Finding Enterprise ideas. Easier said than done! Coming up with a brilliant enterprise idea that can make enough money to achieve your goal…. and ones that you feel inspired enough about to keep you going when things get tough…………well, that’s a tall order for an adult, let alone a kid!
The trick is to spend some time brainstorming. What I explained to my entrepreneurial kids, was that they needed to think of all the problems that our small community town has, and then look for solutions!
By solving people’s problems you will create opportunities for enterprise. In the video (which you can view here), I gave the following example to my kids.
No body likes getting cold. Winter is drawing near and people are chopping wood ready to fuel their fires. They will need kindle to get their fires started.
Problem: No-one likes scrambling around outside on a cold and rainy day gathering kindle to get their fire started.
Solution: Collect bundles of gum tree sticks (they are full of fuel and burn easily), bundle them up and pile them in a wheelbarrow to sell to people who need the kindling.
So, step one was finding the problem, step two, the solution and step three would be putting it into action. What a great and simple enterprise idea.
So after giving this example, the kids had no trouble finding enterprise ideas.
Our mentor, Paul Counsel often shares a great educational basis behind what it means to be entrepreneurial.
He encourages us to consider how we are an asset to others. What skills and knowledge do we have that could be of service to others?What are we good at?
For example Kaitlin and Amber are very good with looking after toddlers and babies. Everyday they are helping with their baby sister Akaisha. They feed her, change her nappy (diaper, for our American readers!), bathe her and take her for walks. They are both very skilled and have an ease with babies. They know when Akaisha is tired and they know how to soothe her when she is upset. This skill could lend itself to any number of enterprise opportunities.
Reading with siblings
Looking after Akaisha
The obvious enterprise would be baby sitting, but other ideas include:
Homework Support – Busy parents may need someone to listen to their toddlers read, learn spelling words and with writing practice.
Toddler Playmate – After school parents would appreciate an older child entertaining and playing with their toddler or baby. This would be more so in families with only one child as that child may lack in playmates. So why not offer to be a paid playmate.
Walk Younger Children Home from School – Busy parents may appreciate a responsible older child walking their kids home from school.
Sports/Dance/Art Trainer – Amber and Kaitlin could teach other kids how to throw and catch a ball, bat, bounce on a trampoline or kick a football. If not a sports trainer, what about Music or Dance Teacher, or Art Coach. Both Amber and Kaitlin are extremely good at art!
Kaitlin loves kids.
All it requires, when finding enterprise ideas for kids, is a little imagination. Take the time to identify problems and look at what assets you have that could help people. “Helping people” is the key to enterprise.
Budding young musician
A tip for everyone: You can increase your value by up-skilling and becoming an expert in an area. You then create excellent enterprise opportunities for yourself. The more you increase your skill, the more valuable you become and the more you will be sought after by people. As a result, people will pay well for your time and knowledge.
For example, being a whiz on sorting computer glitches would make you very valuable to people who have computer problems, or being an expert pianist would create opportunities to teach others how to play the piano.
Many of these ideas aren’t new, but people, especially children, don’t take the time to look at their existing skill set.
Finding enterprise ideas can be fun and it isn’t that hard if you do a little thinking and brainstorming first. Our next blog will be very exciting!
Amber will reveal her enterprise idea that she will be embarking on in her quest to reach her goals…..so stay tuned…..
