Our Year 9 entrepreneurs are excited to participate in The Tycoon Enterprise Competition again this year! Tycoon is a national entrepreneurship competition for students aged 6-18, where teams receive a loan to start and trade their businesses after submitting a successful business plan. Teams compete against others on a kickstarter-style platform in a controlled environment.

Each business plan includes an executive summary, costs, market research, competitor analysis, financial forecast, and marketing plan. Finalists will be announced at the end of the summer term and invited to an awards ceremony hosted by Peter Jones CBE, founder of Tycoon Enterprise and regular on Dragons’ Den. The ceremony has previously been held at prestigious venues like Buckingham Palace, Tobacco Dock, and Windsor Castle. The overall winner will receive £1000 to invest in their business or school.
The six Year 9 teams have ten weeks to trade, including participation in the Enterprise Fair in two weeks’ time.

Meet some of the teams below!

Trinket

Sophia A, Sofia B, Nishka, Romilly B, Cara

“We entered our business, Trinket, into the Peter Jones Tycoon Enterprise Competition to learn more about how to grow a small business. This competition gave us an opportunity to develop real-world business skills, ranging from managing finances to marketing and creating our products. So far, we have found this experience to be incredibly rewarding. We’ve learned how to manage our time effectively, adapt to challenges, and think strategically about how to market and sell our crochet animals and lip balm keychains. Our products are all handmade, making them unique gifts or products. Both our crochet animals and our lip balm keychains combine convenience and style. This competition has pushed us to be more creative in how we present and promote these products. One thing I found particularly interesting was looking into different marketing strategies. This aspect of the competition was exciting as it encouraged our team to brainstorm innovative ways to engage different demographics.”

Website: Trinket

Instagram account:  Tycoon_trinket_11

TikTok: trinket002

Essence

Zara, Chloe, Lottie and Shree

“Hey! We are ESSENCE, a small business competing in the Peter Jones Tycoon Enterprise Challenge. We sell fun, flavoured body scrubs and candles with relaxing scents. All our products are hand made by us, and they are filled with lots of love. Our team consists of Lottie, our business manager, Chloe, our marketing lead, Zara, our sales manager and Shree, our head of finance.”

Website: Essence Website Link!

Instagram account: essence_123456

Whatsapp channel: essence

Blissbox

Charlotte W

“At BlissBox, we believe that self-care is essential for a balanced life. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our offerings in the Tycoon Enterprise Competition! Our carefully curated bundles of high-quality, refreshing self-care products are designed to pamper you and your loved ones—all at unbeatable prices.

Indulge in self-care like never before! Whether you’re treating yourself or surprising a friend, our products promise to elevate your wellness routine and help you feel nourished and rejuvenated. Plus, for every medium or large bundle you order, you’ll receive FREE STICKERS to add a little extra joy to your day!

Don’t wait, experience the bliss of self-care with BlissBox. Order now and let us take care of the rest, ensuring your products arrive promptly and ready to enhance your self-care journey. Because you deserve the best!”

Mooch

“We are Rosie H and Daphne C and we are in year 9. Our main product is clay trinket dishes. These are handmade clay trinket dishes tailored to what is most popular amongst our target market. They are unique and are all different from each other despite the fact that they might have the same design. They are the perfect addition to your desk and will help organise your jewelry or whatever it is that you need to store. Plus they are great value!”

Instagram account:  mooch.1402

10X Challenge for Year 8

Year 8 are also getting in on the entrepreneurial scene with their own 10X Challenge which Miss Watkins has just launched with the year group. The 10X Challenge, is an entrepreneurial national competition organised by Young Enterprise, the UK’s leading charity for enterprise and financial education for young people aged 11-19. Each team receives £20 in start-up capital from the 10X Bank to launch their business, giving them four weeks to set up and experience entrepreneurship firsthand.

At the end of the Challenge, students must repay the start-up pledge, plus a £2 legacy contribution. Any profits earned can be kept, and it’s up to the teams and individuals to decide how to spend them.

There are 20+ teams this year with over 50 students taking part, with a wide range of business names including Golden Hour, Bag of Wonders, Blossom, Armazee and Bows’n’Cherries! They will also be selling their products at the Enterprise Fair.

Good luck to everyone taking part – we can’t wait to see your stalls at the fair!