The Haddocks and the Edwards School of Business feel optimistic about the future of entrepreneurship in Saskatchewan. The fourth crop of young entrepreneurs (kids 7 to 18) to enter the Get a Bigger Wagon Young Entrepreneur Awards (GABWYEA) exhibited a wide variety of interests and business styles. This young entrepreneur competition launched during the Edwards School of Business 100^th anniversary celebrations in September 2018. Gord and Maureen Haddock arranged for an Even Bigger Wagon to be present at the event.  

Three of the four 2019 award recipients were second-time applicants. They had fine-tuned or reinvented their businesses with remarkable success. Gord Haddock said, "It was great to hear one young man reveal that he created a new business after listening to Duane Smith speak about dealerships." Duane was the 2019 presenter in the annual Haddock Entrepreneurial Speaker Series (HESS). Maureen says, "It is wonderful to see young people show such resilience, determination, and perseverance." The Get a Bigger Wagon philosophy is about never giving up. 

The 2020 competition was noteworthy because two of the three winning female-operated companies are in the agricultural sector. This was the first year for a new category aimed at business owners aged 15 to 18.  

The judges were delighted to receive applications from as far away as Consul Saskatchewan. As we advance, we hope to see entries from all corners of the province. Maureen Haddock said, "This is our fourth year for the competition, and I am starting to mark the towns represented by our applicants onto a provincial map." 

We have also added an award for business clubs, classrooms, or associations to honour an individual who works with youngsters to develop a business. These people "sail the entrepreneur... ship," and the cash will go to their young business group. Roadways Literacy Studio took home the inaugural award, and their entrepreneurship program helps teach personal financial literacy, math skills, and communication skills.  

Everyone is welcome to attend the combined Haddock Entrepreneurial Speaker Series HESS and GABWYEA ceremony. The event celebrates entrepreneurship with guests of all ages. Usually held the second week of January at Edwards School of Business, pandemic challenges made a virtual event essential in 2021. The 2022 speaker and 2021 GABWYEA event will happen in the spring of 2022.

Please share the competition information with the young businesspeople in your life; the competition opens on September 1, 2022, and is for young people with an operational business. Please get in touch with maureenhaddock@sasktel.net for application forms. 

 

 

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