| Western Isles 2008 Winners |
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NuNu Teddies from
Link Teacher: Barbara MacKay
Business Advisers: Dan Mackinnon and Morag Munro
 About NuNu Teddies
NuNu teddies’ products were teddies dressed in variety of handmade outfits made from Isle of Harris tweed or tartan.
The company came up with its name as ‘nunu’ is a common pet name used by children for their favourite teddy!
The company formed in September 2007 and wanted to do something representative of the rich culture of Harris and which would appeal to tourists. They decided to use Harris tweed and a tartan which was hand-made and had been designed by a previous Young Enterprise company!
The company was very small with only 3 students but the team members felt their size was beneficial and made it easier to make decisions and to communicate effectively as there was less need for formal meetings.
They produced the teddies after school and throughout the year, developed their product from the initial teddy wearing a kilt and a bow-tie, to a teddy wearing tweed to their end teddy wearing a full waistcoat and bow-tie!
The company invested in training for all staff and ensured that the product featured the Harris Tweed Orb Symbol to show that it was genuine material. The teddies also had to comply with health and safety regulations. They made sure they reused leftover material in the products so as to cut down on waste.
From their market research, the students determined that people, in a shop, would be willing to spend between £7-£10 on a teddy as a gift. They decided to use this as the pricing guide for their product.
Receiving so many direct orders, they only had to engage in low-key advertising, for example handing out flyers at craft fairs. They approached local retailers to try and take advantage of the summer tourist market and have now sold to companies and continents all over the world.
The company fundraised to raise the capital for their initial registration fee. By selling the teddies at £9.99 each, they would have to sell 38 to break even. To date they have sold 106 and have been able to pay their shareholders a 25% dividend and donate £200 to Cancer Research
The team members are heading to university in Autumn 2008 and so are unable to continue the business but they have been in talks with a local craft-person whom they hope will be able to maintain the trading.
About YES
Through doing YES they have gained new skills and a sense of achievement. The experience has been demanding but they have enjoyed making a contribution to the success of their business.
2008 Awards
Winners: Best Quality Report
Runners-Up: Best Presentation
Runners-Up: Best Trade Stand
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