Growing a kid sized business
Yesterday I was at the local grocery store dropping off a shadow box to ship it out for Stephen. Since I’ve been there several times in the past week, the lady asked what the boxes are as we always have to mark them “fragile”.
I dug out my phone and proudly showed her Stephen’s web page and she asked how he ever got started making the boxes since they aren’t something a kid would just grab out of the sky!
I can’t even tell you how often I am asked how to get kids started in their own businesses. Stephen’s store isn’t our first kid grown business around here. It all started with Amy, my oldest child, about 20 years ago when she was 12.
Amy was involved in 4-H and found her niche with a camera. She was taking award winning shots by age 9, and for two years running was grabbing all the ribbons at the local fair. Finally at age 11 we decided to enter her photos at the adult competition level. This is when the 4-H office called us. Amy had recommended to the Dept. of Agriculture for their small business loan program. BEST PROGRAM EVER.
While it was scary for her, it was such a good learning process. Amy had to develop a business plan. She had to list out exactly what she would be using the loan for, and she had to develop a pay back plan. Then, her little 12 year old self had to go in ALONE, and present all of this to the board of directors.
She got the loan!
For the next four years she grew her photography business. We would travel to horse shows and she would stand in the middle of the ring and get action shots, then she would run the media card over to me at the side line, I would plug it into her printer and print the photos right then and there. SInce this was before cell phone cameras, her photos were in high demand. But it was a lot of work! She couldn’t do it alone. Mom was her support, encourager, and employee.
Next along came Seth. He was into plants.
We always laughed that if someone saw our basement, they would think we were going plants we weren’t supposed to be growing! My husband made shelving units, then hooked up a grow light system so that Seth could grow plants all winter long.
Seth would then grind them down (using the exact method as shown in the photo), and come up with concoctions for every family ailment you could think of. He also sold these little pillows of them that you would heat up and place on your forehead or over an eye during a migraine. He sold these things overseas even!
Mom had to do a lot to help Seth too. Especially purchasing his vodka. Yep. Vodka. He only used it while i was nearby, but he had to use the vodka to make his oils. So that was interesting.
By the time Stephen came along, I was all used to this kid grown business stuff.
Stephen’s first “big gig” was WinterFest and it gave him his big break!
Back when my husband passed away, Stephen and I sat down and had a heart to heart talk. Our life had changed and it was just him and I now. I knew I needed to quit my job as it was far from single mom friendly. It was really stressful getting sitters, especially when I couldn’t get management to give me set hours that worked out well for sitters.
So we had this heart to heart and decided that we would do everything together. It’s not like we didn’t already.
This is where you need to listen if you want to know how to help your kid grow a business.
You guys need to DO LIFE TOGETHER.
Too many families look at life, almost as if you were taking sides. Parents on one side, kids on the other. Chores are divided up as if you were some sort of team fighting against each other. I’ve never, ever done that with my kids. There are a few divided chores, but it’s an even trade off. If I work more hours out of the home, then the kid might have to pull more chores, but they aren’t slave labor! The “big” projects we do together.
Lemme define “big project”.
Mowing… well, not where we live now. But when we lived on 20 acres it was a big project. We divided and conquered.
Cleaning, dishes, laundry… we pick cleaning days and we ALL get involved. I just don’t give commands to the kids then sit and each chocolate. I am right in there working beside them. Usually both of us scrub showers together. Toilets: it’s a rule. You clean the toilet before you shower. ( I don’t let my kids shower every day. It’s really not good for their skin at all. )
Even with finances: I am open, honest and discuss things with my kids. I always have.
So, when Stephen and I suddenly found ourselves in this life change, and knew we had to go it alone from now on, that meant we discussed everything. Including money, bills, dreams, savings.
When we were deciding between selling out and buying an RV, or choosing to buy this home, we made the decision together. I explained to Stephen that I would need an income. We went together and looked at sewing machines and decided together what path I would attempt to take with my business. Of course, it was mainly my decision, but he got to see what I was planning and he knew that he was expected to help.
I also knew that if I was going to be selling at shows, the very best way was for Stephen to have something to sell too. So I showed him what the embroidery machine could do and I got online and showed him ideas. His first idea didn’t work so well for shows. (But we are finding that we are going to get to his original idea soon actually! ) As he looked at ideas, and I showed him projects, he made some things. He took them to shows and learned what sells and what doesn’t. I taught him how to display things to market to his target age group.
In January, I bought the cutting machine for my dog tshirts that I am never going to make, (lol for real, I don’t think I am doing tshirts anymore! ), I showed him possibilities that the machine could do. Timing was perfect as he was really getting tired of the embroidery machine. THe cutting machine can do so many things, but the shadow light boxes really drew his interest. And that is where we are at right now.
Did he start alone? NOPE. I had to foot the costs for him. But he has to pay it back. I also had to teach him, learn with him. I had to help him the first time, but I didn’t do it for him. I don’t touch his shadow boxes, so he’s slower at making them without my help. But that is ok. He takes much pride in them and he knows they are HIS thing. All by himself. Without me helping him the last couple of years, working beside him, teaching him how to grow his business, how to make his product, then he wouldn’t be where he is today.
I am not bragging on me. I am just saying, kids need YOU. For everything. You can’t just expect them to know how to clean a toilet, or pick up their toys. You have to show them how. Once they have been shown, then you will find they are much better at it as they don’t fear it.
Help them with their business, work along side them until they grow confidence. Give them room to make decisions with it. We would giggle when we were at WinterFest. Stephen must have fired me at least five times that season! It was all fun and games, but really he was the boss and for the most part I let him be.
This is my biggest kid grown business tip. DO IT WITH THEM.
In time they will do just fine on their own.
So how did my older kids’ little businesses turn out?
Well, Amy did her first wedding by age 15. She did her first big anniversary banquet by age 16. She also did all the photos for a church directory by this age. It was at that time that she realized photography is not where she wants to go in life. Weddings are a photographer’s bread and butter. Nope said Amy and that was that. It was meant to be anyway as the world became a cell phone world.
Seth’s little business didn’t get to really take hold because Jerry became terminally ill. Seth ended up being gone to his dad’s house more than my house most of his life due to Jerry’s 8 year long illness. But Seth still remembers his plant growing room with a fondness he will never forget.
And we all know how Stephen is doing. Someday his business might slow enough that mine can take hold. Maybe.
