Entrepreneurship Regatta Project 2014

14 April 2014Maddie M, Allard ’15, Photos by Brynn A, Hope '15

Every year BCS hosts the Brentwood International Rowing Regatta. This is a time of excitement and positive energy that buzzes through the school as we prepare for students, families, friends, and, of course, rowers, to be welcomed through the Brentwood gates. One of the many things that are done to prepare for this rowing event is a project that Grade 11 students in the Entrepreneurship course cook up all year. In groups, we create a small business that inhabits the Brentwood plaza for the duration of the regatta. These businesses are typically for food but other businesses have been created such as selling t-shirts and Brentwood merchandise. This year, poutine, pulled pork sandwiches, beaver tails, coffee, churros, tacos, etc. will be served to hungry rowers and families. To whet your appetite, have a look at this promotional video by one of our groups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0I_G7qPEJY The goal of this project is, of course, to make a profit for your team, but also to learn about the business world and the teamwork that it takes to achieve a thriving business. This is a great opportunity for us to experience sales and gives us the knowledge and understanding of just how competitive the business world is. Not only does it make us aware of the truth of business competition, but it opens our eyes to what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and how to translate problems into opportunities. I speak from recent experience in saying that the innovation project that we completed at the beginning of the year opened my eyes to what the experience of selling a product is like. Now, with the regatta project, we are able to experience that on a larger scale. More time and effort was devoted to the planning, preparation, and production of my group’s product than we ever expected. It really made us realize the devotion and constant motivation you need to have for your product. Being a successful entrepreneur means taking what you do seriously, planning everything, managing money wisely, and never giving up. It takes a great deal of perseverance and motivation to go through with selling a product, something I never would have truly understood simply by taking notes or reading a text book. Being an entrepreneur is all about problem solving. Through practical experience of dealing with customers, reforming ideas, strategizing, and planning, problem solving becomes natural. Authors Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe articulate this well in their book on critical thinking entitled The Rational Manager. The authors say that the specifications of a problem are “the most valuable single tool a manager can have for solving any kind of problem.” For most entrepreneurs, this skill is the most valuable. The regatta project allows students to highlight this completely. It positively impacts student learning in a wide number of contexts. Students are being exposed to what the real business world is like, how to be a successful entrepreneur, and how to solve any problems that they may face in a coolheaded way. And we have experiences like the regatta project to thank for that. See you on the plaza this weekend. Bring your appetites! Maddie M, Allard’15

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