With school at Portage Collegiate Institute back in session, a group of students is picking up right where they left off and expanding on a business plan.

Four students from last year's PCI Grade 11 Business Venture Development course took time out of their summer to launch a coupon book called PLAP Deals.

Grade 12 student Tynan Nutbean explains the concept of their idea.

"We were sitting around brainstorming, and we thought coupon book, and this idea clicked with us all. The other ideas went out the window, and then we when we thought of this one," says Nutbean. "We didn't want to be like most coupon books, where we do all businesses.
We were trying to focus on primarily local businesses in Portage, Oakville, and area."

The class developed branding for the book, reached out to businesses to recruit them, and are running the Plap Deals social media. The book contains 16 businesses with 17 pages in the book with three deals per page. Student Jace Crawford says it's a great feeling to see the business grow.

"It just started so small with all of us not knowing what we're going to do, what's going on. It's having a direction and knowing what we're going to do and how we're going to do it," says Crawford. "It's just been great to get it out there and actually hold the book. Getting them printed was a big moment for us and now being able to sell them is even bigger."

Jacelynn McDonald says group chemistry plays a vital role in their success.

"I think what makes it work better is we're all so different (and the four of us) balance each other off."

The group agrees that this project has been a great tool for the class to learn more about creating a business and sustaining it. Eina Tayag explains how you can pick up your own coupon book.

"We can do purchasing through our social media, which is on Facebook. You can send us a direct message as well as on Instagram @plapdeals," says Tayag. "We also have a collaboration with Keystone Sports Excellence, where we have our coupon book on their website. They can go through the website, have it ordered, and then they can choose whether to get it delivered to their home or order it and pick it up."

You can find their Facebook page here.