very dynamic head teachers working very closely together for mutual benefit and innovative ways of involving businesses in schools and exposing young people to business people and enterprising environments.

The highlight at the end of the day was a visit to a nursery that had been set up by a group of young local entrepreneurs. Jamie Murray Wells (Founder, Glassesdirect and the national judge on the visit) was asked to open the new nursery garden and new water feature for the children to play with… the group of 2yr olds playing in the garden then promptly soaked him in water from head to toe!

Are you a business person based in the North East? Would you like to help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs?

Make Your Mark Enterprise Clubs are:

A dynamic network of student-led enterprise clubs, currently over 300 nationally, 35 of which are in the North East

Open to students in schools & colleges and are completely free

A great route into schools for employers and a great way to raise your own profile in TV and get positive PR

What the Make Your Mark Enterprise Clubs need from employers:

Real enterprise challenges from you e.g. design challenges or real business problems

Opportunities to talk to you and to learn from your business experiences & expertise

Support and guidance in planning their own business ventures

For you to inspire them about what is possible for them in their future

What’s in it for you?

A chance to

Work with young agile creative minds

Help develop the necessary skills in your future workforce

Raise the profile of your business

Generate lots of positive PR

Offer your staff self development opportunities

Market test some of your products with your potential customers

and …… an opportunity for you to be inspired by our young people!

If you would like to get involved, please contact Julie:

Julie@makeyourmark.org.uk / 01642 451826

It’s official - we’ve hit 61! This is the number of countries which have signed up to Global Entrepreneurship Week. Inspired by the UK’s Enterprise Week, this will be the world’s biggest-ever week celebrating and promoting the entrepreneurial spirit amongst young people.

Watch out for events and activities happening near you! To see more, check out www.unleashingideas.org.

The full list of countries is on at http://www.unleashingideas.org/countryhost. And to get involved in the UK, sign up at www.enterpriseweek.org.uk.

Craig Dearden-Phillips, social entreprenuer, UK Social Enterprise Ambassador and author dropped in today to meet us at Make Your Mark. Craig is best known for setting up the social enterprise SpeakingUp which supports and empowers people with learning difficulties, disabilities and mental health problems to speak up for themselves.

We talked about all things social enterprise, the Make Your Mark: Change Lives campaign, Social Enterprise Day and links with Global Entreprenuership Week and how we could possibly work together. As an avid networker it also turned out that we knew some of the same social entreprenuers (or is more a case of we have narrow networks?!) including Tom Savage and Matt Stevenson-Dodd who were both interviewed in his inspirational book, Your Chance to Change the World - the no fibbing to social enterprise.

If he’s not busy enough trying to change the world Craig also writes a blog!

Happy reading and thanks for umm, reading!

Phil

We extend a warm welcome to our newest North East Make Your Mark Clubs…

Abbey Hill School & Technology College, Ashdale, Carmel RC Technology College, Conyers School, , Hartlepool Sixth Form College, Haydon Bridge High School, Hirst Park Middle School, Kings Academy School, Kings Manor School, Longfield Comprehensive School, Norton Humanities College, Pathways, Prior Pursglove, St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School, St David’s RC Technology College, St Hild’s Church of England, St Mary’s Catholic Comprehensive School, St Michael’s Roman Catholic VA Comprehensive School, St Peter’s Roman Catholic VA Comprehensive School, Thornaby Community School, English Martyrs, Bydales Comprehensive School & Unity City Academy.

These join Clubs in Berwick Community High School, Castle View School, Catcote School, Darlington Education Village, Epinay School, Ferryhill B&E College, Marden High School, Nunthorpe School, Park View Community School and Staindrop Business & Enterprise College and brings to current total in the North East to 33 and GROWING!

We look forward to hearing all about the enterprising activities these clubs are engaging in.

Interested in joining these North East schools and colleges? Please contact julie@makeyourmark.org.uk

There is still time to register to join us at a special North East event, exclusively for Enterprise Week event organisers , delivery partners and supporters of the campaign.

Date: Tuesday 1st July

Time: 12 noon - 3pm

Location: Beamish Hall Hotel, DH9 0YB

For more information, contact the Make Your Mark Team on 01642 451826

Its official…. we have a local meet up planned exclusively for North East Make Your Mark Clubs.

It takes place on September 29th , 0945am - 1230pm.

It is set to be THE networking event of the new school year. Places are limited, so please contact julie@makeyourmark.org.uk ASAP to book your places or for more information!

We have a summer time referral scheme, where teachers can win a prize!

To welcome our new Clubs and as a thank you to our existing Clubs, we are launching a competition exclusively for North East Make Your Mark Clubs!

Simply answer the following challenge:

What is YOUR school or college going to do to put it on the map during Enterprise Week 2008 and why should we launch Enterprise Week 2008 there?

Tips and tricks:

Ø Although the students in the Make Your Mark Club will be responsible for pulling all ideas together, why not get the whole school to contribute with suggestions?

Ø Get as many students involved as possible in your Enterprise Week event.

Ø Could you make use of any links you have with local businesses/ social enterprises/ community groups/ other schools?

Ø Show us which enterprise skills you could demonstrate/ develop during Enterprise Week.

Ø As a team, can you make use of your strengths and interests, and work them into your event?

Criteria for Entry:

Ø Your submission should be no more than 2 pages of A4 and can include photos, drawings and other additional materials to support your ideas.

Ø Your school or college must have registered for a Make Your Mark Club by the closing date.

Ø Please include details of where your event will take place, how many people will be in attendance and a contact name at your school or college.

Ø Highlight how your ideas support the message of Enterprise Week and which skills young people will learn during the activity.

Ø Your school must be taking part in the Make Your Mark Challenge on Monday 17^th November as this will be the feature of the launch of Enterprise Week.

Ø All students must have the relevant permission slips for photography/ PR.

Please submit your enterprising ideas to: julie@makeyourmark.org.uk

Deadline for submission: September 25th 2008

Prize:

Ø Enterprise Week 2008 for your sub region will be LAUNCHED at your school / college!

Ø £50 will be awarded to the winning Clubs to help bring their ideas to life during Enterprise Week.

Ø We will run special features on our website and in our communications on your plans for Enterprise Week and follow your Club as it turns ideas into reality.

We will have a winner from each of the four sub regions – Tees Valley, Durham, Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. Winners will be announced September 29th 2008.

Good luck!! Let’s make this year’s Enterprise Week the biggest and best yet!

Of course ALL schools and colleges are invited to get involved in Enterprise Week 2008 but this particular competition is open only to North East Make Your Mark Clubs!! If you don’t already have a club, it’s not too late to join! To set up a club or for more information, please contact julie@makeyourmark.org.uk / 01642 451826 / 07825 989005

Enterprising teenagers have glided down the catwalk, modelling prom dresses supplied by top local designer, Kate Fearnley.

The students from St Peters Catholic College in Middlesbrough incorporated high fashion with African dance in an evening of ethical glitz and glamour. Kate Fearnley, Make Your Mark Ambassador and designer to the stars, helped the students turn their ideas for an eco friendly fashion show into reality.

Last week’s event has shown that being fashion conscious and being eco friendly can go hand in hand as all materials used were ethically sourced.

St Peters Catholic College is one of the newest Make Your Mark Clubs in the North East and we look forward to hearing more from them!

This is my first guest post for the Make your Mark blog so I thought what better topic to start with than making your first sale?

There are some simple steps you can follow to secure that first customer cheque – a cheque that will look so good you’d rather hang it on the wall than put it in the bank.

1. Make a list
Make a list of the people you think will be interested in your product/service. Include friends, family, contacts, colleagues and other local businesses.

2. Make your pitch
Contact the people on your list with a personal message (no one likes group email!.) Set out the benefits of what you have to offer. Include details of the cost and your contact information but don’t expect to receive dozens of immediate calls. There’s a bit of follow-up for you to do.

3. Follow up
Call your contacts, ask if they received the information and whether they’d be interested in learning more at a meeting.

4. Show up
Arrive at the meeting on time! Be friendly and professional, ask plenty about the prospective customer and respond by showing how your service/product can help them. If they agree to a deal, bring the meeting to a speedy end as it’s now time for you to head back home and deliver on what you’ve promised.

5. Tell the world
With a first sale sealed, you’re well and truly in business so be sure to tell everyone! A sale gives you a customer, credibility and a track record. And that will bring even more customers to your door.

Emma Jones is founder of the home business website, www.enterprisenation.com and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’ published by Harriman House.

Hi, Shed here… Might I say how gorgeous you look today…

This month, I’ll prove to you that the process for turning your ideas into amazing adventures is wonderfully and devilishly simple. It goes something like this: you have an idea in your head, you take steps to make it happen - then… incredible opportunities arise:

All you have to do is START DOING SOMETHING NEW…

THE WORLD’S NEWEST CELEBRITIES - let’s see what you think…

This is a great example of how an idea can cause an adventure. Three years ago, I created a new range of sweets - and unknown to me, a packet of those sweets got sent to a guy in China called ‘Dominic’. He called me up, we became great friends and three years later - just recently - Dom flew me out to Beijing for a book launch for my new title, IDEAS MAN.

Years before I made contact with Dom, I’d been trying to release a new set of ‘trading cards’ for kids (the full exciting story is chronicled in my book). The range of characters is called ‘HELLEBRITIES‘, and here are a couple:

Even though the HELLEBRITIES trading cards never got the backing for a global launch, whilst I was in China I took the opportunity to see if I could turn some characters into 3D Figurines instead. What’s brilliant about China is that there are loads of talented people over there who can help with your idea (for a much lower price than here), and they’re even reachable through the internet (just Google ‘China Manufacturers’). Here’s what the sculptor produced:

If you’re a manufacturer or a retailer and you’d like to help make the HELLEBRITIES range the huge worldwide success it deserves to be, please get in touch through my personal site.

So that shows you how one idea (my range of sweets) can then create a huge adventure (a trip to Beijing) and also make another idea come to life (the HELLEBRITIES models). Pretty exciting!

And this is proof that…

***WHEN YOU START MAKING A NEW IDEA HAPPEN, YOU NEVER QUITE KNOW WHERE IT MAY TAKE YOU…***

All the best and here’s to your ideas!

Yours,

Shed

———————————————————————————————–

Shed’s bestselling, inspiring and amusing book IDEAS MAN is out now.

See more of his adventures and products on www.IdeasMan.co.uk

Read Shed’s inspiring story.

———————————————————————————————–