One of my biggest passions is providing children an opportunity for work and entrepreneurship.  I believe that these experiences offer one of the richest avenues for learning and growth beyond the classroom walls.

 

I’m sure this thinking stems from my own childhood experience.  When I was a freshman in high school, my family was barely making ends meet.  There was no money for school clothes and other teenage desires, so I decided to get a job.  I became a “paper girl” delivering newspapers in my neighborhood.  I had this job all four years of high school.  In order to purchase the esteemed class ring, I also picked up a job at Baskin-Robbins.  I mowed lawns.  I babysat.  At the age of 18, I purchased my first car with cash that I had saved from all of my endeavors.  I left home confident that I could take care of myself.

 

Looking back, I can see how much those early work experiences shaped me and prepared me for the world.  I want my children to have those opportunities as well, but they are harder to find these days.  I finally came to the conclusion that children might just need to create their own avenues for work.

 

When our children were just 7 and 9 years old, my husband and I presented them with the idea of starting their own business.  They could do anything they wanted as long as it made financial sense.  When our daughter said, “cookies and coffee,” we were a little taken aback.  The idea of a 7-year-old selling coffee seemed a bit strange, but we couldn’t think of any reason that it couldn’t happen.  Our son wanted to have a candy vending machine.  Of course, both kids gravitated toward sugary treats, but for the sake of learning, we went with it.  And so the learning began.

 

When our daughter shared her idea with her grandmother, her grandmother told her about the cookie-of-the-month club that she had started as a little girl.  So "Sara’s Coffee and Treats" was born.  She went door-to-door asking neighbors to sign-up for 6 months of cookies and/or coffee delivery.  I went with her since she was only 7 and was rather shy at the time.  She did all the talking, which in itself was a feat, and gave her a great deal of confidence.  She started with a customer base of 5.  

 

We had a Sam’s Club membership so we purchased coffee in bulk.  We researched packaging materials and labels online and she made her purchase.  This all incurred some start-up costs, so we offered her a loan at 1% interest which she paid off in 5 months. This gave her a very concrete understanding of how loans and interest work.  She had to call her customers each month to arrange delivery with them.  This taught her how to talk to people on the phone and how to provide good customer service.  Now it was not all smooth-sailing.  It was a lot of work and Sara got tired of making cookies.  However,  she understood that she had made a commitment to her customers and needed to bring it to completion.  That was yet another aspect of the learning.  This business was short-lived, but Sara has now had a variety of other businesses that have turned a small profit.  This has given her a mindset that anything is attainable if she is willing to work for it.  If she wants to go to an expensive summer camp, she finds ways to earn her share of the money.

 

My son’s vending machine business was a learning experience for us all.  He found a candy machine on Craigslist so we drove to Denver to purchase it.  The machine cost $125.  Lance put $30 of his own money toward the machine.  He also had to purchase inventory and some supplies.  We financed the remaining $202 of his start-up costs at 1% interest.  Getting the machine was the easy part.  Then he had to find a business to put it in.  He created business cards and approached local business owners.  He was turned down several times before he found a business that was willing to house his machine.  He paid on his loan for 9 months and was so excited to pay it off just before his 10th birthday.  Lance now owns two vending machines in two different locations. Believe it or not, he does not eat his inventory!  He has had his business for 3 years now and has learned so much in that time.  He has made mistakes.  He has lost money.  He has had to order a new key.  He has spilled candy all over the floor of the business.  Through everything, he has learned.   

 

I have no idea what my children are going to do when they grow up, but I am confident that they will always know how to generate income for themselves. Are they making megabucks?  No.  But it isn’t about that.  It’s the intangible treasures hidden within the process.

 

This weekend, the children are back at work again.  They will be selling their wares at a community holiday bazaar.  My daughter will be selling dish soap dispensers that she has created from recycled bottles.  She has also joined forces with a friend to sell frozen cookie dough.  My son will be selling rustic wooden crafts that he made.  They are both really excited about the bazaar.  

 

On Saturday morning at 10:00am MST, I will be broadcasting via Facebook Live from the children’s booth at the bazaar.   I’ll be sharing some tips for fostering (but not hammering) the entrepreneurial spirit in children.  If interested, please “like” the event page which can be found by clicking on this link www.facebook.com/events/1615185845450350