QE’s latest Young Enterprise team have got off to a good start in their bid to build a successful business selling sustainable and accessible mobile phone accessories.
The InDex team, drawn from Year 10, will be aiming to establish a solid online presence since, with none of the normal Young Enterprise trade fairs taking place this year because of Covid-19, they will have to rely heavily on internet sales.
Young Enterprise (YE) is a national schools competition lasting the whole academic year. Teams are judged on their product, company, sales and marketing, with prizes awarded across several categories. It is likely that judging will take place in May 2021.
QE’s YE Co-ordinator Alex Czirok-Carman said: “The boys have started very strongly; I am impressed by their diligence and how they have adapted to the new way Young Enterprise is being run, with the increased importance of the competition’s online aspects adding a new dimension to the project this year, as previously most sales and judging were done live.”
Mr Czirok-Carman, a History teacher, added that the boys are aiming to create a product that has both a unique selling point and a significant purpose. They are already working well as a team, dividing up roles and designing the product, he said, meeting weekly to discuss their progress.
Their range will include eco-friendly and ‘dexterity-friendly’ phone cases, as well as eco-friendly pop sockets. (Pop sockets are collapsible buttons or knobs stuck to the backs of mobile phones or tablets.)
Ugan Pretheshan, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, explained the environmental and ethical factors underpinning their approach: “Nearly everyone, no matter where you are in the world, uses a smartphone.
“There are such rapid advancements that people don’t always stop and think about how we can make this product suitable for everyone, as well as thinking about our carbon footprint and making the world a more sustainable place.
“We stand for Inclusive Dexterity and we aim to help everyone, acting inclusively, as well as helping people with their dexterity.”
Among the team’s first accomplishments was the design of a logo for InDex. Sai Sivakumar is shown above working on some initial drawings of the logo. Ugan is seen, top, presenting the product design to his peers.