Owning a business comes with its share of challenges but one local entrepreneur says it's all worth it. His advice came as hundreds of students gathered for the launch of this year's National Secondary Schools Entrepreneurship Competition.
00:00Over 600 students are participating in the 9th annual National Secondary Schools Entrepreneurship Competition, launched today and running for the next six weeks.
00:11Three Stone Research and the Consulting Group, the team behind the brands like Morvino and Pastor Lab, is also the driving force behind NSAC.
00:20Director David Stone says the competition was born from a simple idea 10 years ago, and he's proud to see how it continues to grow.
00:29Every big venture starts as an idea. NSAC began as one too.
00:34Ten years ago, we dreamed about creating a secondary school entrepreneurship competition.
00:39We pitched a 21-page proposal, initially facing rejection after rejection from both potential sponsors and schools.
00:48But we persisted. Today, nine years later, NSAC continues to thrive.
00:54He says entrepreneurship can be a tough journey, but it's one worth taking.
00:59You may feel confident and motivated after receiving a high score in week two of the game, but then feel disappointed with a lower score in the following week and want to give up.
01:09All those parts connect to form who you are.
01:13Start connecting more with your authentic self, who is genuine, kind, capable, calm, and grateful.
01:20Be kind to yourself and others. You never really know what someone else is going through. In business and in life, human connection matters.
01:29Teachers also underscored how vital competition like these are for developing real-world skills.
01:35It's imperative. Look at our economy right now. Without the youth of our nation learning these skills and developing new ways to earn revenue for our country, what's going to happen? What's going to happen to the future of this country?
01:49So helping, anything that helps emphasize and develop these skills, I think is going to be very beneficial.
01:57And last year's winner, Anna Nbalal, a teacher of St. Joseph's Secondary School, says the competition gives students a head start in understanding both theory and practice.
02:07As it relates to doing international trade, setting up in different countries, marketing strategies in different countries, you learn about finance, human resources, and a cadre of other business terminologies.
02:20And for these students, it's not just about winning a competition, but it's about building opportunities for the future.
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