And the 2023 Young Enterprise winner is…
Sure is proud to announce the Young Enterprise Guernsey winning team for 2023 as Forget Me Not Cards.
We are proud to have supported our island’s young aspiring entrepreneurs through Young Enterprise for the last 41 years, since it began in 1982, providing local students between the ages of 15 to 19 the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills and learn how to run a business.
The students work in teams to set up their own company and make real-life business decisions, from electing board members, raising share capital, creating a marketing plan and even creating their product or service.
Four companies make it to the final round this year, setting up their stands to be judged, followed by a presentation and award ceremony. The winner of the 2023 Young Enterprise was
Forget-me-not Cards developed and made a range of sustainable greeting cards, each with a ‘seed patch’ made from recycled paper embedded with flower seeds, some of which were native Guernsey wildflowers. They used local suppliers to print the cards, made the seed patches themselves, and sold an impressive 325 cards through a retailer and at events. The range also expanded to Mother’s Day cards after customer feedback. As sustainability and biodiversity is important to the team, they made sure the seeds could germinate, so if all of the 45 seeds on each card are planted, around 14,625 wildflowers will be planted in Guernsey gardens. From £100 start-up capital, they generated sales of more than £850, retaining a small profit.
Mike Fawkner-Corbett, Head of Consumer at Sure and Young Enterprise judge, said: “We were impressed by the level of talent and professionalism displayed by the four Young Enterprise companies this year. Congratulations to the overall winner - Forget Me Not Cards - whose business demonstrated an impressive blend of innovative product design, customer research, sustainability, and local focus. Together they took this and generated strong sales of native wildflower seed-patch greetings cards, and happy customers across the island.
“Sure has been an integral part of the Young Enterprise programme for four decades, so we’ve seen first-hand how it equips our island’s young people with essential skills for their futures. The programme demonstrates the appetite for business in young people, and we’re excited to be able to help them on this journey, helping them understand the fundamentals of business and connect with new friends and colleagues.”