Starting a business can be extremely challenging. It is especially so when going into it with no prior experience. And when considering how rapidly the field evolves, especially today, it can be quite intimidating.
However, fortunately for students, there is an organization that is dedicated to educating and giving them the background to prepare them for work and entrepreneurship. The Junior Achievement Organization believes in the potential of young people, providing them with endless opportunities to prepare them for the future in business.
From the first of February, GZAAT introduced the JA Club to their students as well. Everyone under 17 was given an opportunity to create small businesses, get real-life experiences, and, most notably, get ESP (Entrepreneurial Skills Pass) - a qualification that certifies students to initiate business ideas, which is also helpful for their CVs.
They had lectures every Wednesday from 17:00 - 19:00, where they discussed diverse topics, ranging from the ways of developing and leading a corporation to successful marketing strategies.
To round off their time spent on these meetings, JA organized an annual “Entrepreneurship Education Festival” which took place in Tbilisi Mall, March 26. 30 teams from Georgia presented their products during the festival, and 5 teams from GZAAT took part in the competition: IRIGO (an innovative plant irrigation system), Mtevani Georgia (decorative lights in shapes of grapes), Dokh-Art (bags with various paintings by Georgian artists on them), Correct tool (კორექთული- a Georgian version of Grammarly), and finally- MITI (designing notebooks, stickers, rules, and etc. inspired by Georgian Mythology). Members were interviewed by representatives of JA as well as judges from various organisations. Teams were given an opportunity to sell their products to the people visiting the mall as well.
At the end of the day, winners were chosen in three categories: the best product, the best interview, and the customer's favorite. IRIGO won the award for Best Product. 5 teams were chosen to move on to the next level and compete for the ability to go to Estonia and receive the title of the Best Student Company. IRIGO and Mtevani Georgia were two companies from GZAAT that got to move on to the next level. We wish the teams the best of luck in the finale!
These are the mini-companies from GZAAT that competed during the festival:
IRIGO- Lizi Ebralidze, Sopio Khonelia, Barbare Tetvadze, Barbare Melikidze, Mariam Kalandadze
Mtevani Georgia- Dachi Gvinadze, Irakli Zhgenti, Tornike Zakalashvili
Dokh-Art- Keti Jabishvili, Lizzie Tsitsishvili, Marishka Machavariani, Ketu gugushvili
Correct Tool- Temo Kikava, Sandro Tediashvili, Sandro Kvelidze
MITI- Mariam Gurchumelia, Irinka Mgebrishvili
Edited and Co-written by Barbare Melikidze