The first franchise we decided on was a brand called GreenStitch - with the concept being a clothing store where people can donate damaged/old clothing to, which will then be upcycled and sold as new pieces. This idea will reduce the amount of old clothes sent to landfill and encourage people to shop circular. Our second idea was a product called TagTrace - an app which scans the barcode of any piece of clothing and provides a detailed manufacturing history, encouraging the user to make educated decisions on what they purchase.

After spending the term solidifying our knowledge and fluency of our product, we felt confident in ourselves and are looking forward to the expo.

During the expo, we aimed to demonstrate the skills we've acquired throughout the duration of the semester, such as being engaging with our speech, using persuasive techniques and using emotive language in particular. With the bright set-up of our stall, we were able to capture the attention of many people and visually engage them while speaking.

During our final pitch, I tried my best to speak with power and authority in order to effectively spread our message to the audience, however we did end up as one of the runners-up. However, I still believe that this is a great achievement and that Action Project has provided me with many entrepreneurial skills that will benefit me in future career paths.

After completing the story-telling aspects of our presentation, we moved onto factsheets and statistical data to show the impacts which fast fashion has had on both workers and the environment. This allows us to put the problem into numbers which the audience can picture.

This activity supported me in solidifying my understanding on how to pitch a product/idea in an engaging way and how to break down what a product truly is. I found it very enjoyable to witness others pitch their randomized product ideas as well, and I was able to observe what my peers did well so I could further improve my abilities.

The judges agreed that GreenStitch was the stronger of the two franchises. She s also suggested that in order to appeal GreenStitch more to potential customers, we could implement a membership opportunity where customers can acquire discounts with the more clothing they donate or the more they purchase from GreenStitch as opposed to fast fashion brands.

Overall, I was proud of the way we presented to the judges and I feel that I have undoubtedly improved with my public speaking skills through practice. We have taken the feedback into consideration for out INNOV8 Expo in Week 8.

This activity gave us the opportunity to think outside the box and improve out creative and critical thinking skills. Now that we have the skills to work efficiently and create a pitch in such a short timeframe, we will be able to effectively prepare for the INNOV8 marketing pitch and future expo.

In terms of our own stall and idea, I was particularly proud of our set-up and visual appeals as it allowed us to attract audience members and effectively spread word of our product and cause. Additionally, making story-telling such a large part of our marketing tactic ensured that with every explanation, we were able to capture the audiences’ emotions and therefore emphasize the need for a franchise like GreenStitch. However, for future reference it would be highly beneficial to our presentation if we made the posters much simpler, that way the audience members aren’t required to strain to read it and could listen to us speak instead.

Additionally, many other groups incorporated interesting graphics and transitions to their slideshows, which made the presentation appealing to the audience. As our slides were fairly simple, we aim to work on them more for future reference.

I look forward to creating an engaging presentation and stall set-up in the next couple weeks and hope that I can finally demonstrate all the skills Action Project has provided me with over the past term and a half.

This will support me on my journey to develop entrepreneurial skills and be successful in our upcoming action project assignments.

As a treat for the viewers, we also aim to incorporate frosted cookies (again, green) which the viewer can win if they correctly answer a trivia question based on the information we've stated and whats displayed on our posters. We will also leave out Mentos which the audience can take along with a business card, complete with our website QR code, emails and brief brand information.

We will also keep prototypes for our franchise; the prototypes being clothes that we've upcycled ourselves. This aspect will give the viewers a tangible visual to imagine what the clothes we sell would be like.

Sophie worked on creating a finance spreadsheet to demonstrate where we aim to invest our money. As the fabric needed to create clothes will be provided to us for free (as it is donated by the general public) we can advertise that majority of out money and investments will be spent on labor - high wage workers - and other aspects such as equipment, facilities and stores. Due to this, our clothing will likely be around the same price as fast fashion pieces, which is one of our strongest areas.

Kiara and Katrina worked together to create our Elevator pitch in case we reached finals. They both worked on the slides and script, making sure whatever we displayed and said would be impactful and persuasive in order to appeal to the audience and the judges.

Overall, at this point in time I feel that our pitch is concise and effective, and I look forward to presenting it next week!

This experience has not only improved my communication skills but has also fundamentally boosted my entrepreneurial abilities. By learning to articulate ideas effectively and persuasively, I am better prepared to navigate future business ventures. The course has equipped me with the confidence to present innovative concepts and the skills to engage stakeholders, which are essential for success in the entrepreneurial world.

Overall, this course has laid a strong foundation for my future endeavours, empowering me with the tools and confidence needed to pursue business opportunities with assurance and creativity.

Throughout this course, I have gained invaluable insights into my personal and academic growth. My communication skills have improved, allowing me to express ideas more clearly and listen actively. Collaboration has taught me the importance of teamwork and leveraging diverse perspectives. Creativity has flourished as I explored innovative solutions, while critical thinking has sharpened my ability to analyse and evaluate information effectively. This experience has also strengthened my character, fostering resilience and adaptability. These skills are not only essential for academic success but will also guide me in future endeavours, enhancing my ability to contribute positively to any team or project.

In terms of the personal knowledge I have derived from this course, I have been able to identify my introverted nature much more clearly and therefore been able to encourage myself to adequately step out of my comfort zone. I am extremely pleased with my growth as a holistic learner through this course and hope to demonstrate my newfound skills in situations to come.