Extraordinary Entrepreneurship lessons

In April secondary school students from Cieszyn took part in the 14^th edition of National Day of Entrepreneurship. 

As every year it was under the auspices of The President of Poland Jerzy Duda. However the organisor of the event is Enterprising Youth Foundation¹ which won the first prize in a contest for The Best Civil Initiative Pro Publico Bono in the Educational Initiative Category.

For young people The Day of Entrepreneurship is often their first one-day visit in companies focused on familiarizing²with new working places. Due to the fact that students from our school study logistics and tourism they went to 10 different travel agencies, hostels, and hotels as well as 11 transport and logistics companies. Each of the students did different jobs. 

They worked as  tour operators, receptionists, maids, warehouse workers, purchase ³department workers or administrative workers.

‘The time spent in Gambit Hotel taught us a lot. We learnt that the person in charge of maintaining order and cleanliness must work really hard. We also learnt what  the duties of a receptionist are and how responsible you must be to hold the position. Although we were really exhausted we will remember the day as very pleasant one’, said Wiktoria.

‘In my opinion the job of a freight operator⁴is really hard. Each order id different, there always may occur an unexpected problem like a mistake in documents or just some delays in shipment. You must be really quick-thinking, able to solve the problems and flexible’, Szymon said.

‘I personally found out how a travel agency works. I could work with a booking system online. At first I expected it to be another boring day at work. However our mentor showed us that it can be a fascinating job because every day you can learn something new or you can meet new people with different interests. We spent nice day in Bea Travel agency’, said Michał.

Thanks to those ‘entrepreneurship lessons’ students gained their first job experience and started collaboration with local entrepreneurs. 

¹ foundation - organization set up to provide help and money for research, charity etc.
² familiarize with - acquire a thorough knowledge of sth
³ purchase - act of buying sth
⁴ freight operator - person in charge of goods transported by ship, aircrafts or trains

Erasmus Plus Success

The success of a project is passed through the collaboration and synergy¹ that can be established with the territory making it the protagonist.

Of this thesis, "Federico II" Institute of Enna is strongly convinced  for years forcing a series of initiatives that have put students in the forefront, especially thanks to the network that the school has been able to build around.

'Ki sciauru' at international level

The gastronomic excellence created by the classrooms of the Institute "Federico II" of Enna once again at international level. This time it happened in Belgium, where the school was led by headmistress Giuseppina Gugliotta concluded the Erasmus project by presenting its company "Ki sciauru" and in particular the cooking aromatic salts produced within the school. 

We are Founders

When it comes to creativity, innovation, trade and business PORTO is the right spot to visit! So, on April 27 Portuguese Erasmus+ students left Lisbon Oriente train station very early in the morning and got ready for a two day field trip in this amazing city located in Northern Portugal. Students visited Founders Founders – an entrepreneurial community of inspiring companies, biz¹ experts and journalists that work together, learn from each other and share difficulties, challenges and solutions.  

How it all started

As almost everything in entrepreneurship, it all started with a need. The 5 founding startups started their path at UPTEC (Science and Technology Park of University of Porto) and, sooner or later, they would have to leave as part of the natural startup cycle. To avoid leaving each one at a time, and eventually end up spread across the city, they decided to find a way to stay together. Being together, working together, sharing difficulties, challenges or solutions and learning from each other, were some of the things they didn’t want to lose by leaving UPTEC.  Although the companies joining Founders Founders are in different evolution stages², they have all passed the startup phase, they have a solid business validation and are growing.  Their values:  GROW BY LEARNING… from founders with diverse business experiences and life stories; LEARN BY SHARING… challenges, solutions and network³; SHARE BY LIVING… with a like-minded community at your company’s doorstep. 

Founders is not an incubator⁴ nor an accelarator⁵. It’s a community of over 250 people across the globe where each member is eager to grow its business and to grow as an individual. Founders Founders creates an environment that amplifies collaboration, knowledge sharing, problem solving and achievements at a global scale. “We were born from the community to be a community. A community is built from people, not from companies. Everyone is here not only to receive from the community, but also to give back.”

¹biz – business

²stage – phase; position

³network – meeting people who might be useful to know in your job; association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information

⁴incubator – organizations setup to nurture startup companies at an early stage

⁵accelerator – business organizations that offer professional services to help accelerate startups (consulting, management coaching, mentoring, financing)

Adapted from:

http://portugalstartups.com/2016/02/founders-founders/

https://www.founders-founders.com/

School and football, a binomial that can and must be together.

There is something about the Enna Calcio and the "Federico ll" Institute that have started a relationship of sporting and promotional cooperation in the territory as well as exchanging important values.As a first step, the "Federicoll" acquired an Enna company share; Giuseppina Gugliotta and the yellow-green delegate administrator Fabio Montesano welcomed the purchase of the school leader Giuseppina Gugliotta, together with the President Luigi Stompo, General Manager Riccardo Caccamo, the head of the youth sector Maurizio Restivo, the responsable of the women football team, Daniela Basile, and the players Gentile , Di Stefano and the captain Restivo.

The Institute will produce a gadget for both male and female training, the mechanical sector is making a small 3D keyrings while the KI SCIAURU company will produce yellow green salts but wants to go further and it is likely that something will be seen at the Gialloverde party in program Sunday 12 on the return of Enna to "Gaeta" stadium. For "Federico ll" the meeting with Enna was a double celebration because, said the headmistress Giuseppina Gugliotta, “ We are reopening the fifth floor (kitchens) of our school, which is for us one of the strengths of our Institute, a moment we wanted to share with Enna football because” continues the headmaster “ school and sport is a binomial that must walk together”.

For the Ad Montesano “ Today it is an important part of our society with school institution such as Federicoll, but we will continue to collaborate in many initiatives aimed at the promotion of our city “, the Dg Caccamo recognizes the school “ An excellence of our territory “ while President Stompo has said “ Proud to have on our side an important institution like school “

VOCABULARY:

binomial: two words separated by a conjuntion that almost always appear in the same order, term used referring also to two activities that can stay good toghether

share: part of a company that has been divided between several people

recognize: to accept that something is important 

Game of Tones at Bödön Handicrafts Market by Endre Nahóczky, Hungary

In Szeged, Hungary, there is a handicrafts ¹market called Bödön (https://bodonpiac.wordpress.com/), which was launched in September 2013. This market provides a great place for farmers, artisans and craftsmen to sell their products. The list of products is continuously growing giving a wide range of choices to the customers. There are foods like home-made cheese, meat products, marmalades, cottage cheese and drinks like homemade syrups or beverages². We can find cookies and cakes, too, which are made of healthy ingredients. In the course of the years, a lot of handmade products appeared too, beside the food and beverages. In this range, we can find bracelets, necklaces and rings made of leather, crystal, rag or plasticine. Apart from design jewellery, customers can choose from beautiful hand-made pottery, kitchen tools, bags, phone cases, clothes and toys, as well.

The market is organized between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. every second Sunday of the month in the “streets” of a shopping mall. As the only requirement from the sellers is to fit the profile of the market and pay a daily fee of 20 euros for their stand, it is a great opportunity for beginner and more experienced small entrepreneurs, too. Apart from this, the initiative is also beneficial ³for the customers who can buy high-quality home-made food along with unique handicrafts.

In September 2016, the Hungarian school company, Game of Tones decided to try their luck in this market and sell their colourable products there, too. In the first market (in September 2016)

they managed to make a nice profit and were happy to have found a regular market with regular customers. “Later in the fall, we did not have enough time, money or products to go to Bödön, so we took a little break. Then, we made new products, like calendars or the world map poster, so we decided to try again. In 2017, we went there 3 times, but the profit was less than before, unfortunately. However, we’ll keep trying till the end of the school year!” says Adriána Aczkov, mentor teacher of the school company.

¹ handicraft - work that needs both skills with the hands and artistic skills

² beverage - any type if drink except water

³ beneficial - having helpful or useful effects

West-Flanders, an enterprising region

We are living in West-Flanders, and known for being hard workers. I was not surprised to read in an article that, besides being a top region for recreation and being a quality region, our province is very enterprising. The provincial government will focus in this spearhead and deepen and capitalise on this winning asset in the further future. This is good news for us, young entrepreneurs…

I am very proud to live in this wonderful province that gives me opportunities in life…

This article was adapted from:

https://www.west-vlaanderen.be/overdegrens/gebiedenbeleid/english/oneprovince/Paginas/enterprisingregion.aspx

Economy

The coastal province is bustling¹ with economic activity. Sectors such as agriculture and fisheries are historically interwoven with the province. But there is also strong industrial presence and trade and distribution are well developed as well.

The industrial recovery of companies in West-Flanders afterWorld War II is enduring². Turnover³ and exports continue to rise. Expansion, automation and environmental investments are guarantees for the future.

                                                                

Unemployment is low and there is a high demand for skilled technicians. At present, there is extensive employment in metallurgy, the textiles and clothing sector, nutrition, chemicals and plastics

Small and medium-sized Enterprises are of great importance for the economic development of West Flanders. This form of entrepreneurship has grown through history. Family owned and operated companies with West Flemish roots still form the cradle^⁴ of regional growth. They are the engine of West Flanders. Not only are they an important source of employment, but they also underlie the quality of life and wellbeing of the region. West Flanders moreover enjoys a favourable investment climate for companies large and small. So, the future remains secure.

The Flemish Coast, Bruges and Westhoek are the traditional magnets of West Flanders. Tourism is one of the most important mainstays of the West Flemish economy. The sector keeps registering continuous growth. Furthermore, tourism is expanding ever further over the entire region. Flemings and the international public alike find a full range of days and accommodation tourism in West Flanders. Many tourists come from neighbouring countries, but also from elsewhere in Europe, America and Japan.

                                  

Visit the website "invest in west-flanders"

 Agriculture, horticulture⁵ and fishing

West Flanders is the most agricultural province in Flanders, with the family embedded mixed concerns and land crops ⁶. Livestock⁷ breeding, agriculture and horticulture supply quality Foods and constitute an important pillar of the countryside in Flanders.

The supply of raw materials and processing of agricultural produce led to a sound⁸ industry and a source of growing indirectly employment. West Flanders has acquired a unique position at world level on this front.

 Fishing is an industry typical of West Flanders. The total value of the fish that Belgian vehicles bring into harbours such as Zeebrugge, Ostend and Nieuwpoort exceeds 81 million euros. Specialised personnel are increasingly called upon for the high-tech fishing vessels⁹.

Education

When it comes to education, Flanders is said to have one of the best education systems in the whole world. There are no universities in West-Flanders. However, the province does have three university-colleges (HOWEST, KATHO, KHBO), as well as the KULAK - the bachelor campus of K.U. Leuven (Catholic University of Louvain) in Kortrijk. In addition, some of the schools in West Flanders offer a few unique, sector-oriented training programmes, such as maritime techniques in Ostend and textile production techniques in Waregem.

1 bustling - full with

2 enduring - continuing, lasting

3 the turnover - the amount of business done in a given time

4 the cradle- the origin

5 the horticulture - the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants

6 land crops - the amount of cultivated plants, vegetables, fruit… in any particular season

7 livestock - domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fibre, and labour

8 sound - healthy

9 a vessel - a passenger or freight-carrying ship or boat

TRAVEL WITH AN IMPACT! RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Startup Lisboa supports the creation of companies and track their first years of activity. Founded in 2011 by the Lisbon Municipality, Bank Montepio and IAPMEI – Portuguese Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation IP, it's a private non-profitable association that provides entrepreneurs and companies mentoring, link to strategic partners, access to investment, help with business basics and networking activities.

Evaluation after the meeting in Portugal.

Dear reader,

as the project is an ongoing process and we want to keep you updated with any news, here you can have a look at the results of a survey which was conducted among the students and the teachers who took part in the exchange in Portugal. The meeting was held: 08.05.2016 - 14-05-2016. 

Of course, you can see all of the surveys on this blog!

Great design at the bank of the river Tisza – Tisza Sneakers by Bori Orosz, Hungary

                            Having become entrepreneurs ourselves, we are more and more interested in trying to find out the secret behind a successful company. We live in a town by the bank of the Tisza and this river plays a significant role in our lives. It is no surprise then that we wanted to learn more about the shoes of the brand Tisza that a large number of youngsters wear here in Hungary.

  We did not know, for example, that even our grandparents wore them when they were young, as Tisza is a heritage brand, established¹ in 1942 in Martfű, where the railway, public and water traffic meet, next to the Tisza river. During the 1950s and 1960s the factory produced shoes for the domestic market, but it expanded² in 1971 with a new corporate logo and started to design and manufacture sport shoes, which very soon had a cult followed by young Hungarians. The 'T' branded shoe was born at the start of the 1970s when many new sport shoe models were developed, some of these styles still remain to this day and have been updated with a contemporary touch.

One of the first shoes, which the Tisza factory produced, was a vulcanized rubber soled gym shoe, manufactured in many colors and fabrics and was suitable for many different sporting activities (like P.E. class for our parents). The innovative design combined with good craftsmanship brought international success for the brand. With 40 years of experience in manufacture and design of handmade shoes, a new era started in 2003. The Clash company bought the rights of the Tisza trademark and after dep.

So who knows? If you tailed research they started to produce a range of distinctive sneaker collections for women, men and also expanded the brand by adding fashion accessories and clothing lines. Today, the Tisza brand with its iconic 'T' logo is synonymous with culture, contemporary³ urbanism and good craftsmanshistart a business today, maybe your grandchildren will use your products, too.

http://www.tiszacipo.hu 

¹ establish - set up

² expand - become greater

³ contemporary - of the time or period being referred to

Lisbon dreams of Europe's Silicon Valley tag

Lisbon is betting that hosting the Web Summit, Europe's largest tech event, will spur the growth of startups and draw foreign investors, helping it compete with the continent's main innovation hubs.

While the crisis hammered the Portuguese economy, it also drove change, pushing people to come up with new ideas for businesses—many of them tech startups.

During the first half of the year the number of new companies that were created was 3.3 times higher than the number of firms that went under, according to government figures.

To fuel the expansion of the startup sector the government lobbied hard to bring the annual Web Summit to Lisbon. The tech expo has been held every year in Dublin since its launch in 2010. Some 50,000 participants and 15,000 companies from around the world are expected to attend the November 8-10 event, nearly double the 27,500 people who attended last year. Lisbon  will host the annual event until at least 2018.

Portugal's secretary of state for industry, João Vasconcelos, said he hoped hosting the event will give rise to a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Dresses just for you - Emmaroz by Réka Szűcs, Hungary

                  Having become entrepreneurs ourselves, we keep our eyes open to spot successful entrepreneurs working right around us.

Previously an HR manager, Enikő Lilla Szénási became a businesswoman in July 2014, when she fulfilled her dream by opening “Emmaroz” an individual dressmaking saloon and designer shop in Szeged, Hungary. She named the shop after her daughter Emma Róza hoping that she would once take over.

                To produce individual and high-quality clothes is a particularly big challenge nowadays, when fast-fashion stores launch new collections every two weeks or so in order to make customers to keep shopping. “Emmaroz” would like to show that a great wardrobe does not necessarily contain heaps of clothes, but if they are good quality and designed just for you, you will just love it.

                  ‘Think about it,’ says the owner. ‘If you keep on purchasing¹ dozens of clothes crazily, you will end up wearing only like two of them regularly. You will always find there is something wrong with them and just throw them at the bottom of your closet.’²

The shop is open for ladies interested in fashion and style. Along with a cup of coffee or a macaron, they can learn about the trends of the next season. There regular events, too, including style guidance, film screenings, meetings with designers, talks and wardrobe parties. The owner of “Emmaroz” strongly believes that one does not need to be a special size or have an upcoming special occasion to go to an individual dressmas become a production partner for young designers. Its dressmaking workshop has already collaboaker.

What is more, the company hrated with almost all the successful designers of Hungary. At the same time, customers can also buy some pieces in the designer shop – for the first time in Szeged.

Another interesting thing about “Emmaroz” is the place itself. Its interior design is a combination of a 19^th-century dressmaking saloon and a contemporary design shop. In the fitting room³, there is a mirror with the sign “Gyönyörű vagy!”, which means ‘You are beautiful!’.

                 This unique shop in Szeged is a great example to show how entrepreneurial dreams can come true.

¹purchase - buy

²closet - small room for storing things

³fitting room - place in a shop where you can try on clothes

Why Invest In Cyprus

Foreign investors choose Cyprus!

Cyprus is one of the most attractive business destinations in the world due to its location, taxation systems and friendly legislation. It is located at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia providing investors with the opportunity of easy access to and from each area. Also, due to the country’s membership in EU and the Economic and Monetary Union all foreign investors have to opportunity to access the EU market.

The World Entrepreneurship Week in Cieszyn

Zamek Cieszyn – an institution promoting culture, design and entrepreneurship organized The World Entrepreneurship Week  in Cieszyn. This is an international project run since 2008 in which over 100 countries from all over the world (including Poland) are taking part. All the participants want to develop business initiatives. This year’s motto is BUSINESS IS GOOD, ENTREPRENEURHIP IS GOOD.

What makes Lisbon so attractive

It’s no secret anymore that Lisbon is one of Europe’s up and coming places to be for entrepreneurs, startups and investors. As a communications professional working in the tech scene for over a decade, a few things struck me about Lisbon’s budding tech scene.

Why is there such a fascination with Lisbon from the tech community?

First of all, Lisbon is incredibly attractive to anyone who wants to build a business – the city is fertile ground for risk taking and entrepreneurship. In recent years, a new development model has started to unfold, with a clear Lisbon demonstrating a competitive advantage based on knowledge and innovation. The cost of living is much cheaper that in most other capitals in Western Europe. Combined with that – Portugal’s education system is exceptional – making for a fantastic pool of local talent at competitive prices and fluent in English. From developers to UX experts, through to designers, the entire country is packed with an ambitious multilingual and highly qualified youth.

Never lose your sense of wonder! – Game of Tones at the JA Europe Company of the Year Competition

Having received the title Mini-company of the Year 2016 in Hungary, Game of Tones got the opportunity to represent our country at the JA Europe Competition in Lucerne, Switzerland between July 25 and 27, 2016.

The flagship programme of the organization Junior Achievement is the Company Programme, which offers high school students the opportunity to learn how to move a business idea from concept to reality. To their annual competition, the best mini-companies of the participating 36 countries are invited to introduce themselves and compete for the award JA Europe Company of the Year.

Forget the Meir, Convoi is where it’s at in Antwerp

Tucked neatly behind Waagnatie, on the banks of the Scheldt, you’ll find Antwerp’s newest and hippest shopping centre. Convoi has been created from over 50 shipping containers, which provide retail space to 40 businesses selling fashion, food, and design items for you and your home.

But there are no chains here. At Convoi, the tenants are mostly young and local entrepreneurs looking to try out an idea or product. “I wanted to make it as simple as possible,” says Kim Soeffers, the driving force behind the project. “Convoi gives them a space to test and evolve. Each container comes ready to use with lighting, wi-fi and a selection of fittings. All they have to do is bring their products.”

Cieszyn Castle

They are the first center of design in Silesia, they show how design can change an enterprise. 

They cooperate with public institutions and they try to find solutions which can make life easier. 

Every year Castle starts making events in January - they makes concerts, workshops, lectures, meetings for kids, teenagers and adults.