Regina students mean business

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Kristen Francis and Katherine Delorme know their business.

The two students from Miller Comprehensive school in Regina recently took top honors in E-Spirit 2002, a national-wide business plan competition for Aboriginal youth.

E-Spirit is an internet-based business planning competition that provides participating teams with on-line access to interactive business planning resources, on-line mentors, and an opportunity to network with other students from across the country. Participants in this year's competition had 16 weeks-from Jan. 7 to May 1- to complete their business plan, along with a video presentation about their company.

A total of 97 teams took part in this year's competition, with 43 shortlisted to present their business plans to a panel of judges in Montreal on May 27, when the final judging took place. In addition to the business plan and video, teams taking part in the Montreal event had to present their business in trade show-like displays, complete with poster, 3-D mock-ups, business cards, product samples, promotional videos and computer demonstrations.

This is the second year the competition has been run by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and the first time Miller Comprehensive has taken part. But based on the success of the school's entry, it likely won't be the last.

Francis and Delorme won top honors with their plan for the New Horizon Spa and Salon, a business that would provide its clients with a wide range of beauty services, from make-up and hair care, to massage therapy and spa treatments.

The slogan of the business is "Nurture Your Mind, Body and Soul."

Tyrone Fisher, Native liaison counsellor at Miller Comprehensive school, helped to co-ordinate the school's entry. Initially there were six students putting together the Miller business plan, but only two-Francis and Delorme-were still involved when the May 1 deadline for submission of the business plan and video came around.

The submission was accepted, and the girls made it to the next step - presenting their business plan to judges in Montreal.

"So they went to Montreal from May 21 to 25, and they competed against about 42 other teams from across Canada. There was representation from every province and the territories," Fisher said. "So they competed-they did a PowerPoint presentation on their business. And they also had to do a trade show display board, which was very nice. So they really worked at that as well. And so between their business plan, and their display board, and their PowerPoint presentation, and their VHS video, they got the gold award."

Along with their gold placement, Francis and Delorme also earned $2,500 for their school. Fisher said the school plans to form a small committee to decide what to do with the winnings.

"Probably it'll go into scholarships if either one wants to go to university or to tech school or whatever they want to do. They got a free computer from the bank as well. And of course an all expense paid trip to Montreal. So it was a fairly major competition and award."

The success of the girls' business plan and presentation came in part from their ability to build upon strengths and skills they already had-experience in cosmetology, accounting and business training, computer skills, and writing skills.

The amount of work that was put into developing the plan no doubt also played a role. To put together their final business plan, the girls did a lot of research, Fisher explained, including getting information from the City of Regina about licensing, and the cost of renting space for the business.

"And then they went to the chamber of commerce when they were looking at their marketing, just to get a sense of the number of businesses like that in the city, and what their demand would be for it. And it was interesting, they got information about how much people in Regina, and in that particular area where they were thinking of setting up their business, how much they spendon personal care. And so that gave them an idea.

"And another thing that they did also is that they developed a survey that they would use in that particular area, to survey the people around, you know, how they would use that kind of a service. And they also looked at the area of advertising, how that all works and the costs involved and all that kind of stuff. And so in terms of skills, they certainly learnt a lot about developing a business and what that really means."

Francis and Delorme were both surprised and excited when they found out they won the gold at the competition and, according to Fisher, it didn't take long for that excitement to spread throughout the school.

"There was a lot of excitement. After the competition, I phoned the principal and said, 'Hey, our kids won the gold.' That news spread around pretty quickly to the other students. And (on May 30) we had an assembly, and we honored them. And it gives other Aboriginal students, they think, "Hey, our own are doing that sort of thing, and they're being successful." And I know I've had a couple of students coming up to me and saying, 'Hey, I want to be part of that next year.'"

Francis is in Grade 12, and plans to take Pre-Admin. at SIFC in Regina after she graduates. She originally wasn't sure whether she wanted to pursue a career in business, but her recent success with the E-Spirit competition has got her considering it.

Francis said the competition taught her what's involved in running a business.

"It's a lot of work," she said.

As for getting involved in the E-Spirit competition, she said she would recommend it to other students.

"It's really fun. You get to meet a lot of people. It's a good experience. I enjoyed it. Everybody should do it."

Delorme said she also learned a lot about how to organize a business through her involvement in E-Spirit and, although right now she doesn't plan to go into business for herself, the experience has helped prepare her if she ever chooses to.

Deorme thinks the plan and presentation she and Francis put together outshone the other competitors because they used more creativity in their project, and because they handled the presentations and questions from the judges in Montreal well.

"We were prepared, and we weren't nervous when we went up there, and the others that presented, they were nervous," she said.

The Grade 11 student, who wants to get into journalism after high school, said she would get involved again if Miller decides to enter the E-Spirit competition next year, and would recommend it to other students.