Over the weekend, the Estonian Student Business Fair, the largest of its kind, was held in Tallinn, in the Rocca al Mare and Kristiine shopping centres. In total, nearly 450 mini and student companies from all over Estonia and abroad participated in the fair. Valgamaa's young people were represented by a total of seven companies. They had already travelled to Tallinn the day before and visited the TSC service centre, which provides maintenance and warranty repair of various electronic equipment, and the Põhjala factory. Preparations for the fair actually started for the young people long before the day of the fair. They had to think about how to stand out from the other companies, how to place the products on the stand and how to take into account the possible sales volume so that there would still be enough products for those interested.
The fairs give young people a chance to test ideas, listen to customer feedback and develop their product or service step by step. Meelts, a student company from Valga Gymnasium, has already participated in the fairs with honey powder on several occasions. The young people's initial idea was to create ready-made tea portions with sugar or honey, but then they came up with a honey powder solution. The young people have taken on board the suggestions of customers from previous fairs and this time they offered honey cubes to taste alongside the honey powder.
SnapBoard, a student company from Valgamaa Vocational Training Centre, came to the fair with a folding wooden cutting board and a speaker. Their booth quickly attracted attention and one of the first visitors made a purchase. According to the young people, the idea for the cutting board came from a practical need of their own, and the main challenge has been to polish the design into a reliable one.
Bloomix, a mini-company from Valga Primary School, offered fruit and berry powders made without added sugar and preservatives. The young people dry and grind the raw materials, and customers can use the powders in baked goods and other dishes. Interest in the product has been high and feedback has led to the development of savoury variants such as tomato and carrot powder. Based on the experience of previous fairs, a larger quantity was brought in this time. The young people's goal is to become one of the best mini-enterprises in Valga County or Estonia.
The mini-company Mõnus Maaling from Valga Priimetsa School was at the fair with hand-painted large cookies. The idea grew out of young people's interest in drawing. According to the girls, painting details with icing has proven to be quite demanding work and product development has been time-consuming. „We are happy to participate in the fair because we can see what other children's products and services offer and we can get more ideas to develop our own product,“ said the mini-company makers.
VSE lant, a mini-company of Valga Primary School, is active in the supply of fishing equipment. The idea was born out of an interest in fishing, and the products are made using 3D-printing as well as recycling possibilities. For example, the wooden handles of old brushes have been used.
Boys from the Puka Open Youth Centre's mini-company ZÕRUD sold bracelets, especially aimed at young men, and the student company Helk&Vesi from the Keen Youth Centre sold candles with a snowball effect in the lower part.
The young people gained valuable experience at the fair, and the next day of sales awaits them on 7 March at the LEEN Spring Fair of mini- and student companies in Võru Kagukeskus. The season will end on 9 May with the Valga-Valka border youth fair, the biggest open-air youth fair in South Estonia, and the best of the Nupp Nokib entrepreneurship programme.
Participation in the fair took place within the framework of the cooperation project „Entrepreneurial Youth of South Estonia” (LEEN), funded by the measure “Attractive Regional Business and Living Environment”. Co-financed by the European Union.
Attached photos: mini-company Bloomix and mini-company Fun Painting