ECONOGAL

School is out, or almost, and summer provides the perfect opportunity for encouraging entrepreneurship. Kids of all ages are creative. And contrary to popular opinion, I think most are capable of hard work and the ability to “stick with it”. So, I plan on encouraging entrepreneurship whenever I encounter it.

Summers bring knocks on the door, salespeople young and old. Often the neighborhood kids are looking for a job. The older ones might need the flexibility of setting their own schedules. And the younger ones can’t be employed by businesses yet.

Other youngsters can be found setting up stands in front of their houses. Fortunately, where I live, lemonade stands are still legal. Often kids have a table in conjunction with a yard sale or auction. I have even seen stands along parade routes.

And occasionally other items can be found for sale. Last year my daughter and I stopped at a table manned by three middle-school girls. They were selling friendship bracelets. These hand-made items were no doubt inspired by a very popular singer. Naturally, we bought several thereby encouraging entrepreneurship. Swifties support fellow Swifties.

This week a group of nine- to ten-year-olds came by. Since one was a recognized neighbor, I found some work for them. They learned quite a lot. First, they negotiated a price. Then they discovered working together involves a bit more than just hanging out. The boys stuck with the task. They completed their job in three hours. And the work was satisfactory.

I don’t think it was as easy as the group thought it would be. But encouraging entrepreneurship means allowing for various discoveries. Maybe they will return looking for more work. They certainly were happy with the earnings. But they were also tired from their effort.

Each generation will have individuals that succeed. Furthermore, success will be measured in many different ways. Monetary success is the easiest to spot. But often the entrepreneurial spirit is stoked from a desire to create new things. That satisfaction does not always equate to monetary gains. Artistic value for instance, is in the eye of the beholder. Inventors may not personally take their inventions to the market.

Encouraging the young whether in making money or creating new “things” is crucial to developing tomorrow’s discoveries. Ideas need capital for implementation if not development. We need to keep encouraging entrepreneurship from an early age. Support your local budding entrepreneurs this summer!