Allan Gray Entrepreneurial Challenge 2021 | Edu Inc excels

Gershom Aitchison, host · [14:00]And what, what was your favorite part of the five week experience?

Aidan Quinn, guest · [14:03]Marketing campaign.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [14:04]Why did you enjoy that?

Aidan Quinn, guest · [14:06]One thing that it made you only punished anyone who didn't actually read any information about it.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [14:12]Okay.

Aidan Quinn, guest · [14:13]Since the three, you had three different segments. Segment where you had to, you got to see the different groups. You got to see like what they will provide for you. Like you had the poor, the middle class and the rich. And they would each give you different, for each time you did it, they'll give you different statistics. And you had to choose if your one would better, if yours better suits the different people. And then on that same one, they showed you what class likes. If they're like media, if they're like, and they also showed you the age. I forgot to, mention that. It started out as like teen, like children to teens, and then to like adults, and then old. The adults would usually represent the middle class or the higher class, and they showed you the what each likes, and you would have to choose, and there was another activity with a where you had to choose what you are going to order for the different, groups, and if you knew the information, you could order an entire, you could only order one thing and do very well. But there was also the, at the top of that same one, there was the eight where you had to select the age group, that was a bit difficult to see. But despite that, it was a very fun child and error experience, since first time I didn't get it right, second time I didn't, but the last time I did.

Mr Tshuma, guest · [20:10]with the Allan Gray Entrepreneurial Challenge, at the end of the game, it feels like you would have gone through a whole year of, a field tour. Like, you've visited companies, like the learners were actually on attachment for the whole year, attachment related to business studies, because the, the amount of information and the experience that they get Through the different stages of the game is practically like eighty to ninety percent of the syllabus in Business Studies. Like from grade ten to grade twelve, the whole managing of the business and the concept and the playing of the game is centered around business concepts. Like, for example, starting from registration, the players had to do registration of the companies, and in, in registering the companies, they had to choose a suitable form of business ownership. These are all concepts that are taught, especially in grade, from grade nine to grade twelve. they had to go through processes like accessing funding, and, looking at the different options available for funding businesses, and they were all given there in, in the game, and which is also part of the syllabus. And the creative aspect that the two gentlemen have mentioned is that of the human resources or the human capital function. These are taught in theory, but during the game, the learners had an actual chance to practice human resources or effective human resources management, and they did that extremely well, especially for our two gentlemen. When we do these, concepts in class, learners might get the theoretical understanding of it, but it's different from when they actually have to practice it. There is also the element that they mentioned about the marketing, which is another key topic and a key chapter. It covers a greater part of our tier one chapter, especially in grade eleven and twelve. Marketing is a huge element of the business studies syllabus. It covers a greater percentage of the whole syllabus. So now, every time when I have to do the topic in class, when I have to discuss with the learners, it's easier for me to make reference to the game. What does marketing involve? Now, the gentlemen, they know very well that marketing is not just about putting the product out there, but we have to be able to identify your target market, and at the same time, also be able to come up with the right price range for that target market, so that your product will be effective and is, made available to the right people, the right audience, and all that. So I would say that it's such a huge form of learning platform.

Mr Tshuma, guest · [25:58]Well, after the Allan Gray Entrepreneurial Challenge, it became very clear that the game itself is not just a competition, but also an opportunity for teachers and learn- and learners and schools in general to use as a form of embracing blended learning. We do a lot of theoretical work, or we do a lot of theory in class, but learners, they lack that practical experience or practical application of the concepts that we teach or that they learn in class. So with a game like, Allan Gray Entrepreneurial Challenge, it gives them that experience, that firsthand experience that will enable them to relate or apply the theory that they learn in class in practice. It's also even better than the actual field tour, because when you go for a field tour, you get told how different departments work. How, for example, the administration department functions, how the marketing department functions, the production department, all the different departments, you get told how they work by the people that work there. But with the game itself gives the learners the opportunity to actually practice those concepts themselves to do trial and error. It helps them also to correct their own mistakes because there's different opportunities available through the different stages. For example, with the marketing campaign, they had to do three marketing campaigns. So each marketing stage would enable them to learn from their previous mistakes. So all in all, it just gave them that practical experience, which makes it easier for them to understand concepts during class.

Cian Quinn, guest · [34:55]Well, the business that I pitched was a, it was a, it was a bookkeeping app, and it was so that your business could have, you know, accurate and, and, and reliable business records and financial records without having to, you know, employ like a bookkeeper, and so that it's easier for businesses, especially in this country, to get credit applications, because if you don't have reliable, or if you don't have very accurate bookkeeping or, or financial records, it is very hard for you to go to credit providers and for them to provide financial support to you and financing, and so A business like that, I saw, is a very opportune thing in this country, especially with the amount of businesses in this country that are popping up with all of the, you know, young entrepreneurs, and because of the fact that there are so many of them, and they don't have these, you know, records that they need, a lot of them don't get off, don't get off the ground, or don't get as far as they need to, to be able to supply for the people. They're families, they don't have enough options to not only supply for their family, but for their communities, and maybe to benefit the economy, so.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [36:08]So, if I'm understanding it correctly, your target market was SMEs, young startup businesses, young entrepreneurs, giving them an opportunity to fiscally manage their companies so that they could get financing if they needed it further down the line, or as startup finances, for example.

Cian Quinn, guest · [36:24]Yeah, so it was focused around financing as well, so that our business Would all of the app would be used in conjunction with the business, you know, and then also the banking institution that they used. And so the app will be linked to that banking institution and can help, you know, create these records and to keep track of the records without actually needing anyone to interpret the, the reports. So the businesses and the banks could become more independent, but more, I would say more interdependently independent, where they could become better at doing what they do by using everyone else. And obviously our business would need access to all of the bank accounts.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [37:06]Sure.

Cian Quinn, guest · [37:07]But, you know, this was beneficial because all of the reports would be automatically classified into, you know, finances and not just things like, oh, I bought a McFlurry the other day because I wanted to, but more or less finances and the, the transactions related to the business itself through the, through the bank accounts. And it was definitely something that Really multifaceted and I think has a lot of uses.

Mr Tshuma, guest · [39:46]The pitch was the last assignment of the game. It was actually the last activity that had to be done in the game. And, during that week, I think it was our final week in school, just before we closed schools for first term. And at that point in time, I wasn't aware which learners did the pitch or which ones did not, because it was optional. I think our main focus was just on the log standings and the, our positions on the overall standings. And I wasn't even aware that Kian did, pitch. There were quite a number of students that had made intentions to pitch, but I'm not sure who did because he closed schools immediately after that. And then when I got the news that, Cian had been selected amongst the top ten in the country, I wasn't surprised really because I know Cian, when it comes to things like presentations, is just eloquent, is very good. He's, he's just got the thing for it. So I wasn't sur- surprised as such, but we had to work through his presentation in preparation for the final pitch, because the final pitch had to be done in front of the judges, in front of parents, school heads, and teachers as well, and I think you're also there for the other part of the presentation, Mr. Edgson. So we had to make sure that it was polished and it was perfect and it was competitive enough because it's best in the country, like out of the whole country, it's the best ten pitches, so he had to up his game by whatever means. Initially, his pitch was okay, the idea was good, but the way that he had presented it wasn't as, top-notch as we would expect it to be, so he polished up on that part. And I must say that on the day, on the final day, or just the day before he did the final pitch, I knew he had actually changed, he turned it around because initially it was just a business idea or the app being put out there, but in the final pitch he did put an element of himself, which means he actually is part and parcel, he applies himself emotionally and, him and the business idea are not separated and that, it worked for him as, an extra, I think. It just earned him like that, additional Acceptance amongst the judges, and the fact that he was one of the youngest to pitch really made a huge impact, and, is something to be proud of. It's already an achievement to me, to the school, and to him, I think he should be proud of that, because out of more than eight thousand learners across the country, and he becomes to be one of the youngest to be amongst the top ten already, that's a victory.

Cian Quinn, guest · [43:10]that was the coaching session, cause we missed the first one. but that one that we did attend, that was good. It was definitely, I mean, Kyle was paying a lot of attention, but it looked, a lot of the time I would say something that, you know, was central in my pitch, and he would look up and stop doing what he was doing, and I'm like, oh no, did I, is it not good enough? And, and I think my nerves definitely spiked when he said that I forgot, like, an entire thing about my future, but the, the plans for the future, and about myself being in it, and at that moment I was like, You know, I'm done. But then he was like, as long as you add that, you know, you're good, because right now I'm 100% backing you. And I was like, okay, I mean, that was pretty surprising. I mean, after that, the only thing I was nervous for was the day after that, because I had to spend a lot of time working on the pitch again. You know, coming up with the name, long story short, the name I did come up with, literally right before I had to speak that it's already taken. That definitely messed up the speech, oh, not the speech, but the pitch a little bit. I had some cool catch line, but, you know, it was definitely nerve-wracking when I had to say the pitch both times, before it was edited and after it was edited.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [44:33]So tell me what the Name ended up being and what the cool pitch line was.

Cian Quinn, guest · [44:39]Well, initially, I was like, okay, well, my dad came up with this name. I was like, Dad, I need a name, trying to think of something, and, and my dad found, so in Zulu, Kula, K H, I think it's K H U L A, is bookkeeper or accountant. And for a second I was like, you know, nah, nah, that's boring. But then, you know, it really stuck, and then I came up with a tagline that was at the end of my speech, and I said it to Mr. Tuma, and I was so proud of myself. I think it was Grow Your Business, Grow With Kula, and I was like, damn, this is gonna be like, you know how you have Kaluta, Kaluta Airways, they have the, the super cool, super chill, the nice lady speaking, I'm not a nice lady, but regardless, I was so proud of myself, and I was like, if the rest of the pitch doesn't get them, I think this will, this is, this phrase is worth forty-five thousand rand. And then right before I'm going, the person before me does an agricultural business, and then one of the judges is like, hey, have you heard of the Business Kula? And I'm like, maybe he's talking about mine, I don't know. And then he talks about what they do, and I look up and I'm, I looked him up. yeah, I had to just get rid of every Kula in my speech, so that was pretty, it was pretty sad, yeah.