I've always been interested in business. It probably ranks 3rd on my list of interests, right behind music and computers. My first foray into "very small business" was a lemonade stand my brother and I set up just outside my house when I was around 11 or 12. Not exactly worthy of being listed on the NYSE, but hey, I tried.
Several of my friends also attempted their own money making schemes as kids. These included mowing lawns, shoveling show, raking leaves, etc. All the cliche "very small businesses" we ran when we were young and looking for a few bucks.
This question is directed at everyone, but especially to those of you that have kids around 8-14. Do kids still do this stuff? Are there still groups of early teens/tweens that work for their summer spending money?
The reason I ask is because I had an idea while laying in bed with the flu. What if the credit union struck up a relationship with a few middle schools in the local area? We could run a small class on starting one of these little summer businesses. Teach kids at a younger age the very basics of business. Income, expenses, and profit could all be addressed in a very strait forward way.
Reaching Gen-Y is all about creating a relationship. Helping kids make a few bucks over the summer could be a great way to get your name out there, not only with the students, but with their parents as well.
Its educational, involved, and targeted to an early age, but also dependent on whether or not these kinds of "very small businesses" still happen. So, help me out, is this something that could work or is the "very small business" a relic of the past?
2 comments:
Hey Andy! BTW, we talked about awesome you are at the GAC Meetup!
This sounds like a great idea. Small biz is where it's at. Large business is so twentieth-century. Helping kids learn about entrepreneurship sounds like a great way to build true relationships.
Thanks Morriss, That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. :)
I also believe that small biz is where it's at. We're always talking about how bad Walmart is, but if we don't try and get kids excited about starting businesses, there will never be any competition.
Aside from that, I agree, education is a great way to build relationships. Its much easier to make an impression when teaching something than it is to make one with a short ad on TV.
Post a Comment