Young entrepreneurs showed off their business ideas, including perfumes, clothing, phone cases and games, to the public yesterday in front of City Hall.

The participants, aged 13 to 23, are midway through a course to teach them business basics with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation.

The BEDC student showcase was a chance for the youngsters to launch their concepts and try them out on potential customers.

Among them was Roqué Roberts, whose fragrance business Scents on de Roq came from an idea two years ago.

“I started getting interested in perfume and cologne and I thought it would be cool to start my own business,” he said.

“I would like sell my products through stores but I will start off by retailing myself.”

Roqué unveiled five scents, based on oils acquired from a local distributor.

“I smell it myself ‒ if I like it, we bottle it,” he said.

Nearby was Tie’Asia Allen, who got the idea for her beauty and skincare products, Brazil Ill, three years ago.

“I’ve been thinking about being an entrepreneur since I was 13, but I never put it into action until now,” she said. “I was tired of asking my parents for money.”

She said her mother had signed her up for the eight-week course on business basics, including handling revenue and dealing with the public.

“I didn’t understand it at first but I’ve begun to get it. I’m still working on it.”

Kelsea Williams, a communications and development officer at the BEDC, explained that students earnt $900 in seed money from the organisation.

Ms Williams added: “Over the eight weeks there are two weeks of education, learning how to start.

“The rest of the time is them actually selling and they get to keep the funds they earn from their revenues.”

Aniyah Paiva had an assortment of colourful and custom-made mobile phones on display for her product line, Junkie Cases by Aniyah.

She explained that she became involved because she wanted to make her own income.

“I didn’t want to rely on someone else. I wanted to work for myself,” she said.

Three weeks into the course, she had a series of cases decorated with charms attached using resin.

Nylan Tyrrell’s clothing line caught the attention of a business owner, who gave him advice on where to source manufacturers.

He said: “The business is named Paxus, which is Latin for ‘peace’, and the business is all about the peaceful mindset.

“I just like clothes, and I decided to make something that I knew I could understand. Creating the designs comes easily to me.”

His inspiration to sign up for the course came in part from his mother, who had been on one of the BEDC’s courses.

Ethan Kessell’s role-playing game enterprise, Building Blocks, came from his enjoyment of the tabletop classic Dungeons & Dragons ‒ along with a desire to improve on it.

“I played it for five years and found there were rules that I was unsatisfied with,” he told The Royal Gazette. “I saw things in other games that I liked. I thought I could do better and felt I had ideas that people would want to pay for.”

Arhyiah Tatem’s business, Mindful Treasures, similarly came from a desire to improve on bracelets, necklaces, earrings, key chains, rings and pins by giving them a “neurodivergent” spin, with colourful designs that were fun for “fidgeting”.

“What I saw catered to only one demographic,” she said. “I wanted to cater to others.”

She said she sourced the beads and other pieces used to assemble the jewellery online.

“I make them by hand,” Ms Tatem said. “It’s about stringing beads ‒ and patience.”