Kid Entrepreneurs

Shiza and Amaya selling inspirational signs (for only 10 cents), bookmarks, and the infamous "Stress Balls".  Kids love these balls of sand, but teachers and janitors are another story.

Chances are your first "entrepreneurial" experience was a lemonade stand.  You'd beg your parents to buy a packet of sugar labeled "Lemonade", some plastic cups, a poster board, and then proceed to sit in the hot sun hoping to convince every passerby to pay 25 cents for your cup of joy.  My brother was born to be a businessman.  Not only did he carry around a briefcase starting at the age of eight, but he was genius at convincing neighborhood kids to do anything.  This included working a lemonade stand and taking 90% of the profits, while he played SEGA Genesis in the air conditioning.  This wasn't a fair business model by any means, but regardless I have fond memories of the whole experience.  I believe we are born to make things.  I believe we are born to work together and I'm definitely convinced every kid loves to be an ENTREPRENEUR.

Are you interested in buying a bell on a string?  How about if we tell you they are "Reindeer Necklaces" and this will help Santa's reindeer find your house.

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?  An entrepreneur is any person who starts or runs a business and every successful business model starts with great advertising.  That's right.  How can we convince you to buy things you probably don't need?  With a great marketing strategy.  We talked a lot about what makes a good advertisement and this means you must know your customer basis.  Yes, just like great authors know who their target audience will be, great entrepreneurs know who they will be selling to.  In this case, that was pretty easy: students (as well as friends and family of our wonderful East Dubuque community).

We started advertising weeks before our "Grand Opening".  Let me tell you lockers are perfect.  They are magnetic, sturdy, and best of all the entire school has to walk by them at some point throughout the day. 

The "King Kongs" had one of my favorite desk shop names.  I'm not totally sure what the name has to do with painted doll furniture, handmade t-shirts, or spoon magnets....but I like it.

Did somebody say "business cards"?  Yeah, I'm serious when I say we are going to market ourselves and these slogans will make your day.  

"Dry-Erase Buddies!  We work extra hard to clean up after you!  We erase and write."

One of my favorite parts of this project is seeing my students work with their family members outside of school.  Curin and her grandmother used a real sewing machine and made winter headbands.  They were a total hit to say the least.  The only problem was they sold out every time they were brought to school, and after making around 15 their shop took a permanent vacation. 

Check out the D.I.Y. Girls and their winter headbands.  You can see some happy customers up front.  Avery and Chloe are also holding up some handmade dog toys (which were also a big hit).

FIELD TRIP!  We couldn't officially end our unit without making a visit to Candle Ready Cakes.  We learned from the experts about what it means to be an entrepreneur.  Special thanks to my co-teacher in crime Mrs. Eisbach for setting this field trip up and to Mrs. Haven for helping out as well.  I never got to decorate cookies when I was in 3rd grade!

This photo has nothing to do with our entrepreneur unit, but the kids were all dressed up for Halloween and I love it.  Thanks Mrs. Oberman for taking the picture and teaching me how to use iCloud.  I'm not quite down with the technology of the times yet.

At the end of the day I learned a lot from this project.  I learned that it takes an awful lot of chaos to truly make art, and anything worthwhile for that matter.  Ornaments broke, "Stress Balls" exploded, students argued about shop names, and somebody spilled an entire bottle of glue on my desk (and has yet to admit it).  Yet, in the end it's all worth it.  Every ounce of chaos.

Until next time.

Ms. Sprengelmeyer