The Editor’s Desk – From Beneath the Clutter

It’s spring break for the kids around here. I was rather surprised to realize that my daughter’s school gives them two weeks off rather than the one I’m used to. The kids certainly don’t mind. It just takes a bit more planning on my part.

Yay grandparents!

The kids are taking advantage of the time to visit friends and grandparents. I’ll be taking what advantage I can of the extra quiet time, but since the baby stays with me, it’s not as much as it might sound like. But I’ll take what I can get.

How to Raise an Entrepreneur

The majority of us struggle with entrepreneurship simply because we don’t know where to start. Teaching entrepreneurship to our youth has been largely ignored, coupled with the fact that many parents leave it up to our school system to teach business acumen. With school-wide budgets cuts, the probability that your child will learn these vital skill sets before he leaves high school is rather slim, perpetuating the problem of an unskilled entrepreneurial population.

The fact is the wealthiest people in the US aren’t doctors, lawyers or engineers. They’re entrepreneurs. This small segment of the population is responsible for the majority of job creation and introducing new innovations to the marketplace that make all of our lives better. How do you raise an entrepreneur and offer your child a future that’s full of choices?

Let’s face it some kids naturally possess the motivation to create something with monetary value. Others need more exposure to business fundamentals. Learning how to become an entrepreneur requires practice just like one would practice playing a musical instrument or a sport. And the earlier your child is exposed to entrepreneurship the better off she will be.

1. School and extracurricular activities take up a substantial amount of time, so encourage your child to start a business around something in which he has a deep interest. When his product or service is something he is passionate about, he is more likely to put more effort into running his business.

2. Encourage your child to draw up a short and long-term plan for his business. Have him start out with simple steps that he can easily accomplish as he starts and grows his business.

3. You child doesn’t have to start a business all on his own. Advise her to find a friend who has similar interests to run the business with her. This will help with teamwork skills while giving your child freedom to explore her creativity.

4. Provide your child with the resources he needs to succeed. Businesses aren’t built overnight and there’s a lot to be learned in starting and running one. When you give your child the resources he needs to be successful, his outlook on entrepreneurship will be positive. Don’t set your child up to fail with their endeavor by failing to give him the tools he needs to succeed.

5. Patience is a virtue and if your child wants instant gratification, encourage her to stick with her business. Her hard work will pay off in the long-run. Once she starts making money at her endeavor, the financial rewards will help motivate her to continue with her business.

Any kid can become an entrepreneur given the right frame of mind and the right resources to make it successful. By allowing your child to learn business acumen at an early age, you are helping to make a difference in his life.

http://www.bizinaboxx.com Kids starting their own businesses. Young entrepreneurs have amazing clarity, insight and confidence; and the number of successful CEOs under the age of 20 is growing everyday. And they’re not prodigies. They’re simply kids who took a chance. If you’re ready to read more about how your child, grandchild or a child you know can start and run their own business, visit our Open for Business, Getting Started page. Join the many people who have helped a child start a business and gain a sense of ownership. Visit us today at bizinaboxx.com.