This topic is so near to my heart; I’m thrilled to share my journey of instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in my five energetic boys, all under the age of 10. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of starting my own business(es) this year and I’ve discovered the incredible joy and learning opportunities that come with involving our children in the world of entrepreneurship.
In fact, I recently had the privilege of conducting a teach-in at their school, where I shared insights and tips on how to nurture the budding entrepreneurs in their 2nd and 4th grade classes. Today, I’ll walk you through my experiences, share some valuable lessons, and even provide a handy template for a simple business plan suitable for kids.
Planting the Seed of Entrepreneurship
It all started with a simple question from one of my boys: “Mom, what do you do when we’re at school all day now that you don’t work anymore?” This sparked the idea, why not introduce them to the concept of entrepreneurship? To be honest, it was probably more because I was shocked that they thought by leaving my corporate job I “wasn’t working anymore”. Gasp, as if!
We embarked on a journey of exploration, discussing how businesses are born out of ideas and how hard work and creativity can turn those ideas into reality. I wanted them to see that they could be more than consumers; they could be creators and innovators. And I wanted them to understand that life’s greatest success doesn’t always come from being on someone else’s payroll, even if that payroll is really big, and that they could create their own futures in ways that brought joy and creativity to their everyday professional pursuits.
Mompreneurship in Action
With the entrepreneurial bug buzzing in our household, I decided to lead by example. I had launched two small businesses this year—one focused on professional consulting in project, program and portfolio management, EverGrove, LLC, sooo boring to the boys, and the other, this blog! So, I decided to get the boys involved in helping brainstorm some content ideas, with a focus on some of their favorite toys and items around the house. Introducing… affiliate marketing!
The boys were in awe that you could make money by giving your opinions and suggestions on the very things we use every day and quickly got to working making lists and lists of things to write about. You can even find some of them on water bottles, and with the gift giving guide articles I’ve posted. Yes, they helped with those!
This hands-on experience allowed them to witness the behind-the-scenes of running a business and understand the effort that goes into making it successful. And to date, they have made a whopping $1.17… haha now they know it’s not just a single idea or scope of work, you have to work hard every day to grow what you’ve started.
The Teach-In Experience
The yearly “Teach-In” at their elementary school was fast approaching and since I had volunteered in their 1st and 3rd grade classes about engineering as a profession the year prior, the school reached out to see if I would be open to volunteering again. Inspired by the positive changes in my own home, I quickly said yes with the idea of conducting a teach-in on entrepreneurship.
The school was very supportive, and I prepared to stand in front of eager 2nd and 4th graders, ready to share my knowledge. The teach-in was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the students, answering their curious questions and sparking their interest in the world of business.
Here’s how the lesson went:
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Introduction to my story:
I briefly told the classes about my journey chasing the typical America dream, going to college, getting my master’s degree in engineering and venturing into the world of fortune 500 medical device companies. I shared how lucrative my career was, and how I still felt unfulfilled, still felt sad missing my children due to my long hours, and the feeling of stagnation in my own creativity.
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Introduction to entrepreneurship:
Using the lessons I learned in my own life; I began explaining what entrepreneurship means in simple terms, talking about how entrepreneurs are people who innovate new ideas to solve everyday problems, and they use that to create and run their own businesses.
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The business plan:
The remainder of the teach-in was focused on a simple template I created so that the students could walk through a 4 panel of questions to generate their own business ideas! In each box, they wrote out the things they were passionate about, how they would turn those things into a business, how they would generate and spend money, and how they would market their newly formed business.
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The results:
By encourage kids to think creatively and truly explore the things they love, many students were excited to be holding their very own business idea, wanting to share it with their classmates and bring it home to speak with their parents about what they had learned. It was a wonderful reminder to them that there are no limits to what they can imagine, and with the right plan in place, they can achieve amazing things, bringing their own ideas to life in the real world.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Teaching kids about entrepreneurship is more than just a lesson in business; it’s an investment in their future. As parents and educators, we have the incredible opportunity to nurture creativity, resilience, and a proactive mindset in our children. By sharing our experiences, leading by example, and providing them with the tools to create their own businesses, we empower the next generation to dream big and turn those dreams into reality.
So, whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting to explore the world of business, consider bringing your kids along for the journey. Feel free to use this simple one-page template to guide your young entrepreneurs through the process. And who knows? You might be raising the next Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey right in your own home!