Far North students’ Young Enterprise success

Media Release
Kerikeri - Monday 18, October 2010

Far North students’ Young Enterprise Awards success

An enterprising young Springbank School student, Jade Larkin’s YES Company, Le Mieux Enterprises has won the 2010 Top Energy YES Company of the Year Award.

The Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) Northland is part of a broader Enterprise for Education (E4E) Programme which the Top Energy Group has sponsored for many years in Far North and 2010 marks the second successive year the local power generation and line network company has sponsored the programme Northland –wide, in partnership with The Lion Foundation.

YES Northland is a year-long experiential business education programme, where year 11 through 13 students form start-up companies, become directors and follow their own business plans to develop products/services which they market and sell. The students, as YES Company directors, create real products and services, earn real money, hopefully make profits and pay real tax. It's not just another academic course, but a relevant and exciting experience which introduces students to the real business world.

Jade is the sole director of Le Mieux Enterprises, which sells Minx Nail Armour beauty treatment. The product is made from sheets of coloured flexible film with an adhesive backing, which, when heat activated, can produce colourful nail designs that last for one to two weeks. It’s applied using a heat lamp or blow dryer and light finger pressure from a manicurist or Le Mieux Enterprises customers, themselves. According to Jade, the fact that there’s no risk of spills or smudges, nail drying time is not required and the design options are virtually limitless, the product offers major advantages over alternative nail acrylic or varnish finishes. The product is imported from California, USA and Le Mieux Enterprises distributes it to beauty salons, holds Minx Parties to introduce and demonstrate the product to new customers and makes direct sales.

As well as the Top Energy YES Company of the Year Award, Jade’s company took out the NorthTec Award for Excellence in Business Management.

Said Top Energy, CEO, Russell Shaw, “We’re delighted to continue our major sponsor support for the YES Northland programme because we believe this hands-on education programme offers our young people a powerful learning experience. It’s an exciting experiential programme which has given them real life insights into how business and commerce actually work. Not only have they demonstrated innovation and flair with their business ventures, they’ve coped well with the everyday challenges running a business presents. I’m impressed with the determination and commitment many have shown in driving their business plans forward this year”.

Other Northland Young Enterprise Awards category winners were:
X-rated Foods, Dargaville High School - Northern Advocate Award for Excellence in Communications GMP, Taipa Area School - Northpower Award for Excellence in Technology
Wheat Feet Creations, Whangarei Girls’ High School - Archibald Mitsubishi Award for Excellence in Sales & Marketing
Snazzee Productions, Kaitaia Abundant Life School - Gilmore Brown Award for Excellence in Financial Management
Gamers Paradise, Whangarei Boys’ High School - ASB Award for Service Excellence
Andrei Gilbert, TXTreme, Whangarei Boys’ High School - Dave Templeton Award for Commitment
Ki-o-rahi Enterprises - Tikipunga High School - Manaaki Solutions Award for Best Maori Business

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