Waikato Business News November/December 2017

Eureka smoothies strike gold
at enterprise awards
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS November/December 2017
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Enterprising Waikato secondary school
students will wing their way to Wellington in
December after striking gold at the Waikato-
King Country Young Enterprise Scheme
(YES) Annual Awards in October.
Zalamero Eureka Smoothies,
a business launched
by students from Westmount
School in Eureka, was
named Wintec Company of
the Year 2017 at the business
competition where they were
up against more than 200 enterprising
Year 12 and 13 students.
YES Waikato-King Country
co-ordinator Levinia Paku, of
Smart Waikato Trust, said Zalamero
impressed judges across
every area of the competition,
including at a Dragon’s Den
event, Trade Fair and with an
annual business review.
“Zalamero has been an
outstanding performer in this
year’s competition and YES national
headquarters has selected
them as the best from Waikato.
We are excited to see how
they will do at nationals against
other schools from throughout
New Zealand,” Levinia said.
The calibre of this year’s
entries, ranging from sports
recovery kits and smart phone
study app to a road code board
game and juice shots, was high,
according to Levinia.
“These awards reflect very
talented young entrepreneurs
we have here in Waikato. Teams
are not only thinking outside the
square to develop unique products,
they are working hard to
fulfil the requirements of running
a successful business,” she
said.
Students participating in
The Lion Foundation Young
Enterprise Scheme set up and
operate their own businesses,
creating, promoting, and selling
a product or service, conducting
market research, planning, budgeting,
taking and managing
risk and turning problems into
challenges.
YES helps students develop
knowledge in operating a small
business, team building, rela-
tionship management, meeting
procedures, record keeping, the
legal requirements for running a
business, and the process of reporting
company performance.
Its value is far-reaching, providing
students with skills to
equip them for life after school.
The YES experience also adds
depth to a resume when seeking
employment.
Awards guest speaker and
GrabOne and Torpedo 7 founder
Guy Howard-Willis encour-
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aged the students in their entrepreneurial
efforts.
He encouraged them to envisage
themselves, and their
achievements, at aged 65.
Zalamero will go on to compete
in national awards in Wellington
on December 6.
YES is sponsored in Waikato
by Wintec, Te Wananga o
Aotearoa, the University of
Waikato, Foster Construction,
Waikato Chambers of Commerce,
Cambridge Chamber
of Commerce, EMA Waikato,
Waikato Business News and
Stafford Industries.
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1. Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Excellence in
Communications Award; Wintec Company of the Year Winner,
Westmount School Eureka (Zalamero Eureka Smoothies).
2. Foster Construction Innovation Award, St Peter’s School
Cambridge (Kaha Recovery sports recovery pack).
3. University of Waikato Leader of the Year Award Ashton
McDonald, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls.
4. Te Wananga o Aotearoa Third Place and Waikato Chamber of
Commerce Financial Management Award, Matamata College
(SWOT smart phone study app).
5. Gallagher Commitment Award, Hauraki Plains College (Joos
concentrated juice shots).
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6. Stafford Industries Runner Up, Waikato
Diocesan School for Girls (Get n Gear road code
board game).
7. Waikato Business News Sales and Marketing
and Best Trade Fair Presence, Hamilton Girls’
High School (Eek organic face masks).
8. Smart Waikato Best Trade Fair Presence
Award Hamilton Girls’ High School (Eek
organic face masks).
9. EMA Waikato High Growth Potential, Hamilton
Girls’ High School (Uluna inflatable pillows).