HP LIFE Helps Student Improve His Small Business
June 2023
YMCA training and HP LIFE courses taught Cameron Early the skills and knowledge needed to take his budding business from bedroom to bank.
Cameron Early is an accomplished coder and maker and a member of his local YMCA in Glasgow, Scotland. He is passionate about skills development and believes all young people should have access to maker spaces and tech incubators, such as those provided by YMCA, where they can learn in-demand skills and explore entrepreneurial ideas.
Like most of us, Cameron looked forward to spending his first Christmas after the pandemic with his family and friends. He was keen to mark the occasion by giving each of them a unique keepsake. Using the skills he had developed at the YMCA, Cameron designed and built a 3D-printed, battery-operated clock to replicate one from a TV show he and his friends had enjoyed watching during lockdown.
Cameron was delighted to receive positive reactions to his gift. Realizing there could be a market for his clock, he created an Etsy store, CameronMakesThings, where he could test his hunch. At the same time, he began thinking about developing a business to sell other products. To help him get started, staff at the YMCA introduced Cameron to HP LIFE.
The free business skills training program from the HP Foundation can be accessed online via the HP LIFE platform and mobile app, as well as offline through Learning Equality’s Kolibri platform. The program gives people all over the world the opportunity to learn in-demand skills and core business concepts—whether they want to enhance their education, start their own business, or secure a better job—by providing more than 30 accessible training courses in eight languages. It is also an adaptable educational resource used by trainers, educators, and mentors to enrich curricula, support business creation, and improve employability skills.
Cameron enrolled in several HP LIFE courses covering topics including marketing, finance and selling online, gaining the knowledge and confidence to develop his fledgling business.
“As someone without previous knowledge of running an enterprise, I found the HP LIFE courses engaging. The interactive content and videos made it fun to learn, and I quickly realized I had developed my enterprise back to front, creating a product before a business,” said Cameron “It led me to question why young people are not encouraged to develop a business while in school. If I had had access to the HP LIFE program during high school, just think where my business would be today.”
Inspiring Stories Showing the Impact of Our Global Program
Roger Blair, Professor III Entrepreneurship
View success story“Incorporating HP LIFE into our upper-level entrepreneurship course has enabled us to offer our students access to a high-quality open-access learning resource, supporting our goal to find long-term solutions to textbook affordability.”
Danayit Zegeye, YMCA Ethiopia
View success story“The knowledge I have gained from taking HP LIFE courses will allow me to make disciplined decisions and invest in my business.”
Cameron Early, Student, YMCA Scotland
View success story“As someone without previous knowledge of running an enterprise, I found the HP LIFE courses engaging. The interactive content and videos made it fun to learn.”
Argiris Tzikopoulos, CEO, JA Greece
View success story“We are glad for our global collaboration with HP. Our organizations share a common passion for enhancing students’ soft skills and empowering them. As JA Greece, we are proud that we are building on expanding this partnership to reach more students through HP LIFE courses.”
Shanthi Kanthaswamy, executive director, JA Malaysia
View success story“Teachers are pivotal to education and to the impact it has on students who are our hope and future leaders. JA Malaysia is truly grateful for the empathy shown by HP Malaysia to the challenges these heroes of education are facing at the moment.”
Andrea Mendes, executive director, Mundo Aflora
View success story“The HP volunteer team helped increase the self-esteem of these young women who are forgotten by a large part of society.”
HP LIFE graduate, Costa Rica
View success story“The course exceeded my expectations in terms of content, tools, application, and the most valuable thing, which is the human factor, because behind it all there is a whole team full of commitment, dedication and professionalism. HP LIFE truly transforms lives.”
Ndinda Catherine Leech, YALI participant
View success story“I encourage everyone to take advantage of any opportunity to learn new skills, especially if it’s free. Improving your knowledge will take you a long way.”
Jalel Echaybi
View success storyI particularly liked the HP LIFE marketing courses. I use these every day in the planning and growth of my business.
Sondess Amara
View success storyHP LIFE training has been crucial for me. Through the HP LIFE program, I was given mentoring to complete my business plan, learned how to advertise my business and even how to do my accounts from one year to the next.
Tunisian entrepreneurs
View success storyFive Tunisian entrepreneurs hone their entrepreneurship skills through the Mashrou3i program and learn cooperation is the best way to grow a successful business.
Anis Assali
View success storyI learned how to use Microsoft Excel to determine the break-even point of my business and how to analyze my expenses which has enabled me to better estimate my real costs. HP LIFE helped me in virtually every aspect of my business.
Charity Selorm
View success storyI learnt so many new skills through HP LIFE. Like how to use the business model canvas tool to develop and refine a business idea, how to determine the break-even point, how to price my services properly, and how to identify my target market.
Barbara Millard from Johnson County Community College, US
View success storyHP LIFE was just what I was looking for to add new life to my teaching. I can use the modules as basic course content, or as a refresher. Each module stands alone and can be mixed and matched according to individual class needs.