Youth in Business Challenge 2010 winning team's trip to Auckland

Accompanied by TCCI’s Program Officer, their Commerce Teacher and a chaperone, the winning team, PolyTexture from Liahona High School, spent 3 days visiting businesses and other relevant organizations from November 16^th to 18^th before being granted a day off on the 19^th. The main objective of this trip was to deepen the students' understanding of business by gaining valuable insights from successful business people and concretely witnessing the fruits of entrepreneurship and perseverance. By engaging in dialogue with business people about their experience in developing business from a concept to an operational business, the purpose was to add yet another layer of knowledge to the experience obtained during the length of the Challenge itself.

Schedule of the visits :

That the trip has been a success is undeniable. The students have shown enthusiasm during all visits, have marveled at every piece of advice received and have been overwhelmed by the kindness and dedication to help of every single person met. While many advices listed above could be found in business manuals, the fact that they have been given by successful business people using their own stories of successes or mistakes and concrete personal examples had a much more profound and lasting impact on the students.

Another invaluable aspect of the trip is that it has allowed the students to continue building up a network of people and institutions that are willing to help them develop their business. They had already begun to build this network during the competition (eg. with the Chamber of Commerce or with their business mentor) but through the trip they have taken a step forward by incorporating international firms and institutions that have the potential to assist them expand overseas. Network is a fundamental component for any business and it is hoped that they will nurture and develop these relationships in the future. Needless to say that the trip was also the occasion for TCCI’s Program Officer to create, renew or reaffirm and strengthen links and relationships with entrepreneurs and organizations that will be an immeasurable asset for TCCI in general and for the Youth in Business Challenge in particular.

Finally, while the learning may have seemed at times a bit overwhelming to the students – for example when confronted with the importance of choosing the right person to run the business in their absence and the right reporting procedures and policies to keep control – every dialogue has triggered intense reflection on their part as to the future of their business and their own future. While they would still like to pursue tertiary education in their chosen fields, they are now thinking about taking some business management courses and have opened up their options to encompass institutions like Unitec.

A quote from one of the students summarizes the impact of the Youth in Business Challenge on the team: “I turned into a business person, always thinking about how to make a profit. During the challenge, we opened our eyes to business”, as well as statements by some of the persons visited: “you already have a business attitude and mentality” or “you are at the level to compete in New Zealand”. To conclude, the whole experience and the feedback received from the students as well as from the professionals visited show that the Youth in Business Challenge is a great tool for revealing and bringing forth talented youth, nurturing an entrepreneurship spirit in the future generations, and that it has a great potential to develop in the future thanks to the support of entrepreneurs and organisations within Tonga and abroad.

In the following pages are given, for each business/ institution visited, some pictures, some details about the organisation, a short description of the visit, and, most importantly, the main points of discussion/ learning.