By Alana Mitchelson
ENTREPRENEURIAL-MINDED Berwick students have won monetary prizes after submitting innovative business plans to an annual state-wide competition.
Berwick College’s duo team Eden Fedje and Travon Werapermal, and Beaconhills College’s Maddison Dellar outperformed entries from more than 250 Year 10 and 11 students from across the state to each win a share of $500 at Victoria University’s I Plan a Business (iPAB) awards night on Tuesday 16 August.
Eden and Travon’s joint submission was for a not-for-profit restaurant, Tasty Burgers, where all profits would be donated towards services assisting those in the community who are homeless or sleeping rough.
It was pitched that during the time when the shop closes – between 10pm and 8am – the venue would re-open as a soup kitchen to feed those in need.
During the day, customers would also have the option to donate to help fund the soup kitchen.
The pair also intended to post on social media and engage with customers through polls, photos and stories about local homeless people and how the organisation has helped them.
Meanwhile, Maddison Dellar’s submission proposed The Inside Story, an interior design service that would decorate properties on the market to help maximise the sale price.
Professional designers and stylists would offer painting, carpeting, the laying of floorboards or tiles as well as providing temporary furniture to improve the house’s presentation for auction.
Students also presented the business’ logo, a breakdown of start-up costs, projected ongoing expenses, the estimated staffing required and other relevant steps that would need to be considered when launching a new business.
The iPAB awards aim to showcase the innovative ideas of the future generation of young business leaders.
Other business concepts among this year’s submissions included a drive-thru chemist, a mobile wardrobe app that keeps track of outfits and shares fashion ideas, an organisation funding activities for ex-personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder, a health service for the homeless with fully equipped medical vans and a service called Nitbusters to help exterminate head lice.
Vic Uni alumnus Halinka Panzera appeared as a guest speaker at the awards evening, describing her business journey since having launched BDC Market Intelligence in 1999, which has contributed more than $1 million to local fundraising.
Entries were judged by Momentum Energy head of customer experience Natalie Davies and Vic Uni alumnus Leonie Swarbrick from the Victorian Commercial Teachers’ Association.
Maddison Dellar’s multi-media entry The Inside Story.
