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#AGEC22 Blogpost Challenge 2 is here!

Announcing the AGEC2022 Blogpost Challenge 2 – Info, Instructions and Criteria

It is great to have you join us on the entrepreneurship journey. 20 Learners walked away with R500 each in Blogpost Challenge 1 in June.  In case you missed it, check out the Top 20 leaderboard for Blogpost Challenge 1 to see who is leaving their mark on the platform this year!

Now we are ready to share the next challenge with you… the AGEC2022 Blogpost Challenge 2! 

Remember, AGEC is about continuous engagement on the platform, not just the 2D game, which will be launched again a little later in the year. The more mini challenges you take part in, the more you will be sharpening your entrepreneurial sword, as you take on the world with your amazing entrepreneurial ideas!

The Blogpost Challenge 2 starts at 8 am, Monday 29 August and runs until midnight Monday, 12 September. 

What is it, and who is it for? 

Entrepreneurs enjoy problem-solving. In other words, when they see a problem, they look for opportunities to solve the problem or find a solution to the problem.

The problem could be social, environmental, educational, health-related, or something else. 

So, they may look at a problem in an existing product or service, and say …

• “I wish they had this kind of service at this business because more customers would support them if they did”, or 
• “These BoJo sneakers have poor-quality laces that break, and if you sold them with the laces that Jam-jam sneakers have, people would buy more”, or 
• “It is crazy to see how people have to queue at the BIG FEAST FAST FOOD outlet at the end of the month, wasting time, when I have a really good solution to speed things up, and BIG FEAST will be able to sell more fast food”.

To become an opportunity, an idea needs to be evaluated and acted upon, right?

This is what we want you to do as part of the Blogpost Challenge 2: We want you to evaluate an existing product or service (any one that you want), identify an opportunity to make that product or service better, and then present that idea in the form of a collaborative blog.

Recognising opportunities is a thinking process that relies on your ability to recognize patterns and connect the dots!  Entrepreneurs constantly seek new profitable and sustainable income streams. 

There are two ways to recognise opportunities: 

1. You can discover them through your own or other people’s experiences.
2. You can create them yourself as the Founder, or with other Co-Founders by brainstorming around the problem identified.

Entrepreneurs create opportunities when they engage with others in exchanging thoughts and ideas back and forth, and each time it becomes clearer what their intended audience’s needs are and how they will be solved. 

Creating opportunities is a social process and relies on the ability of entrepreneurs to work together!  

For this challenge, there is R40,000 worth of prize money to be won! That’s right, R40,000 worth of cash vouchers will be distributed this week!

So, let’s explain how the Blogpost Challenge 2 works.

Please note:

1. You need to create a team of 2 (Partner A and Partner B) who are both registered on the Gaming Network, to form a partnership. You could team up with a friend or another person on the Gaming Network. You can team up with a person at your school, at another school, or even in another province. You choose.
2. Importantly, a team of two cannot be in the same grade. So, if you are in Grade 10, you need to partner with a learner in another grade. Your partner cannot be in Grade 10 if you are in Grade 10, or Grade 8 if you are in Grade 8, and so forth.
3. Both members of the team of two have the chance to win a R1000 cash voucher. Yes, that’s R1000 each!

What are we looking out for?

• Resourcefulness
• Networking
• Collaboration
• Identifying an opportunity in an existing market (product or service)
• A viable solution to make the best of that opportunity

Are you still feeling up for the challenge? Keep reading to find out how to participate.

How do I attempt it? 

• Step 1: Select a partner, in a different grade from yours, that you would like to work with in this round. They could be from any school (including yours) or you can network on the Gaming Network to find a partner. 

• Step 2: Together, formulate a quick research plan to observe and identify a product or service that you think can be improved upon. Through your research, identify new opportunities that will improve the product or service that you have identified.

Once you begin brainstorming to improve existing products and/or services, you need to bear the following in mind when coming up with a solution:   

• It needs to fulfil customer needs and expectations. 
• It can be a brand-new innovative solution. 
• It should still be in alignment with the company’s beliefs and existing products/services. 
• It needs to be able to generate profit with customers willing to pay for the product. 
• It also needs to be attractive and desirable for people who want to buy it. 

• Step 3: Once you and your partner have identified an opportunity, use the activities listed below to decide between yourselves which of you will play the role of Partner A and Partner B. 
• If you are Partner A, you will need to post a blog of at least 300 words on your timeline via the Gaming Network on the following topic: WHAT WE LEARNT DURING THE PROCESS.

Here are some questions Partner A can answer to help write his/her blog:

• What skills and entrepreneurial competencies did each of you bring to the discussion? How did they help you as you worked together on this challenge?
• What service or product did you decide on? Why did you decide on that service or product?
• What problem did you identify for that service or product, and how did you convert that problem into an opportunity?
• What were the areas that you disagree on and how did you overcome those areas of disagreement?

You must end off your blog with the words: Check out my Partner B’s (give his/her name) blog on their timeline here.

• If you are Partner B, you also need to post a blog of at least 300 words on your timeline via the Gaming Network on the following topic:

OUR SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WE IDENTIFIED IN A SERVICE OR PRODUCT

Encourage the reader of your blog to read your Partner A (give his/her name) blog before reading yours. Here are some questions Partner B can answer to help write his/her blog:

• What solution are you proposing for the problem you identified?

• How will your solution benefit the beneficiary or consumer?

• Why will your solution be better than the one that is already in the market, or already being used by consumers/beneficiaries? Motivate this.

• How do you know that there is a need for the solution that you have provided? 

• Step 4:  Both Partner A and Partner B must post their respective blogs online between 8 am on Monday 29 August and midnight Monday, 12 September for it to be considered for the prize money.

• Step 5: Both Partner A and Partner B need to secure a minimum of 20 likes each for the two blog posts. i.e., Partner A’s blog must have at least 20 likes and Partner B’s blog must have at least 20 likes.  You need to get support from other members of the Gaming Network to get these likes.

How to claim your prize 

 Remember, there is R40,000 worth of cash vouchers up for grabs, and these vouchers will go to 20 partnerships that submit their claim and meet the criteria listed below.

• Criteria 1: Each partner (Partner A and Partner B) must have posted a minimum of 300 words each in their blog, on the Gaming Network, specifically posted between the 29th of August and 12th of September.  

• Criteria 2: Only one person (either Partner A or Partner B) should send a single email to info@entrepreneurshipchallenge.co.za to claim the prizes (for themselves and their challenge partner) and this email should also be sent between 29 August and 12 September. The other partner must be cc’ed on the email. In this email, screenshots of both blogposts should be attached, clearly showing:

• your names, 
• the date when the post was issued,
• and the number of likes gained.

• Criteria 3: This is a networking challenge, so each blogpost must have gained a minimum of 20 likes on the Gaming Network and the number of likes should be clearly visible in the screenshots.

• Criteria 4: The email must state each of the following for both Partner A and Partner B: 

• Full Name
• School Name
• Grade
• Cell Number (this is the number that will be used to notify the winners of the cash vouchers. If you provide the incorrect cell number, the cash will be drawn by someone else, and you will lose out on your prize)

• Criteria 5: Visit your profile settings! All profiles must be set on viewing for “everyone” for the duration of the challenge and at least for 10 days after the challenge closes. i.e., Friday, 23 September. This means your grade & profile information must be visible to us when we visit your profile, and we must be able to view and read your blogpost (you can keep the rest of your information hidden). This will also aid the visibility of your profile during the challenge so others can read and interact with your post, meeting part of the criteria of this challenge. You can change your profile back to “private” once winners are announced on the leaderboard.  

A Check List 

• Your partner must be cc’ed into the email used to claim the prizes for a valid entry. 
• Both partners cannot be in the same grade.  
• Only a single email with all the screenshots should be used to claim. Two or more emails received is an automatic disqualifier (e.g., if Partner A emails through their screenshot whilst Partner B emails through their own screenshot in separate emails). 
• Prizes are limited to 40 learners (20 sets of partners) that send through valid claims between 29 August and 12 September 2022. 
• In this exercise, strong quality writing, research and entrepreneurial thinking will help prepare you for the business world and may also attract like-minded individuals for future collaborations and most importantly, in this challenge, you may also gain more likes from the online community. Don’t forget to punctuate and proofread before posting!  

NB*: The Blogpost Challenge 2 is only accessible to learners in Grades 8 to12 in 2022 who are registered on the Gaming Network.  

Need assistance? We’re happy to assist you! Contact us at info@entrepreneurshipchallenge.co.za for all queries relating to AGEC.

Good luck!

The AGEC Team