RRHS class finds business opportunity

By Ken Johnston
Editor

There are opportunities here, all you have to do is find and do them.
That is the message that Rainy River High School teacher Dan Mack has been telling his grade 11 Entrepreneurship Class for the past five years.
Currently the class is in the silk screening business. The idea surfaced when several groups in the school talked about getting t-shirts made. “We heard around the school the Moose Lake Camping trip and the drama group wanted to get t-shirts made. Normally the school has to farm that work out to a company outside the community,” said Mack
“As their teacher I pitched it and they bought into it,” explained Mack. The course gives the students hands on experience on how to run a business and Mack said they learn every facet of it. Some kids are doing the art work, some the production of the shirts and some doing the books and budgeting.
It cost about $1,500 for the project to get started up, half of which the program had saved from last year’s venture and half of which they borrowed from the school. However, to date they have done nearly 300 t-shirts and have just about broken even.
Before they went ahead and purchased some equipment, they verified their market. “Because we knew there was demand in the school already we knew we could make a go of it,” explained Mack. Their efforts brandished the attention of another large organization outside the school. They landed a contract for 160 t-shirts for the youth soccer program.
The class has had to do some trial and error thinking as they could not afford to buy all the equipment necessary for full production. “We had to make some of our stuff including a light table for exposing the emulsions,” said Mack. But they have learned quickly and they hope that next year they may try multi-colour silk screening. This year they have been doing single colour.
Mack said that they have had nothing but positive feedback from customers. “At first we were worried how they (the shirts) would hold up in the wash, but so far all have been really good.”
Prior to this year’s program, Mack has had his class take on a variety of small business ideas including starting the Owl’s Nest at the school which is a place that sells various products. It was such a success that the RRHS Sports Committee took it over to raise money for school sports teams. Each year the class also plans on paper and then puts on the annual RRHS Awards Banquet. “We have also done larger clothing (sweatshirts and jackets) in the school,” added Mack.
Anyone wanting t-shirts made can call the school (852-3284), but Mack noted the semester is winding down and groups should call very soon to get delivery before school is out.