Doing good business

Launching a start-up is hard enough without a bottom line of trying to help others.

- COLLEEN BROWN

Setting up your own small business can be satisfying, and also terrifying. But what if you’re trying to make a difference to your local community at the same time? Some of these small enterprises are not only making things work financially, but also giving back to their communities. Those behind five such ventures share their stories.

THE GOOD START FOUNDATION

Michelle Prasad comes across as calm and composed until she starts talking about her Good Start Foundation. Instantly, her face lights up and the 20-year-old law student is off. Originally from Fiji, Prasad started at Edgewater College in Pakuranga, Auckland, in Year 12 and life was sweet and successful. But in Year 13, after being made head girl, she experienced a backlash from some of her peers and social media bullying. With a resilient mother as a role model, she toughed it out and focused on achieving her goals.

During her time at Edgewater, Prasad immersed herself in commerce through the Young Enterprise Scheme, as the CEO of a body butter company she and fellow students created and ran for two years. She grasped every opportunity to learn how business worked and it opened her eyes to a new world. Then came a personal setback. At the end of Year 13, she applied for university scholarships and didn’t get a single offer.

“I was gutted. I had friends who gained scholarships. I knew I could do as well, if not better, than them. It took me a week to process the rejection. Then it was: “What do I want to do?” I realised that I never wanted this to happen to another ‘Michelle’. So, I set up the Good Start Foundation.”