Where business ambitions are born

Feature from: NZ business august 2007 

The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme opens up a whole new world for young people – teaching them to achieve great things using business as a vehicle. Glenn Baker reports.

When it comes to reality business shows – you can’t get more real than the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme. It’s about young people still in high school making real business decisions using real money. The scheme involves working through the whole process of setting up and running a business. It’s not about textbooks – students produce products, pay taxes and get to keep any profits. And the greatest outcome of all is that it really does change lives. Indeed for the more ambitious graduates of the scheme, it can lead to major business success.

You don’t have to look far to find the evidence. Dwayne Smith, who heads up Auckland-based communication and IT solution company Horizon Pacific, is another great example of the positive effect the YES programme has on young entrepreneurs. Smith has long held a passion for technology and began servicing and repairing PCs around the Wairarapa (“on my eight-speed Avanti bike”) at the tender age of 13. While in the 6th form at Rathkeale College he utilised the YES challenge to further refine his business ambitions before dropping out of school and heading for Auckland in pursuit of his dream.

Fast forward to 2007 – I caught up with Smith at the North Shore Regional Finals of the YES Oral Business Plan Presentations. He proudly informed me that today Horizon Pacific is a major company in its sector, reaching across the country via 26 locations, with 246 staff and contractors. It pretty much services all real estate offices in New Zealand and has made major inroads into other vertical markets. Smith even has plans to float the company and expand across the Tasman. And the man is only 26 years old!

Smith already knew a great deal about economics and accounting prior to being involved in YES, having helped his mother do the books for his father’s business.
He says fortunately the YES programme forced him to abandon his ‘jack-of-all-trades’ approach to business and allocate separate responsibilities to the other members of his team.

“This was my first real introduction to teamwork, which proved invaluable – as did the opportunity to learn presentation and public speaking skills; that was a major confidence booster and I quickly learnt how to convey a key message with the least amount of words,” recalls Smith.
He also enjoyed the exposure to knowledgeable business people through the YES programme, as all team participants have ready access to business mentors.
In addition, the programme is an excellent way to test your business concept with the outside world and find out how it really stacks up, says Smith.
Perhaps most importantly, the YES programme teaches students that they can set big goals for their life.

“Sometimes comments from parents, friends and even teachers can limit your thinking, and affect your confidence levels,” says Smith. “The great thing about YES is that it gets you thinking outside the box. It even allows you to question the box’s parameters.” 
 
For further information, go to www.horizonpacific.com