Scenario: You’re running a small snack stand at a school fair. You sell one item e.g. cookies or lemonade.

Challenge: Create a simple plan for what happens when prices rise. Pick one product to sell, choose a starting price (e.g. £1 an item), now imagine your ingredient cost goes up by 30%.

Decide what you will do next (choose at least 2):

Raise your price
Use cheaper ingredients
Sell smaller portions
Offer a ‘bundle’ deal (e.g. 2 for £1.50)
Add a second product with higher profit

Explain in 5-8 sentences: how your choice affects customers, how your choice affects your profit, and what could go wrong.

Success check: Your plan shows you understand that when costs rise, businesses must adjust price, product, or how they sell.

Scenario: Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic and food waste end up in landfills or the ocean. This harms wildlife, pollutes our environment, and contributes to climate change. But here’s the thing, most people want to help; they just don’t know where to start.

Challenge: Design a simple idea that helps people reduce waste in their everyday lives. This could be: an app idea, a product; a campaign; a social media idea; or a school/community project. Your idea should: Be easy for people to understand, be something people would actually use, make a real difference (even small!).

Use the internet to help you. Here are some great places to start your research: Learn about plastic pollution: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution Get ideas for reducing waste: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z4g9kmn See real eco inventions by young people: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51530393 Explore climate change basics: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/

Bonus points: Can you make your idea fun or rewarding? Could you use AI or technology in your solution? Can you test your idea with friends or family?

Scenario: You run a small service business (or you’re applying for a job) and you need to call someone to book, confirm, or ask for information.

Challenge: Plan and make a structured call in 5 parts

1. Goal: Write the exact outcome you want (e.g. book a slot on Thursday after 4pm).
2. Prep: Write down 2 time options, your key details (name, number, email address), and 3 questions you need answered.
3. Opening script (20 seconds): Who you are, why you’re calling, a polite question to start.
4. Handling problems: Write a response for each – they’re busy (“No problem, when’s a better time?”), they say no (“Thanks, is there another option?”), and they ask something you don’t know (“Let me check and call back by X time”).
5. Close: Confirm the details and next step: date/time, price (if relevant), location or link, and who will follow up.