Entrepreneurial Endeavors

[gratefulmother]

I have a daughter who has a very entrepreneurial spirit about her. Since she was four years old she is constantly asking to babysit, sell lemonade, be a mother's helper, host a "camp" for toddlers or sell handmade things.

 

I haven't found a way to encourage her in this at her young age (dd is 9), but I would like to. Gosh, what a valuable set of skills to have to be able to run a small business from home one day when she is a wife and mother. Or to be able to teach the same skills to other women on the mission field.

 

I just don't know how to go about doing this. Are their books for kids that would like to start their own business to read?

 

If I am honest, I have the same spirit, but have not really done anything about it. I am wondering if I should step out and do something for myself and so that she can learn alongside me.

 

Any thoughts or recommendations? Thanks so much!

[jetzmama]

My 11yo ds has been setting up a tomato and lemonade stand once a summer for a few years. He doesn't make much, especially when he divides it between his brothers and any of the other neighborhood kids that pitch in, but he has a great time organizing it and does well with the customer service aspect.

 

An 11yo dd of a friend loves crafts. She sets up a table at a local, free to participate, craft fair each fall and sells all kinds of things she has made during the year (soaps, scarves, jewelry, chocolates etc.). Again, she doesn't make a whole lot, but she is learning so much while having a blast at her endeavors. My 9yo has planted gourds that he hopes to paint and sell with her at her table this year.

 

Good luck & HTH!

[PiCO]

I think you should plan something with her, do it together. The camp idea sounds fun!

 

Whatever business plans you make with her, talk about overhead and expenses as well as profit. I think a mistake a lot of parents make is letting their kids sell lemonade and keep all the money, even though mom or dad bought all the ingredients.

[LauraGB]

Dd baked and sold dog treats when she was about 9 years old. She found the recipes, worked for the $ for the ingredients, found her clients (relatives and friends, friends of relatives :D), made them herself, bagged them, made the stickers for the packages, etc. She enjoyed it a great deal and saved enough to get an mp3 player and a ton of books.

 

It's good to support them in the endeavor. It also helps to solidify math facts (how much can I invest based on what I earned and still profit). Great skill to instill early on. I'm not familiar with any books about it, though.

[amy g.]

I don't have any book suggestions, but my 3 oldest children have home based businesses. My 15 year old shows and sells goats. My 14 year old teaches piano, and sells goat milk soap. My 11 year old raises quail, and sells ornaments she makes from their blown eggs.

 

I never really thought about where they got it, but I did put myself through college selling airbrushed t-shirts of dinosaurs trampling downtown Austin.

 

My suggestion would be to have her make a simple website like the one my kids made,

 

http://www.dancingdogdairy.com/

 

 

and just keep trying to support her in every way you can.

[gratefulmother]

Thank you for the responses. I am already getting excited about the potential!

 

OMGoodness, amy g.! I would say they got it from you! I was laughing by the time I got to airbrush t-shirts and then it just kept getting funnier . . . dinosaurs trampling Austin?? My brother went to that UT, so I will have to ask if he ever saw one of your shirts.

 

I will definitely check out the website. Lots of learning potential involved in setting that up, I am sure.

[Lara in Colo]

Watch this

 

 

 

Lara

[makagrin]

Your child could combine the entrepreneur spirit with an opportunity to serve. This is for pediatric cancer, an inspiring story. We are getting involved b/c of a friend of a friend, but it might be a good lemonade experience. As a small bus. owner myself, I think the most exciting part of coming up with business ideas is the ways that it enables you to bless other, in ways that you otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. Check this out: https://www.alexslemonade.org/

You can read the entire story online. It might be a good start, and your child could always learn from the exp. some business principles that will help with something else they choose to do in the future.

[joannqn]

I reviewed a book for Thomas Nelson publisher that you might be interested in called Take Your Best Shot. For a Christian kid with entrepreneurial bent, it would be interesting, I think. It's written for teens but the person it was written by and about was 9 when he started his nonprofit called Hoops for Hope. You can see my review at my blog, but definitely preread because there are some harsh realities of life in Africa discussed that may be too much for a 9 year old, depending on the child/family.

 

I get nothing for suggesting the book...not an affiliate or anything. It just fits your situation as this teen, who wrote the book, started raising money for Africa (giving the money to World Vision) at 9. He's since raised enough to build schools/hospitals, etc. in Africa and has traveled there twice, I think.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My little entrepreneur (dd8) likes these books:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Jobs-Kids-Jeanne-Kiefer/dp/0761326111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280728764&sr=1-1

 

http://www.amazon.com/Totally-Awesome-Business-Book-Kids/dp/1557042268/ref=sr_1_24?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1280728837&sr=1-24

 

We just got the books from the library.

[gratefulmother]

You ladies are so smart! Lara, the video link to Cameron Herold was really helpful. I wasn't thinking about it at the time, but she does have a lot of ADHD tendencies. We've never had her tested, but we have definitely noticed those traits in her. I love the way he validated and encouraged those personality types. And her best friend has actually has leukemia right now, so I can't wait to show her that one. I love the encouragement to use the entrepreneurial spirit to love our neighbors and glorify God! Exactly the direction I would like to guide her in. Doing well for yourself, while doing for others!

 

Thank you so much for all of your comments. This is actually what I was looking for and so much more!