Laois packed with the spirit of young entrepreneurs

3/29/2007 - By: Joe Barrett

THE entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Laois, judging by the quality of entries in the county finals of the Student Enterprise Awards which was sponsored by Laois County Enterprise Board (LCEB) last Wednesday.

The annual competition is attracting many young people to research potential business opportunities, set up min companies and see them through to fruition. St Mary's CBS Transition Year class in Portlaoise is one such example where the students saw an opportunity in the market and set up their own company Glad Rags 2 Fab Rags.

Last October the students, after carrying out research among companies in Portlaoise, identified they could supply cleaning cloths to local companies.

Student Brian Dooley said they gathered up clothing from local charity shops that were not selling and bagged them. Where other companies were charging •15 for a bag of rags, the students decided to undercut them and sell their bags at •10 each. They reckon it costs them •1 per bag leaving them with a healthy profit of •9 per bag. They estimate they have made a profit of •500 to date from their business.

With a regular customer base, the 10 students involved in the company now intend continuing their business throughout the summer months.

The ten students involved in the company are Alan Whelan, Evan Reddin, William May, Darragh Smith, Shane Carroll, Brian Ging, Brian Dooley, Gary Smith, Jack Moran and Cathal Dunphy.

The school's TY co-ordinator Pauline McCormack assisted the students setting up the company.Over in Heywood Community School students Alison McEvoy,

Kate Rankin and Laura Kilbane decided to amalgamate their individual businesses into one company called the Ladybird Club.

The new company saw them produce magnetic butterflies, ornaments and cards. They were assisted in setting up their company by TY co-ordinator Olivia O'Connor.

Since October of last year, the trio estimates they have turned a profit of between •300 and •400 in their venture. They have established outlets for their products in Smaointe and Egan's Off-Licence in Portlaoise and the Flower Store in Abbeyleix. The profits are divided up equally among the young women.

Two other students from Heywood Community School, Adam Brennan and Shane Swayne, came up with the idea to condense the many tomes of geography into 22 easy-to- read and user-friendly study sheets for their company @Revision Sheets. They sell their booklets for •4 each and it is proving very popular with second and third year students in the school who are studying for their Junior Certificate. So successful indeed is their business venture they are now considering condensing the history subject into a similar booklet.

"Young people are delighted with it. The geography book is way too long. We also took questions from exam papers and put them into our sheets," said Alan.

Both students are using the proceeds from their sales to save to go to college.

Seventeen students from Clonaslee Vocational School set up their company Magpies Limited with the assistance of their TY co-ordinator Martina Lyndon.

They sourced cut-off materials from Finline Furniture's and decided to make cushions filled with shredded recycled paper. Louise Cusack and Sarah Egan said the idea was to try to use as much recyclable materials as possible in producing their product. Each of the students came up with their own designs. A local seamstress was brought in to help them.

The students were delighted to inform that every cushion they have made to date has been sold and to date their company is showing a healthy profit of •170.

Students Michael Holohan, Terry Smeaton, Paddy McCormack and Paddy Meehan from St Fergal's College in Rathdowney designed a unique board game targeted at young drivers and people taking their driver theory test.

They said they got the idea for their company after listening to a Drive for Life Course in the school.

Players of the game have to answer questions from the theory test on the Rules of the Road. They can pick up penalty points for wrong answers, be detected drink driving and if they get 12 points have to take driving lessons and start the game all over again. The students were assisted by their teachers Pat Rowe and Sharon Moylan in setting up their company.

Michael Holohan said: “The game will prove to be a good learning aid for learner drivers.

“The students have 20 games pre-booked and if they prove successful, they have intentions to patent their game and roll it out to other schools around the country.”

It wasn’t just transition students that entered this year's competition. Second year students Meg Cadogan, Niamh Brennan, Emer Farrell and Kathlyn O'Sullivan from the Patrician College in Ballyfin entered their company Calendar Girls Ltd. Their project entailed them making up calendars depicting school scenes, with scenery and pupils featuring on it. They showed a good return on their investment and retorted a profit of •290 in the company to date.

Four other second year students from the college, Shane Tynan, Shane Ramsbottom, Keith Byrne and Geoffrey Owen were assisted by their teachers Ms O'Donoghue and Ms Ryan to set up their smoothy company called Fruitimix Ltd. They're reporting good sales in the school canteen of their health drink at 50c and 80c per cup and say they are selling 20 cups a day.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Student Enterprise Coordinator with LCEB Sadie Wheatley said she was delighted with the calibre of the student's entries into this year's competition.

Chairperson LCEB Pat Culleton thanked all the students and teachers who had entered this year's competition. He also thanked the judging panel Kevin Lannigan, Hugh Reilly and Gillian Shaw for their assistance.

He said: "Over the past number of years there have been huge changes in employment in the county. Most students have gone onto third level education and sometimes decide to start up their own businesses. Laois County Enterprise Board fosters and encourages you and will help you in every way possible.

"On behalf of the judges, Kevin Lannigan said they were very impressed with this year's standard or entry.

Chief Executive Officer with LCEB Maria Callinan announced this years winners.

First in the Intermediate section and the school that will go forward to the National finals was the Calendar Girls company. Each of the students received iPod nanos.

First in the Best Display category was the Ladybirds Club. They were presented with a cheque.

The winner of the Most Inventive category was the Foot on the Board company. They received a cheque for their efforts.

In the senior competition the Glad Rags 2 Fab Rags company came in first place and will also represent Laois at the national finals of the competition. Each of the students were presented with iPod nanos. 2nd in this category were J&S Racks from Heywood Community School with their Wellington boot racks. Both of the students in this company John Kerr and Simon McDonald received iPod nanos. Third in the category was the Magpie company and each of the students received iPod shuffles.