A trip to Caffrey's Chocolate Warehouse

Alisha and Abigael of 5th Year LCVP wrote this report about the recent LCVP trip to Caffreys Chocolate Warehouse.

"Our LCVP Class planned to go to Caffrey's Chocolate Warehouse as part of our LCVP course. After our trip we would complete a Summary Report about it. All of the 5th and 6th years LCVP students met up in the school reception and the roll was called. All the students and two teachers got on the bus and we began our journey.

We had great fun all together on the bus journey by singing and having great chats. At around 11am we reached Caffrey's Chocolate Warehouse, in Walkinstown. We waited in the reception area for a roll call. There was Willy Wonka music playing in the background and the scene was beautiful.

 

Everyone was so excited, we wanted to eat everything. We were advised to put our bags on the shelves while we went for our tour.

We were led into a room with a big TV and were greeted by our speaker Mary. She showed us a DVD on how chocolate is produced. None of us realised there was that much effort put in to making chocolate! Our speaker passed around a massive bar of chocolate for us all to feel the weight of it, and it was really, really heavy! We wanted to take it home with us, but we were told it was very plain and bitter. After the DVD we were given time to ask questions. The speaker answered all of our questions.

We were taken to the factory, and beside it was an exhibit of Umpa Lumpa's and chocolate fountains. It was almost like we were in the Willie Wonka movie. After this we were shown a short demonstration of how chocolate Easter eggs were made and how the eggs are decorated.

We were then allowed to decorate our own chocolate and we all found this really fun and enjoyed it. Mrs Leahy took some lovely photos of us all having fun.

Overall it was a great experience and we all grew closer as a class. We will all remember our trip to Caffrey's Chocolate Warehouse and all the chocolates we decorated. We would recommend any LCVP class to visit the Chocolate Warehouse as we learnt a lot about how a large business operates."

Well done Alisha and Abigael.

Mrs L :)

 
 

 

 

Visit Caffreys Chocolate Warehouse on Facebook or Twitter

7 Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs

One of the qualities of an entrepreneur is often that they are innovative. Steve Jobs was innovative and today we have Apple Computers.

7 Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Thinking like an entrepreneur

Thinking Like An Entrepreneur

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No Jobs? These Mexican Immigrants Made Their Own

Meet the women of the Apple Eco-friendly Cleaning Cooperative.

Apple is a collective of five Mexican women living in New York City who got tired of working odd jobs and wanted more control of their careers. After meeting at a Brooklyn day laborer hiring site, where they would compete for cleaning jobs with dozens of other women, the quintet decided go into business for themselves, and formed an Limited Liability Company. 

They also began making their own cleaning products at home out of natural ingredients. The result is a less toxic home for their growing roster of clients and a safer cleaning day for the women themselves, who would sometimes get headaches from working for hours amid traditional chemical cleansers.

Source _ www.good.is

What were the reasons for these women setting up their own business?

What skills did / do these women have to become entrepreneurs?

What qualities of an entrepreneur did / do they have?

What steps are the women taking to ensure their business is a success?

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Blaithin's profile of Feargal Quinn - Superquinn

Feargal Quinn was born in Dublin on the 27th of November 1936. He was educated in Newbridge College, and is a commerce graduate of University College Dublin. He also learned the grocery trade in Lipton’s in the UK.

He grew up with a business background as his father ran the Red Island holiday camp in Skerries. This influenced Quinn to start up his own business. He opened up a new shop in Dundalk in 1959, at the age of 23. In 1960, Feargal Quinn founded a new business called ‘Quinns Supermarket’ in Dundalk. The trading name was later changed to ‘Superquinn’ in the late 1970’s.

In January 2005 it was announced that Superquinn was to be sold to a company called ‘Select Retail Holdings’.

In January 2009, the company made the decision to close the Dundalk store. This was the second time that Superquinn had failed in Dundalk, but in September 2010 a High Court order forced Superquinn to re-open in its home town again.

To date, Superquinn employs over 4,500 people in 23 locations nationwide.

Feragal Quinn shows a lot of qualities and characteristics of an entrepreneur. He is a risk taker as he continued to open up shops although his businesses in Dundalk were failing, he his highly motivated as he is still in the business trade and also has his on television show on RTE called “Fergal Quinn’s Retail Therapy”. He is also shows leadership as he took on the responsibility to run so many shops successfully.

Superquinn retail site here.

Senator Feargal Quinn - Independent Senator biography page here.

Feargal Quinn's Reatil Therapy at RTE

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Lauren's profile of Lily O Brien Chocolates founder Mary Ann O Brien 

Mary Ann O Brien - Lily O Briens chocolates

Background

Mary Ann was born in Tipperary.

She has one child named Lily and another who passed away after 18months called Jack.

She is also the co-founder of the ‘Jack and Jill’ foundation with her husband Jonathan Irwin, as well as ‘Lily O’Brien’s chocolates’

How she started her business.

When Mary was over in Africa she explored the hotel and found out what she loved doing. Cooking! For the 2weeks she was over there she helped (in her bikini) the owner’s daughter cook these chocolates in the small business she ran there.

When she arrived home she decided she would try and make the chocolates and sell them at her local hairdresser to see if she would get a positive feedback, and she did.

In 1992 Mary O’Brien had started up her business in her own kitchen in Newbridge, Co. Kildare and made her living from it

Mary tried to sell her chocolates at her local Superquinn and to her surprise she got an offer of a contract to sell her chocolates at the store! Mary leaped at this offer and set up her own business and borrowed money off the bank to help her do this.

Name of business

She run’s the successful Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates.

It is called Lily O’Brien after her daughter because Lily was born when Mary started up her business.

How many people do they employ?

Lily O’Brien employs over 100people and they make over 55-60tonnes per week!

Did she get help?

No, Mary Ann O’Brien started up her own business from at home. Starting to sell them at a hairdressers, venturing on to her local Superquinn and then it became a €16million-a year company, selling all over Europe including little travel boxes being sold on airplanes!

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Siobhan's profile of Niall Mellon

Niall Mellon -The Niall Mellon Township Trust.

Background-      Niall Mellon was born in 1967. He is from Ballyroan in county Dublin. When he finished school he joined his father’s investment brokerage. When he was 24 he set up his own mortgage company. His interests in the property and financial services soon grew. He had a great interest in buildings and property development and he carried out many different building projects in the United Kingdom.

The idea-             In 2002 while he was on holiday in South Africa he was appalled by the amount of shacks that he seen driving down the motor way. He went to see some of the townships on his visit and also met with some of the community leaders there. He decided that he wanted to do something about it because he believed that no human should live in a shack.

Not knowing if it was going to be a success or not he decided that he would take the risk and set up the “Niall Mellon Township Trust” where we would go to South Africa with volunteers and build houses for the people living in shacks.

His business-     His business is located in Tralee. He set up his charity using his own funds along with help and support from close family members and friends. The charity depends on volunteers to raise money and travel with him to South Africa each year to built houses. His company employs 104 full time staff and 28 community and site staff.

 Each year Niall Mellon along with many volunteers travel to South Africa for the “Building Blitz” As well as building house for the poor they also provide employment for local builders in South Africa by getting them to help them with the “Building Blitz” It also provides business for local companies that supply building materials as they source all their goods locally in South Africa.

Charity Work-   because of his great efforts with his charity work he has received praise from many people such as Nelson Mandela. He has also been awarded doctorate of Philosophy by D.I.T ad also a Doctor of Law by U.C.C. He has been given international honours for his efforts to encourage the spirit of volunteering.

Characteristics- Niall Mellon shows many different characteristics of an enterprising person such as being a risk taker, a leader, innovative, highly motivated and a very good communicator.

Here is a link to the Niall Mellon  Township Trust for more information.

Social entrepreneurs

Who are they? What they do? What they need? How can you support them?




Test yourself.........

Define a social Entrepreneur.

How is Social Entrepreneurship different than Regular Entrepreneurship?

Test yourself.........

Compare a Social Entrepreneur to a Business Entrepreneur.

Young entrepreneurs

Could you start your own business at 10yrs and 13 yras of age?

Hear how these two young boys set up and run their own company, Donegal Pens.



Watch another interview they gave on This Morning on TV3

Visit their site Handmade Pens by Donegal Pens.

Business plans

Entrepreneur develop Business Plans before they start their business.

Business Plan from Topics Education on Vimeo.

Starting a business

Where do people get money from to start a business?

Starting a Business from Topics Education on Vimeo.

Interactive lesson on business opportunities

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Follow this interactive lesson on Skoool.ie about Identifying Opportunities and Market Research.
The lesson covers sources of ideas as well as generating and researching ideas.

Click below to go to the lesson
http://www.skoool.ie/

Interactive lesson on the entrepreneur

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Follow this interactive lesson on Skoool.ie. The lesson covers:

The role of the entrepreneur
The characteristics of the entrepreneur
The skills of the entrepreneur
The importance of enterprise in business and the community.

Click below to go to the lesson.
http://www.skoool.ie

Qualities of an Entrepreneur

List two qualities of an enterprising person. Give one reason why each quality is important.

1.      Risk taker - Not afraid to try something new.

2.      Enthusiasm - Wants to succeed/is energetic.

3.      Innovative - Has new ideas.

4.      Has self-belief -  Has a positive attitude.

5.      Decisive - Takes opportunities quickly.

6.      Proactive - Does not rely on others to do things.

7.      Hardworking - Huge effort/hours/work.

Being Proactive

An Entrepreneur needs to be Proactive.

Proactive people believe that we have freedom to choose.

A proactive person responds to internal stimuli.
A reactive person reponds to external stimuli.

Reactive language
I'll try.....
That's just the way I am....
There's nothing I can do.....
I have to....
I can't....

Proactive language
I'll do it...
I can do better than that...
Let's look at all our options..
I choose to...
There's got to be another way..

Highly effective people focus on the things they can control and forget about the things they can't.
An Entrepreneur asks...What can I control?
My business / my pricing / my customers / my costs / look for opportunities.

What can't I control?
The weather / the recession / the economy / the budget / oil prices / inflation

A PROACTIVE Entrepreneur focuses on what they can do and don't waste time on what they can't. They have a positive, "can-do" attitude that drives them to achieve their goals.

Important business skills

These are some of the skills an Entrepreneur would need:
Communication - the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another, ie Speaking, listening, writing and reading.

Creativity - creating something new (a product, a solution, a work of art etc.) which has some kind of value.

Focus - Paying attention to something for long periods of time.

Listening - making an effort to hear something.

Trust - to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something .

Teamwork - work performed by a team.

Networking

According to Entrepreneur.com the ability to network is one of the most crucial skills any entrepreneur can have.

Task
Brainstorm how an entrepreneur will meet the clients and contacts necessary to grow his/her business.

The Process of Entrepreneurship

Successful entrepreneurs, work hard to build their organisations, starting from little and undertaking a process that results in a thriving business. The best ideas become profitable only because the entrepreneur went through a series of steps to build a company. The ideas are planned, created, and managed.

All entrepreneurs go through three very general stages in the process of creating their ventures:
1. A concept formation stage where ideas are generated;
2. A resource gathering stage where necessary resources are brought together to launch the new business;
3. A stage where the organisation is actually created.

Step 1 - CONCEPT FORMATION.
Before any business opens its doors, it must make crucial decisions about the way the business will be run. This first step in the entrepreneurial process is where the entrepreneur determines what kind of potential market exists for the business and explores some of the following…….
Is there actually an opportunity for a successful venture?
Will the venture make a profit, capture the market.
Can sales be estimated?
What is the size of the potential market for the product or service?

Step 2 - RESOURCE GATHERING.

In the resource gathering stage the entrepreneur begins to assemble the tools that he or she will need to make the business idea a successful one. In general, a person has to gather three types of primary resources:

1.      capital  (financial, intellectual, technical))

2.      human/managerial (employees)

3.      and time (to establish and protect the business from competition)

Step 3 - ORGANISATION CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

This is the actual establishment and opening of the business. The entrepreneur has a number of roles as the business develops.
 

1.      to educate new employees.

2.      to promote their new business.

3.      have contact with financial backers, prospective clients, employees, suppliers, and others.

The roles that an entrepreneur must fill demand flexibility and creativity. In order to successfully manage a new venture, an entrepreneur must be comfortable in all the roles.

How does an entrepreneur stimulate the economy?

1. Employment - An entrepreneur, by setting up various businesses is generating employment in the economy. This is a major contribution because a job provides income to an employee who can then meet his or her needs.
2. International trade - An entrepreneur promotes international trade by exporting his or her products abroad. Any entrepreneur would like a wider market. If there are more consumers to purchase his or her products, the higher his profits.
3. Contributes to gross national product - An entrepreneur makes much contribution to the national exchequer and to the national economy as whole. The GNP of the country is calculated based upon the total number of products and services available in a respective country. The more products and services available the higher the GNP. It indicates the economic prosperity of the country.
4. Investment - The entrepreneur will invest in products and services which people need, meaning more goods and services will be at their disposal.
5. Diversity in products and services - An entrepreneur can provide various types of goods and services to the consumer.