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reprint or license this'Dreams to Dividends' for young entrepreneurs
The Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas competition gives students a shot at some capital or a scholarship.
BY COURTNEY CLOYD
The Wichita Eagle
Campus High School senior Mandi Adams has been developing her business plan for more than three months.
Her business, an online care package company called TLC by Mail, was developed while she was participating in a program called Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas.
Last month, Adams and 18 other student entrepreneurs presented their business plans before Wichita-area business leaders at the 15th annual Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas competition at Koch Industries.
The competition was an opportunity for students in Kansas to get feedback on their entrepreneurial ideas and business plans, and, most importantly, win money for business start-up costs and scholarships.
Adams said she and her teacher wrote a business plan, "and I think we changed it about 10 times."
"We spent quite a few hours on the PowerPoint making sure we actually had an understanding of what we were doing and what we were presenting."
Adams, who has not officially started her business, plans to follow through with getting TLC by Mail off the ground after seeing what her business plan has generated.
"We do have quite a few students who have started businesses," said Shelly Chenoweth, executive director of Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas.
"Probably more importantly is that the students go through this process and understand what it takes to get there."
Chenoweth said the most important thing the students should consider when making a business plan is their interest in the project.
"It needs to be something they're very passionate about," she said.
The students are judged on their presentations and the quality of their plans.
The judges take into consideration the students' ideas, goals, strategies, market analysis and financial development.
The awards will be announced during a reception called Dreams to Dividends on Wednesday at Botanica.
The first-place student will receive $1,000 to be used as venture capital or for tuition. Smaller prizes will also be awarded to runners-up.
Ako Akhalaia, a foreign-exchange student from Georgia who is a senior at Newton High School, has entered the competition with a T-shirt business called This.
Akhalaia said he plans to run his business when he returns to Georgia, where there aren't any T-shirt businesses, and fill the niche with fun, witty shirts.
One T-shirt he showed during his presentation read: "THIS is my business plan."
