Enterprise and Business Committee – Inquiry into Youth Entrepreneurship  

 

Video contributions

The Outreach Team has produced a video package that includes contributions from students, young people going through the process of starting up business, young business owners, teachers and coaches across Wales. 

 

During the course of each interview, the Outreach Officer asked a series of questions which were produced by the Clerk and Researcher. The questions asked are listed in Annex A.

 

Alice Lediard and Dale Johnson, Managing Directors of TiaFi Design, Abercynon

 

Background: TiaFi Design are a branding agency which gives companies a visual identity and transfers it to varying platforms (online and merchandise).

 

 

 

Carwyn Williams, Owner of  Café Espresso, Neath

 

Background: Carwyn set up his business as soon as he’d completed his Business Management Degree at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. For the first two years, he ran a mobile unit in the Swansea area, before moving to fixed premises in the April of this year. 

 

 

 

Francesca James, Social Media Branding Consultant and Managing Director of Fresh Content Creation, Cardiff

 

Background: Fresh Content Creation aims to help companies and brands engage with prospective customers and partners through content creation and social media.

 

 

 

Neil Cocker, Managing Director of an e-commerce and merchandising platform, “Dizzyjam”, Cardiff

 

Background: Neil is heavily involved in the Cardiff Start Project, which is a group of entrepreneurs, start-ups, founders, creatives, students and investors sharing knowledge, advice and support to new entrepreneurs.

 

Dan Fitzgerald, co-founder of “RecRoc”, Risca Background: Dan was initially involved in taking donations for musical instruments to be used in Community Projects. With the Support of Welsh ICE, he (along with his business partner) is now able to hold events, teach music privately and is in the process of sourcing funding to purchase iPads to teach music to pupils in Special Needs Education.

 

 

 

Jack Cooper, co-founder of “RecRoc”, Risca Background: Jack was initially involved in taking donations for musical instruments to be used in Community Projects. With the Support of Welsh ICE, he (along with his business partner) is now able to hold events, teach music privately and is in the process of sourcing funding to purchase iPads to teach music to pupils in Special Needs Education.

 

Gareth Jones, Captain and Director of Innovation – Welsh ICE, Caerphilly Background: Originally from Llangollen, Gareth founded Welsh ICE as a centre of support for business start-ups in Wales. Welsh ICE creates a community for new start-up businesses and helps them source the relevant contacts for building that business up.

 

Huw Williams, Marketing Assistant at Welsh ICE and founder of a Comic Book “Age Revolution”, Caerphilly Background: Huw was awarded a position with Welsh ICE through Jobs Growth Wales. From this, he has been able to establish his own Comic Book Company “”Cosmic Anvil” which has led to the creation of his first comic book series, “Age Revolution”.

 

 

 

 

Kylie Hearne, Prince’s Trust Ambassador 2012 and founder of “Stardust Boutique”, Sketty – Swansea Background: Having begun her business selling her personal possessions on Internet Auction Sites, with the support of the Princes Trust Kylie opened a boutique in 2012 in fixed premises, whilst also representing the Trust as a Young Entrepreneurial Ambassador.

 

Sian Jones, Enterprise Officer for Flintshire, Flint Background: As an Enterprise Officer, Sian supports business campaigns that run in both Flintshire and Denbighshire which provide grants of up to £2000 to young entrepreneurs in the area.

 

Gwion Jones, Agrivention, Dinas Mawddwy Background: Gwion undertakes agricultural projects as part of his business, which aims to help resolve agricultural issues affecting farmers on a daily basis.

 

 

 

“Target”, St Joseph’s High School, Wrexham 

 

Background: Interviewed at the Young Enterprise Wales ,North Wales Regional Final in Rhyl, selling small

stationery boxes at schools.

 

 

Prestatyn High School, Head of Sixth Form and Head of Business Studies

 

Background: Both are teachers at Prestatyn High School, who have been producing teams for the Young Enterprise Wales competition for over 8 years.

 

 

 

David and Jordan, Coleg Llandrillo Menai, Rhyl Background: Interviewed at the Young Enterprise Wales, North Wales Regional Final in Rhyl, selling small portable and airplane friendly toiletry sets.

 

Eirias High School Team, Colwyn Bay Background: Interviewed at the Young Enterprise Wales, North Wales Regional Final in Rhyl, selling the opportunity of printing name bubbles on t-shirts and objects.

 

Prestatyn High School Team, Prestatyn Background: Interviewed at the Young Enterprise Wales, North Wales Regional Final in Rhyl selling reusable “Star Jars” which contain dry ingredients in order to bake cookies at home.

 

Jonathan Fry, Managing Director “Event Rater”, Llandaff Background: Jonathan launched Event Rater in April 2012, a service which allows venue managers and event organisers to set their own rating criteria in order to gain rating and feedback/comments from event-goers. Event Rater has gone on to be recognised as a top four business idea, as shortlisted by “Gorsedd y Ddreigiau 2012”.

 

Rob Lo Bue, Founder of Applingua , Cardiff City Centre Background: After returning from working in Germany, Rob set up Applingua at the age of 24. Applingua is a company that translates apps from around the world.

 

Kieran Owens, Business owner of “Junk Trunk” and “Etley Cleaning”, Glyndwr University – Wrexham Background: Kieran set up Junk Trunk when he was 17 years old. The business traded across Japan and America, and after 1 year, Kieran had 12 staff and a £460,000 turnover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex A

 

Questions we asked young people

 

About you

1. Can you tell us about yourself and what you are doing as a young entrepreneur? (nature of your business etc)

2. What has been your experience of being a young entrepreneur in Wales?  How difficult is it to start a business?

 

Support available

3. Do you think that there is enough help for young people like yourselves to start a business?

4. How have you been helped or encouraged to be an entrepreneur and start your own business?

5. Were you told or given information about any support from the Welsh Government for young entrepreneurs?  Do you know about the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and if so, where did you learn about it?

6. Was your choice of business influenced in any way by the support that is available for particular sectors?

 

Regional and other variations

7. Do you think that young people’s chances of success in becoming an entrepreneur depend to any extent on their background and what part of Wales they live in?

8. Where in Wales are you based and what support have you had within your own area?

 

Role of HE and FE sector

9. In your experience, how much support do you think there is for youth entrepreneurship in colleges and universities?  Have you been given any specific help?

 

Sharing experiences with others

10. Do you come into contact with other young people who are starting a business and doing similar things?  Do you get the opportunity to share experiences with them and learn from each other?

11. What do your friends and family think about you being a young entrepreneur? Do you feel different to your peers because of what you are doing?

 

Any other comments

12. Is there anything else at all that you wish to say about youth entrepreneurship in Wales and about your experiences?  This is your chance to speak directly to the people who make and influence policy in Wales!

 

Questions we asked people involved in delivery: staff, lecturers etc.

 

About you

1. Can you tell us about your work and experiences in supporting young entrepreneurs in Wales?

Role of HE and FE sector

2. How well do you think entrepreneurship is embedded within colleges and universities in Wales?

 

Support available

3. Do you think enough resources and funding are targeted at promoting youth entrepreneurship in Wales?

4. What do you think are the main challenges or barriers facing young people who wish to start a business?

 

Welsh Government policy

5. How much of an impact do you think the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and Action Plan is having?  Has there been much support from the Welsh Government for initiatives that you are involved in?

6. How can the Welsh Government further improve its support and approach to promoting youth entrepreneurship?

 

Regional and other variations

7. Do you believe that there are significant variations in the amount of support available for entrepreneurs across different regions in Wales?

8. Do you think that personal background and socio-economic, equality and diversity issues influence whether young people will be successful as entrepreneurs?

 

Learning from others

9. How do you think individual projects and institutions can best learn from successful examples elsewhere in Wales, the UK or beyond?

 

Any other comments

10. Is there anything else at all that you wish to say about youth entrepreneurship in Wales and about your work and experiences?