Year 9 Commerce Market Day: A Hands-On Business Experience

Year 9 Commerce Students ran their own small business at a Market Day Stall

The recent Year 9 Commerce market days were a fantastic opportunity for the Year 9 students to build practical skills whilst also equipping them for future business challenges.

This term, Year 9 Commerce students took learning beyond the classroom as they planned, created and ran their own small business as part of their ‘Running a Business’ Unit. This project gave students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting.

Over the course of the term, students worked collaboratively in small groups to experience the process of running a small business. They conducted market research, followed a budget and set price points, designed promotional materials, and handled sales and business reporting. Their preparation culminated in two bustling Market Days held last Monday and Friday, where each group set up their business as stalls and sold their products to students and staff.

From jewellery and self care products to baked goods and sweet treats, the range of stalls showcased the students’ business acumen. Not only did this allow students to gain hands-on experience in running a small business, they also learned applicable lessons on customer service and financial responsibility.

Comments from some of the students involved are below:

Selling our products was both a fun and valuable experience where we learnt how to plan, price and promote a product while working together as a team. It helped us gain collaborative, teamwork and financing skills.

Kiana, Gabrielle, Florence, Nasslei, Akshara

This was a very enjoyable experience and we learnt a lot about what running a business is like. Although it was very enjoyable and a fun experience, there were some challenges that we all faced. We had to keep a careful track of all our financial transactions and sales, whilst also focusing on preparing our product. This whole experience taught us how to work collaboratively with others.

Ayva Maree, Lavinia, Maisy, Yatra, Elizabeth

It was a rewarding day not only because we made a profit for charity, but we also learned a lot about the fundamental structures of a business.

Sienna, Bianca, Caitlin, Lauren, Prithika, Lucia