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- Belmont Pupils Pitch Bright Business Ideas at Young Entrepreneurs Bootcamp
Belmont Pupils Pitch Bright Business Ideas at Young Entrepreneurs Bootcamp
Belmont’s Year 8 pupils enthusiastically participated in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Bootcamp. Taking place over two days, pupils worked together in teams to develop innovative business ideas, building towards the highly anticipated Belmont’s Dragon’s Den.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy was founded by Mill Hill parent Paul Herman. The Academy delivers an acclaimed Basics of Business programme, certified by UCL School of Management. Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed being selected as one of the pilot
The bootcamp began with an inspiring chapel talk from representatives of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, before pupils launched into the early stages of business creation. Sessions focused on identifying business ideas rooted in passion, purpose and problem-solving, alongside exploring products or services that could meet real-world needs.
Throughout the first day, pupils built a strong foundation in key business principles. Workshops covered customer analysis, market research, competitor awareness and identifying unique selling points. Pupils also examined target audiences, considering whether businesses should operate in business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) markets, and how best to reach customers.
A creative branding session followed, where teams designed company identities, including logos and straplines. Pupils then moved on to developing marketing strategies, experimenting with platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and considering pricing structures and customer acquisition costs.
On the second day, pupils were treated to a series of exceptional guest speakers. Sir Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, delivered a keynote talk sharing insights into his entrepreneurial journey, while British technologist and entrepreneur Tobi Ajala spoke about building a career in the technology industry after teaching herself to code as a teenager. Ajala, who has worked with organisations including the BBC and Apple before founding software development company TECHTEE, offered practical advice on innovation and scaling a business.
Pupils also gained an insight into the financial and technical aspects of entrepreneurship, with pupils learning how to build a profit and loss statement and balance sheet, as well as exploring sales strategies, including pricing models and cost structures.
On the second day attention turned to pitching. Pupils were guided through the key elements of an effective business pitch before practising as teams. Class “den” rounds saw each group present their ideas, with teachers selecting finalists for the main event.
The programme concluded with Belmont’s highly anticipated Year 8 Dragon’s Den Grand Final. Finalist teams presented their polished business proposals to an audience, showcasing not only their ideas but also the confidence and communication skills they had developed over the two days.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy praised Belmont pupils for their “creativity, confidence and entrepreneurial thinking,” highlighting the success of the pilot programme.
