Carson City’s young entrepreneurs providing food for thought

Social media was the buzzword of the day for local business owners receiving marketing consulting advice from teen members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada on Wednesday.

Local businesses including The Purple Avocado, Partnership Carson City, The Pink House, The Brewery Arts Center and Harcourts Realty presented students at the Clubs with their business challenges on day one of the three-day project. Students researched and prepared presentations on day two. On day three, they presented their proposals, and participated in a collaborative question and answer session.

“These ideas all have merit because they come from you,” Kathy Bartosz, director of Partnership Carson City, said to the students. “I’m really happy you participated in advising us.”

Key takeaways from student presentations included ideas on which social platforms to post, how to make shops and restaurants appealing to young audiences, put together teen focus groups to explore product mixes and kid-friendly atmospheres, and the kinds of messaging to use when engaging with teens and younger children: Above all, keep it real, and it’s all about the food. Young people love food — pictures and samples, to be precise.

Alex Ellison, executive envisioner for the New Entrepreneurship Network program, said the students are getting a peek at what consulting looks like, and a chance to learn about what local businesses have to offer.

“They really stepped up,” she said. “We’re grateful to these business people who are taking the time to listen and learn from our students. Where else could you get all these people in one room to mingle and network like this?”