Entrepreneurship ideas for students can start with something as simple as a four-year-old, fifty dollars, a supermarket trip and a mountain of lollies.
This is Part 2 of Chayse’s Candy Man story. His business idea had been planned. Now it was time to buy the product, package it properly and get ready to sell.
Entrepreneurship Ideas for Students: The Candy Man Entrepreneur
Enterprise for children can be a lot of fun, especially if it involves a four-year-old and a mountain of lollies! After you read this blog, you’ll understand why Hansel and Gretel gave in to temptation to eat the witch’s candy house.
This post follows on from The Candy Man Planning an Enterprise, where Chayse first planned his lolly bag business and received $50 in start-up capital.
In this part of the journey, Chayse takes his plan to the supermarket and begins turning a simple idea into a real product.
From Planning to Action
Chayse and I headed off to the supermarket with his $50, just as he had planned.
We walked the candy aisle and Chayse picked out the lollies he thought would be the yummiest. He bought everything from snakes and milk bottles to musks, liquorice and lollipops.
Next he added 50 plastic sandwich bags and some packets of brightly coloured balloons to the shopping trolley. His whole investment of $50 was spent in no time.
The checkout lady asked him if it was his birthday. Chayse nodded.
Well, why complicate things when you are four?
Entrepreneurship Ideas for Students Need Real Products
Chayse’s brothers and sisters were at the car ready and waiting to escort him into the house and feast their eyes on all his lollies.
Chayse was really enjoying all the attention. He bossed his brothers and sisters around as they bugged him for a lolly and offered to carry his bags.
This is one of the reasons entrepreneurship ideas for students can be so powerful. A child suddenly has a real reason to make decisions, manage resources and take responsibility for something that belongs to them.
The Candy Man Production Line
It was all hands on deck. Jaxon and Mitchy from next door came over to help out and a production line was organised around the kitchen table.
The lollies and balloons were placed into fifty piles and bagged up.
Chayse’s intention was to sell each bag for $2. So if all went to plan, he should make 100% on his investment.
That is not a bad return for a four-year-old Candy Man!
Learning About Price, Profit and Helpers
Cathy and I helped him with a sturdy box to display his product. We attached a strap to the box to help him hold it up and then made up a sign.
Mitchy and Jackson ran off home and immediately returned with money to buy a bag each.
Chayse’s first customers!
98 candy bags to go!
Chayse’s brothers and sisters also wanted to buy a bag each with their pocket money. We had to put a halt to that as it was going to create troubles, especially as Chayse wanted to buy his own lollies too.
So the compromise was that they were able to polish off the leftover lollies. Of course, Chayse was in charge of sharing them out to his drooling family.
Entrepreneurship Ideas for Students Build Confidence
Chayse’s enterprise for children business was now all set to go. His next job was to market and sell his product.
Simple projects like this can become powerful kids business ideas, because children are not just pretending to run a business. They are learning about customers, product value, helpers, pricing, profit and confidence through real experience.
They are also learning the sort of practical money lessons for kids that are hard to teach from a worksheet.
Entrepreneur Cameron Herold makes a similar point in his TED talk, Let’s raise kids to be entrepreneurs. Children often learn entrepreneurial thinking best when they are encouraged to look for opportunities and create value.
The Candy Man Business Series
This post is Part 2 of Chayse’s Candy Man journey. You can follow the full series here:
- Part 1: The Candy Man Planning an Enterprise — Chayse plans his lolly bag business and receives $50 start-up capital.
- Part 2: The Candy Man Entrepreneur — Chayse buys the lollies, prepares the bags and gets ready to sell.
- Part 3: Business Ideas for Students: Chayse the Candy Man — Chayse sells his lolly bags at the soccer grounds and makes a profit.
Key Takeaway: Entrepreneurship Ideas for Students Can Start Small
Key takeaway: Entrepreneurship ideas for students do not need to be big, polished or complicated. Chayse’s Candy Man business started with $50, a trip to the supermarket and a family production line around the kitchen table.
Next up, we’ll tune in with Kit the Dog Whisperer and see whether his enterprising idea has evolved.
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