Plus on track with Young Enterprise Scheme

A group of innovative young men and women is out to prove teenagers have the goods to foot it in the business world with the best of them.

Auckland’s Macleans College, Plus, is one of hundreds of student companies nationwide participating in the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).

In its 30th year, YES is a non-profit organisation which aims to create an enterprising spirit among young people. Participating students set up their own company, create real products or services and make real profit or loss.

The company’s overall success or failure is judged in six areas – business summary, people and management, operations, marketing and sales, financial performance and evaluation.

While the annual reports aren’t due until October, Plus has had early success, taking out the top prize at the recent Counties Manukau Young Enterprise regional oral presentation.

Communications director Bill Qiu says the company’s idea – handmade soap made from recycled coffee grounds – came about while they were simply drinking coffee.

“We wondered where the grounds go to after they’ve been used to make coffee, and we decided to make a product which uses them. We came up with a few ideas, and soap was the strongest.”

Hand-making the soap has proved to be a challenge and while coffee may seem a strange soap ingredient, it has many benefits.

“Brickworks Cafe in Whitford donates its fair trade coffee grounds for the project,” says Bill. “Coffee is a natural exfoliant and gets rid of strong odours associated with cooking so it’s great in the kitchen.”

All team members roll up their sleeves when it comes to producing the soap, which takes about two hours to make a batch and then a month to harden.

“Everyone helps with production; it’s very labour intensive,” Bill says. “We make the soap at the home of a team member and there’s been a lot of trial and error involved. We researched methods and ingredients online and for our soap use avocado, coconut oil and olive oil which are all moisturising.”