I ran across a story this morning that made me laugh, and then got me to thinking. I'll share the laugh first:
Apology Given for Lemonade Stand Closing
The tagline says it all, doesn't it? Two young girls (ages 10 and 12) set up a lemonade stand every summer. This summer, they're hoping to make enough money to buy laptops before school starts. A health inspector with an overachiever complex shut them down, saying they "didn't have the proper business licenses and were selling unsafe ice cubes." After a kind neighbour complained to the city about the (ahem) unrealistic shutdown, the girls were allowed to reopen their lemonade stand.
But the whole lemonade stand thing got me thinking, as well. There are millions of kids and only a few hundred of them likely ever open up lemonade stands. Are these the entrepreneurs of the future? Are the seeds sown that early in life, and how can we contribute to and encourage this attitude in our kids?
Did you have a lemonade stand as a kid, or some other kind of money-making enterprise? Do you think it was reflective of how you are in business today?
Related Stories: | Topics: |
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 3 Total
August 13, 2004 at 11:57am by Lois Carter Fay
Like many people, I had a lemonade stand when I was a child. I made a couple of bucks on it each time I set it up. Of course, all my "raw materials" and "overhead" came from my parents. I am now self-employed. Do I think having this lemonade stand is a reason I am now self- employed? No, not at all.
But I do think that mentoring and teaching children, especially girls, entrepreneurship skills is important. It opens up so many possibilities for them.
There are some good programs out there doing this and Inc. magazine did a good summary article about them here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,289482,00.html
It begins by talking about Joline Godfrey, CEO of Independent Means Inc. (http://www.anincomeofherown.com/imi/index.php), a company that operates summer camps introducing girls ages 13 to 19 to business ownership and investing. This became one of NAWBO-Wisconsin's (http://www.nawbowisconsin.org/)(previously Wisconsin Women Entrepreneurs) special projects very early on. We invited Ms. Godfrey to speak and raised money to contribute toward the program, including sponsoring girls to participate. It was a very good investment!
Another good investment is simply modeling entrepreneurship and good corporate citizenship. I believe this, plus participation in team sports, has strongly influenced my daughter (who is not YET self-employed, but I suspect someday will be).
August 13, 2004 at 8:40pm by dennis
In the US, the popular kid's business is lemonade stands. In the Philippines, there are different things to which an entrepreneurial kid could get themselves busy.
My own business was selling a chinese delicacy red flake. It is a round thin flake similar in shape to the host served in Catholic masses. Anyway, the flake was a real seller during my time. I was the one doing it and that was after school. I was in my fourth grade. There I encountered the different responses of people in selling. At first, it was traumatic the way other kids and people think of the way I was selling them. But later, I was exposed to lessons that in business you need to be tougher mentally and emotionally. I learned a lot from that haw flakes selling which had guided me in running my own today.
July 23, 2006 at 9:26pm by Jeanette P.
My son wanted me to buy him a Nintendo DS and it was perfect timing to let him know what's been on my mind, that I'm concerned that he doesn't know the value of money and hardwork. So I asked him to think of ways he could earn money. I was expecting the usual, you know, wash dishes, pull weeds, empty the garbage but instead he wanted to have lemonade stand. Not just any lemonade stand but he wanted me to help him build his first business. As a graphic designer and filmmaker he asked me to design a logo he had in mind, build a website, and contact the local media. Essentially he told me that I'm hired as an employee in the communications department! He called a few relatives to be investors and now we're building a business. I'm really proud of his ability to see the big picture yet pay attention to the details. This kid has thought of it all and he's only 9 years old. Look out for Awesome Lemonde in Colorado. I'll post the website once it's up.