Free taster lesson: Think Like an Entrepreneur
In short
Think Like an Entrepreneur is a free one-hour enterprise lesson for ages 12-14. Pupils find out what an entrepreneur is, read real UK founders' stories for evidence of the traits they share, say which traits they already have, then hunt for a real problem and write it in one clear sentence. It opens the Enterprise Day, Week and club.
Free with a We Can Be account. One zip file, about 4.4 MB.
- Time
- 60 minutes (50 of activities)
- Group
- A class in teams of 3-4
- Prep
- About 10 minutes
- Screen
- Optional
Look inside
Real pages from this kit. Have a flick through.
Slides pupils can read from the back row, a guide with every word you need and printables that look great in black and white.
Slide: they all started small
Eight UK founders and how each one started: in a kitchen, a garage or their spare time. Most entrepreneurs aren't famous.
What pupils make and take home
- A definition of an entrepreneur in their own words, on an exit ticket
- The founder traits they already have, and one to build
- A real problem, written as one clear sentence
- A founder mission to try at home
Why it works in a real classroom
- Ready in the time it takes to print and cut the cards
- Works on paper if the projector won't play
- Support and stretch for every part of the lesson
- Teams carry their problem straight into the Day, Week or club
Get the kit
How to download the Free taster lesson
Four quick steps. Everything comes as one zip file with numbered folders, so you always know what to open first.
- 1
Sign in
Use your We Can Be account, or create one free in a minute.
- 2
It's free
The taster is free for every signed-in teacher and leader.
- 3
Download the zip
One file, about 4.4 MB, with everything in numbered folders.
- 4
Unzip and open folder 01
Windows: right-click, Extract All. Mac or iPad: double-click or tap. Then open 01 Start here.
The whole kit, in one download
Slides, guide and every printable · zip file · 4.4 MB
Free with an account. You'll come straight back here after signing in.
Stuck? Get in touch and we'll sort it.
60 minutes
Running order
0:00
Starter and what is an entrepreneur?
Who can name one? Then a simple definition, and eight founders who all started small.
0:12
What makes an entrepreneur?
Pairs list words, then teams read a founder story card and find the line that proves a trait.
0:25
Sticky-note wall and where ideas come from
Everyone adds a trait, skill or passion to the wall. Good ideas sit where a problem meets something you love or are good at.
0:36
Problem hunt
Teams list problems at school, at home, in hobbies and online, then write one in a single sentence. Founder Match is an optional extra.
0:52
Share and reflect
Hands up if you've had this problem too, an exit ticket and a founder mission for home.
What's in the zip
Everything you need, in numbered folders
Open folder 01 and it tells you what to print, what to read and what to press. No hunting through files the night before.
01 Start here
- One page: print this, read this, press play
02 Guide
- 9 pages: the lesson on one page, step-by-step script and timings, answers, support and stretch for every part
03 Slides
- 18 slides as editable PowerPoint and a PDF that plays anywhere, with the script in the speaker notes
04 Print
- Founder story cards
- Founder Match cards (optional)
- Problem hunt sheet
- Exit tickets
- Founder mission cards
- Tools for every stage, with QR codes
Real UK founders
Founders pupils will meet
Real people who started with a simple idea, some while they were still at school. Every fact is checked against a published source, and the guide shows you how to invite a local entrepreneur too.
Omari McQueen
Dipalicious
His own vegan dips.
Avye Couloute
Girls Into Coding
Hands-on coding and robotics workshops for girls.
Ben Francis
Gymshark
Gym clothes, first made in his parents' garage.
Lucie Macleod
Hair Syrup
Hair oils, first mixed in her student kitchen.
Fraser Doherty
SuperJam
Jam from his gran's recipes, sweetened with fruit juice.
Honor & Cat Black
Maiden Cricket
Cricket kit designed for girls and women.
Ali Abdaal
YouTube creator and author
Study and productivity videos, made while he trained as a doctor.
Pip Murray
Pip & Nut
Nut butters, first blitzed in her own kitchen.
Segun Akinwoleola
The Gym Kitchen
High-protein versions of familiar ready meals.
Charlotte Liebling
Loved Before
Rescued soft toys, cleaned, repaired and rehomed.
Mark Rushmore & Gyve Safavi
SURI
A repairable electric toothbrush with plant-based heads.
Cassandra Stavrou
PROPERCORN
PROPERCORN popcorn.
Cross-curricular
Curriculum links, life skills and tools
Curriculum links
- England: PSHE (living in the wider world), KS3 citizenship, spoken language in English
- Scotland: Developing the Young Workforce and the Career Education Standard
- Wales: Careers and Work-Related Experiences (CWRE)
- Northern Ireland: Learning for Life and Work
- Gatsby Benchmark 5 when a local business owner joins and talks with pupils
Life skills it builds (Skills Builder)
Optional tools on a screen
The kit runs on paper. These free tools add a bit of magic on the big screen.
AI · Kit Add-on Studio
Add exactly what your group needs
A warm-up, a themed version, a stretch task or an adaptation for one child. Describe it and the studio writes it to fit the free taster lesson, ready to print.
AI · Kit Add-on Studio
Ask for exactly what your group needs
A warm-up, an adaptation, a themed version or an extension. It's drafted inside the kit's rules: teams of 3-4, adults hold any money, the teacher runs any AI tool, low-ink printables, UK English.
Free account: 3 a day. Never include pupils' names.
What you'll get
- Where it fits in the kit, and how long it takes
- Timed steps with words to say
- What to gather, and a low-ink printable if it helps
- Ways to support and stretch, and what success looks like
Print it, or copy it straight into your plan.
More for ages 12-14
The same story, other lengths
Answers
Questions about this kit
Yes, with a free We Can Be account. It's a complete lesson with slides, a guide and printables, not a cut-down sample.
Pupils keep their problem sentence. The Enterprise Day, Week and club all start the same way, so a class can carry straight on and interview people about that problem.
They learn that most entrepreneurs aren't famous and started small, they name the traits founders share using evidence from real stories, they say which traits they already have, and they practise spotting a problem worth solving.
Yes. Write the starter question on the board and read the rest from the guide. Every activity works from the printables.
Pricing
Free taster, then £49 once for your setting
Start here
Free
Taster lesson, with a free account
- A complete one-hour lesson, not a cut-down sample
- Slides, a step-by-step guide and every printable
- Founder story cards and a problem hunt
- Exit tickets and a founder mission for every pupil
Educator licence
£49 once
Every teacher and leader in your school, club or group. No subscription.
- Every kit, in every format, for every age group as it's released
- Editable slides, word-for-word guides and every printable
- Unlimited Kit Add-on Studio
- Everything in the £29 plan too: every course, every tool with unlimited AI, the role models and all the resources
- Yours for good, with free updates
Get started
The taster is free with an account. Join the list and we'll email you the day the hub opens.
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