40 Business Ideas. 2 Days. Endless Creativity.

What happens when you give young people just two days to become entrepreneurs?

At Belmont Mill Hill Prep, the answer was simple: more than 40 business ideas, countless creative solutions, and a room full of students discovering what they are capable of achieving.

Recently, Young Entrepreneurs Academy had the privilege of delivering a two-day Dragons' Den Pitch Competition with Year 8 students, challenging them to identify problems, develop solutions, and transform their ideas into viable business concepts.

What followed was an incredible display of imagination, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Over the course of the programme, students moved through every stage of the business creation process. They identified customer needs, designed products and services, built brands, developed marketing ideas, and prepared investment-style pitches for the final showcase.

The pace was intense. The energy was infectious. And the quality of ideas exceeded every expectation.

One of the most exciting aspects of the competition was seeing how quickly students embraced the challenge. Ideas that began as simple conversations rapidly evolved into thoughtful business concepts, with teams demonstrating remarkable creativity and commercial awareness.

Just as importantly, students learned that entrepreneurship is rarely about having all the answers from the start. It is about testing ideas, adapting, working collaboratively, and having the confidence to keep improving.

Throughout the event, students also had the opportunity to hear directly from entrepreneurs who shared their own experiences of building businesses and navigating challenges.

We were delighted to welcome Tobi Ajala, entrepreneur and technologist, who spoke about teaching herself to code as a teenager before going on to work with globally recognised organisations including BBC and Apple. Through her company, TECHTEE, she now supports organisations in using technology to drive innovation and growth.

Students also heard from Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe, who reflected on a journey that began with entrepreneurial ventures during his school years and ultimately led to the creation of a business valued at more than £4 billion.

For many students, these conversations provided a valuable insight into the reality of entrepreneurship: not as a distant concept, but as something built through curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to take initiative.

After an incredibly competitive final round, one team emerged as this year's winner.

Congratulations to Little Rays of Sunshine, whose idea focused on creating age-appropriate comfort boxes designed to make hospital stays less daunting and more positive for children.

What made the idea stand out was not only its creativity, but its empathy. The team identified a genuine problem and designed a solution that could make a meaningful difference to the experiences of young patients and their families.

It was a wonderful example of entrepreneurship at its best: using ideas to solve real problems and create positive impact.