Ever heard of the reality TV show The Apprentice? This is a show in which the participants compete to run some of the wealthy host's businesses. If they generate a profit with a sound business concept, they will be offered a job with the host. In Britain, there is a national event with a similar concept - The Young Enterprise Challenge. The event is open to all secondary students and I applied three months ago. We named our company Craze to remind people that something brilliant can come out of the most ordinary thing. Our company's Craze clocks are just one example. Instead of putting numbers or patterns on the clock, you can put letters that link up to form a meaningful phrase. Imagine if a couple bought this clock and put phrases like 'I love you always' or simply a combination of their names. Whenever they wanted to check the time, the clock would remind them of their other half. These clocks can deliver sweet and touching messages every second of their owners' lives. Market research and generating ideas about what will sell best is the most important part of our project. But we also took part in some leadership training programmes. Our company has made good progress so far. Each of our products generates on average about GBP4 (HK$48) in profit. It's not a large sum of money, but this is the first business we have ever set up. Hopefully, our sense of craziness can help us win the Young Enterprise's Grand Champion award this year.
