Burnham Grammar students win regional Young Enterprise competition

Enterprising Year 12s at Burnham Grammar School have placed first in a business competition with their unique dog training product. 

The ‘Talkin Tailz’ team caught the eyes of judges in the regional round of the Young Enterprise competition, sweeping Overall Winner, Best Trade Stand and Marketing, Best Innovation and Best Presentation.

The clever device is worn by dogs and contains four sets of commands that help owners with training and pups with anxiety when off the lead.

Whilst creating this main product for the market, the students also made by hand and sold high-quality woollen dog toys.

One of the company’s creators, student and managing director, Toby, said it took hard work but Talkin Tailz has potential.

“I am incredibly proud of our team, having seen every member, encounter and overcome the many difficulties of starting up a student company.

"The initial obstacles came from cooperating as a group of independent thinkers, each of whom had their own ideas of merit, and finding ways to incorporate everyone's views into a single business plan that we all believed in.

"As the Managing Director of the team, it has been a privilege to watch every team member develop - not only as students- but as people, learning to self-motivate and cooperate with others. 

"Developing our product range has taken many hard nights of thinking, discussing and innovating, culminating into what we now believe to be a business model with great sales potential.

"We had a very successful Area Final as part of our Young Enterprise Competition, and are now Regional Finalists, something as a team, we are incredibly proud of. 

"I am confident that Talkin Tailz will continue to grow, whether that be a part of the Young Enterprise competition or not, and that each member of our team has greatness in their future."

Talkin Tailz are now through to the Regional South Central Final in Buckingham in May which sees them competing against schools from Chiltern, Oxford, Wycombe and Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead.

Supporting them is, Ridwan Madarbukus, head of business and economics who said:

"We are incredibly proud of our 'Talkin Tailz' Young Enterprise Team.

“The students have shown exemplary teamwork, communication and organisational skills which are a testament to Burnham Grammar School.

“The level of innovation the team has shown is incredible, they have come up with an idea that truly connects with pet owners and the resilience they have shown from the fundraising stage to getting the prototype manufactured has been phenomenal. We are excited for what the future holds for Talkin Tailz.”