kids-in-biz.com

Want your child to learn business skills and be “green friendly?

How do you safely and creatively teach kids about business? Ralph Williams, a father of two sons Patrick, 8, and Joe, 6, believes he has found the solution. When Williams’ son Patrick wanted to make more money in addition to his allowance, Williams shared a story of making beeswax candles as a boy and selling them in his family’s restaurant, offering them the idea of creating a candle-making business

Their first clients included family and friends and soon expanded to area businesses. Their product line has expanded to honey soap and other bee-related offerings. When they realized this was a fun and easy way to earn a little extra spending money, the brothers wanted to share this opportunity with children around the country, giving Williams the idea to create FranChild and the “My Kids First Biz” experience. Now they work with families from coast to coast and even internationally.

FranChild is a company that makes ‘franchise-like’ businesses available for children to operate. Like a franchise, kids and parents get marketing support, including an online community for the benefit of members called ‘the hive.” The cost to start-up a FranChild business is $25 for a standard annual membership which includes a FranChild Company Certificate acknowledging the child’s business launch; ready-to-print business cards from FranChild business templates; how-to instructions and ideas for marketing and selling products; access to the My Kids First Biz Resource Center, a $75,000 marketing system for creating customized packaging products; below wholesale pricing on materials; and access to the “hive” to share ideas with the FranChild Business community. A Web site is available for young entrepreneurs for an additional $2 per month.

There are four FranChild product categories that carry the bee theme: beeswax candles, organic soap, apparel and jewelry. All natural in the materials they are made of, each FranChild line is “green-friendly”. In most cases, FranChild offers ‘below wholesale’ pricing, so kids can experience wholesale and retail sales of their chosen product line.

FranChild Candle Company - Children have the opportunity to make and sell candles made of 100% beeswax. Included in the candle start-up kit are 50 sheets of natural colored beeswax, 36 feet of wick and instructions for making candles. Additional colors are available seasonally and voted upon by the “hive” as to which ones are brought to the market.

FranChild Soap Company™ - Hand-made organic soap is available in a variety of refreshing scents including citrus, honey and peppermint. Kids are able to make their own custom labels, including private labels for businesses to sell their own brand of organic soap.

FranChild Apparel Company™ - Two collections of organic cotton t-shirts made in America by Stinger ApparelTM feature the FranChild logo and BEEmotionsTM featuring bee-themed expressions such as “Bee Happy” and other seasonally themed sayings.

FranChild Jewelry Company™ - The Royal Jelli Jewels™ line includes rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. The themes include butterflies, dolphins, flowers, hearts and starfish. More designs will be added as the community of FranChild Jewelry votes and decides which item to bring to the marketplace next, including of course, a bee. Jewels come finished and are purchased in quantities of six of the same type and style in assorted colors.

In addition to learning the basics of business, young entrepreneurs can experience concepts like manufacturing (candles), marketing, packaging, branding, private labeling, sales and money management. FranChild allows kids to set their own pricing giving them the control to set the profit margin. In turn, they learn about spending money, earning money and hopefully saving money.

FranChild, LLC is an online community of parents and children sharing a fun project with an applicable and valuable life lesson, learning the basics of business. For more information on the company or to launch a FranChild business with your child, visit www.FranChild.com.

by Linda Stacy

Becoming a direct sales consultant is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to start a home business. And with so many choices for direct sales companies, it may be a very good option for an entrepreneurial teen.

What is direct sales?

In direct sales, products or services are sold by an independent sales person rather than distributed through retail locations (stores). We are really talking about the party plan companies, where products are sold at home parties and through other direct sales methods including online sales, fundraisers, and craft fairs and flea markets. Direct sales consultants earn a commission for each sale to their customers. Commissions are usually calculated as a percentage of the product’s price as set by the company.

Is direct sales right for you?

The big advantage of choosing to become a direct sales consultant is that the company handles many of the more daunting tasks of starting and running a business, while you concentrate on selling. You set your own hours, control your financial investment, and decide which selling and advertising methods to use. The company takes care of inventory, shipping, credit card processing, sales taxes, and developing and printing catalogs, brochures, and other business forms. Many companies also offer an ecommerce website, extensive training and support, bonus and incentive programs, and handle customer support, refunds, and exchanges.

How to select a company

Direct sales no longer just about makeup and food storage parties. There are hundreds of choices including clothing, purses, jewelry, gourmet food, toys and books, crafts, scrapbook supplies, candles, pet products, and wellness products.

Start the selection process by thinking about who you will sell to. Who will be your customers - your target market? If you are going to do most of your selling in person your primary market will most likely be other teens. Think about what you and your friends like to buy and how much money you have to spend.

If you are going to market primarily online, you can expand your target audience a little wider, but you should still stick with selling products you like and use yourself. It’s much easier to sell something you are enthusiastic about and much easier to sell it to people you can relate to.

Some companies sell products designed specifically for teens. Avon’s Mark division and the Mineral Girlz company are two examples of cosmetic companies focusing on the teen market. Other choices that might appeal to the younger market in particular are purses, jewelry, and personalized products. Visit DirectSalesDirectories.com to find information on these and many other direct sales party plan companies.

Other factors to take into consideration when choosing a company:

• Consider choosing a consumable product (such as makeup) so you’ll have repeat customers. If you sell a product that most people will only buy once or twice you’ll continually have to find new customers.
• Can you take time off without losing your status? Some companies require a minimum monthly or quarterly sales volume in order to receive commissions. If school gets particularly busy or you have an obligation to a summer job, make sure you won’t lose your status if your sales volume drops for a period of time.
• Be sure to consider all the ongoing costs of the business. The initial starter kit is usually very affordable, but will you have to replenish samples and buy catalogs and other business tools? Also, if you are going to market online, we recommend setting up your own website (in addition to the one provided by the company) so you will have domain and hosting costs.
• Compare earnings potential, not just commission percentages. While a 40% sales commission sounds better than a 25% commission, the price of the products makes a big difference. On an average product price of $10, 40% commission is $4. On an average price of $25, 25% commission is $6.25.
• Most companies also offer incentives for consultants to recruit others to join, so there is a potential to earn additional commissions or bonuses when you build a team.
• A parent will probably have to join the company along with the teen, so talk to company executives to make sure they’ll support the arrangement. And find out if the consultant agreement and assigned customers can be transferred in case the business is turned over to the teen alone someday.
• If you intend to market primarily online, you will have the most success with your own online presence (a website, blog, or lead capture page). Many companies provide a replicated consultant website which they want you to use for all of your online efforts. The provided site is great for processing sales, but be sure the company permits the use of your own site for online marketing.

Getting Started

Once you decide on a company you will either choose or be assigned a sponsor – another consultant in the company who will help you learn the business. It can be tricky to select a sponsor. You will probably be encouraged to sign under the first company consultant you contacted, but I suggest talking with at least one other potential sponsor. Find someone that you feel will provide the type of help and support you need. In your first contact with any consultant, explain that you will be interviewing other potential sponsors from their company so she isn’t surprised and overly disappointed if you join under someone else.

After choosing a company and sponsor you will be asked to purchase a starter kit and sign an agreement which spells out each parties rights and responsibilities. In most cases the company requires that you be at least 18 years old to sign up, so a parent or guardian will need to partner with teens in their business.

The starter kit may contain products and samples, catalogs, brochures, order forms, other business forms, and training materials. Be sure you know what you are getting and whether or not the kit contents can be returned for a refund if something happens and you decide not to continue with the business. Starter kits are usually very affordable, companies often offer sign up specials, and some companies have a way for you to earn your kit.

In addition to the consultant agreement, the company will probably also provide you with written policies and procedures that you must follow in order to continue selling their products. Be sure to obtain and understand these policies before signing up to make sure your plans for running your business are in keeping with these policies. For example, some companies restrict online advertising and selling so if you plan on running your business online you will want to avoid those companies that prohibit it.

It’s Fun and Hard Work

Starting your own business is exciting, fun, and rewarding. And it’s more than financial rewards. The interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills, self-confidence, and sense of accomplishment you develop will serve you in all your future endeavors. But don’t forget, even though becoming a direct sales consultant is one of the easiest ways to get started, it takes work and perseverance to become successful.

With the right attitude, the right mentors, and the right products you can do it! Enjoy!

Resources:

• DirectSalesDirectories.com
• Advice on Choosing Your Business
• Guide to Starting a Business Selling a Popular Product: Jewelry - Download free guide here!

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Learn how Linda Stacy helps direct sales consultants generate leads and build their teams online at LindaStacy.com.

Many people love to make crafts. There is something very satisfying about making something yourself. It is soothing as well as entertaining. Did you know that you can also make money with your crafts?

This is one of the best ways to combine something you love doing and would do anyway with a way to make a profit. There are so many people out there who love to buy things handmade, and are willing to pay a premium to do so.

The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of craft you want to sell. If you’ve been crafting for a while then the chances are good that you’ve already picked out the kind of crafts you want to make. If you have never made a craft or just aren’t sure what will sell, here are some common examples:

• Jewelry (check out this site on getting started)
• Soaps
• Candles
• Dolls and doll clothing
• Decorations
• Holiday items
• Knitted or crocheted items
• Wedding or party favors
• Cards
• Journals or scrapbooks

It is not hard to get started selling making these things. You can learn how to start a craft by researching the one that you are interested in. There are many resources available on the Internet complete with diagrams and pictures to help you. If you’d rather have a resource that you can look at and hold in your hand, your local craft store probably has some options. Our local “Joann’s” craft store even holds classes on a regular basis. Don’t forget your local library, too.

It’s very important that you do several test runs before you put any of your crafts out on the market. You need to make sure that you understand how to make the craft well and that it’s up to the quality that people appreciate when they pay good money.

After you’re sure you’ve got the knack for making your chosen craft down, you need to figure out how much to charge people. First of all, you definitely need to charge more than you are paying to get the materials. You also need to factor in the time it takes you to make the item. It’s a good idea to see how much other people are selling similar items for so you know what the market is like.

A great place to look at other people’s prices and get inspired yourself is http://www.etsy.com. Etsy is a marketplace where people post their homemade goods for sale on the Internet. You can even set up your own little Etsy shop selling your goods online.

If you’d like, you can also create your own website to sell your handmade goods. Look at your different options to see what you like better and what makes the most sense for you to do.

While you can sell a lot of crafts online, you don’t want to forget about selling them locally as well. Many towns have craft bazaars where you can take your crafts to sell in your own booth. These can be a lot of fun! Of course, don’t forget your friends and family.

Making and selling crafts is very fulfilling because you can make money doing something you really love to do. Do your research to see how much you should sell your crafts for and where, and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

School is out for many and teens are scrambling to find summer jobs. It’s nothing new. Unfortunately, many of the coveted camp jobs and seasonal positions have long been filled. Don’t despair! Why start your own business? When you work for yourself, you control your hours. You can work as many hours as you can handle during summer months, and pare them down to little or none during the school year.

Looking for ideas? Check out our Kids’ Business Ideas eBook for 83 ways for kids to make money!  This guide is packed with loads of ideas to get your juices flowing.  It will inspire you to look at skills you already have and encourage you to offer your services to earn some cash!

Marie Ynami of Mom Soapbox recently shared this story on her
blog. If you need to raise money for a trip or are just looking for
some extra cash, don’t be afraid to be creative. You may surprise
yourself with the results!

Marie’s daughter is part of an all girl’s choir group in their high school and this year, they are going on a road trip to San Francisco to attend a festival. She needs to raise a little bit over $600 to pay for the trip - which includes the bus, hotel accommodations and some meals.

She has raised most of the money herself by selling homemade chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and brownies. Three nights a week, she bakes several batches of cookies and brownies, packages them in little bags and sells them in school for $1 a bag - she cleverly labeled them as “Cookies for a Cause”. She has turned into an awesome business person.

When her mom asked her if she is interested in getting a part time job to save money for the trip she says “Selling my own homemade cookies in school is way better than getting a job!” She shares that she loves being her own boss - she can be late and not worry, she doesn’t have to commute, she makes all the business decisions - what can beat that?

Congrats to her for being so creative and so motivated! She truly is an inspiration. I’m sure she has a lot of happy, repeat customers!

Do you love animals? Dog walking may be the perfect business for you. Plenty of fresh, clean air, exercise with “man’s best friend”, and cash to boot!

Dog walking is a big business in large cities. Dog walkers are a fixture in the parks of New York City. People these days are too busy to walk their own dogs so they hire someone who has the time to do just that. You don’t have to live in a city - many pet owners are thrilled to have someone check in on their pets while they have long business days or plan to be out of the house for longer than normal. (If you’re staying home on Thanksgiving or Christmas, these are great days to offer some holiday service. Many families appreciate not having to rush home early to let a dog out.)

If you are interested in a dog walking business, you need do some homework. In our neighborhood, that’s easy to see who has a dog by just walking around the block.

Neighbors may not want to pay you just to walk their dog. Offering other services along with dog walking could boost the number of clients willing to take a chance on the service. Additional services you can offer include: pet grooming, pet feeding, and pet sitting.

Once you both have done the legwork, now it’s time to map out your business plan. Develop a price list. Still offer dog walking by itself, but also list prices if one of the additional services is added. Instead of writing down a set price, say something like, “We also offer dog grooming services with prices starting at $15.” Using a range gives you room to negotiate prices with different customers. If one customer has a bigger dog, the price will be higher than the starting rate. Drawing up a contract with the customer for the agreed upon prices is not a bad idea.

Once you have the price list, design a flyer. Go door to door again and hand them out. Include your name as owner of the business, the family telephone number, and address. Be prepared to have references available in case people want to find out if you are a reponsible kid.

Next, head to the store for supplies. With any business there is an initial outlay of money to get started. You will need to purchase grooming supplies, pooper scooper, extra leashes, and doggie treats. Start with the basics and add more items as your business grows. Most animal owners will supply everything you need, but having an extra leash is a great idea.

This summer, my daughter pet sat for two families for less than two weeks and earned enough to buy a Wii! They visited the pets so often that a neighbor reported to our vacationing customers how responsible and caring they were! The extra TLC earned them a nice bonus and I’m sure they’ll be called back the next time a vacation rolls around. Another added bonus - these same customers now call my girls for babysitting, too!

Edited to add - the day we posted this, the same two families called for both babysitting and dog-sitting for April vacation!

When you think about being a model, you might think of high fashion, beauty pageants, and shows like “America’s Next Top Model.” You’ve probably heard that you need to be extremely tall and exceptionally thin…and beautiful. If you want to be a high fashion model that’s true.

There is another side to modeling that maybe you hadn’t thought about. Models for advertising come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, all body types, and all colors! You’ve seen them – the cute freckle-faced girl drinking grape juice, the chubby dad mowing the lawn, or the feisty grandma. You don’t need to be perfect looking to be a model.

Even if you are fashion-model beautiful, modeling can be a tough career to break into. Search for information on becoming a model and you’ll surely be overwhelmed by the thousands of websites you can choose to visit. Click Here to check out an informative ebook on breaking into Child Modeling.

Be careful – there are tons of scams out there. You may have seen ads in the paper looking for models – they announce a free open-call. Modeling agencies will claim “train you” and shady photo studios will convince you that you need to spend thousands of dollars on professional photos. Do NOT pay an agency anything. If you hook up with a reputable agency, they will take a cut or commission on photo shoots they book for you, but will not charge to represent you.

If you are a kid with an interest in modeling, the first thing you are going to need is a willing and supportive parent. Your parent is going to be the one scheduling and driving you to auditions. Your parent also needs to be able to get along well with other people and not overwhelm the people who might eventually hire you. You also need to have someone sign a permission form to use your photos. If you plan to get into modeling, you will eventually need a portfolio and professional photographs, but you can hire a photographer that meets your budget.

There is another option that is rarely talked about, but I’ll let you in on a secret. Commercial photographers often don’t have the budget to hire professional models. For photo shoots, they often rely on family and friends to step in. My daughters have been in ads, textbooks, and brochures because their dad is the photographer. They have also asked a number of friends to model as well. The budgets are not huge, but you can often make $25 to $100 for a few hours work.

Contact photographers in your area and let them know that you are available for work. Put a package together with some decent photos of yourself, and a business card or flyer with your contact information. Most photographers will not have anything the day that you call, but if they get that kind of work, they can keep you on file.

Call the photographer (or email) and introduce yourself.

“Hi, my name is Jennifer Smith and I’m interested in doing some modeling. I’m wondering if you ever use non-professional models in your studio. If so, I’d like to send you some information in case anything comes your way.” Chances are, if the photographer does occasionally use non-pros, he or she would be happy to keep you on file.

Keep in mind that modeling is hard work and can even be somewhat boring. You may have to do a lot of waiting around, and may be on a set for hours at a time.

You want an iphone or ipod? Maybe the new Wii?  Trying to save up for your first car or need to pay for your own car insurance?  You want to work, but your crazy school schedule isn’t flexible enough for a regular job? Perhaps you aren’t even old enough to get a regular job.  Now might be the time to consider starting your own business.

Start by looking at your own skills. What are you good at? What do you like to do?  Do you like computers? Kids? Being outdoors? Fixing things?  Are you highly organized? Do you like pets?  Are you an early riser or a night owl?   Do you like to write?  Are you a talented artist?  A musician?

All of these skills can bring you money.  Take inventory of your own talents. Write them down.  Figure out what your strengths are.  People will pay you for things that they

1. Can’t do
2. Don’t want to do

3. Don’t have time to do

What may be easy or fun for you might be miserable for someone else.  Knowing yourself is the first step in deciding on a business.

Can a bad hair day lead to a successful business? Sure! It happened for my 13-year-old.
My daughter, a soccer player, was having problems keeping her hair up. “I’m really bad at doing my own hair and it was always falling in my eyes!” she said; until a friend gave her pre-wrap.
Pre-wrap is a velvety soft foam that comes in rolls like tape. It’s really an athletic pre-taping product used to wrap over an injury before tape is applied, but many female athletes have found it makes the perfect headband! It’s clingy and doesn’t slip off your head like regular headbands. (Check her site out at Pre-wrap.com. ) She loved it so she went hunting for it at the mall. Unable to find it, we had to buy it in bulk on the Internet. She took the extra to share with her teammates - that’s when her business started. “Everyone loved it and wanted it! I had to order more right away.”
Kids have great ideas – they know what other kids want. Listen to them. Make suggestions. I always knew I wanted to teach my kids about business and the opportunity just dropped in my lap. The key? I was ready and waiting! Are you ready?

That’s the fun part of internet marketing and having a blog. You can talk about anything you want and share products and services you love with your readers. Affiliate marketing is all about “pre-selling” a product. This year, our family added three new games to our favorites. Our family favorite is “Kids Against the Grown-ups.” In this game, the kids get questions targeted at the older generation (like questions about the Beatles) while the adults get questions about Disney characters or Spongebob. It’s a tug-of war board and lots of fun to play with your family.

Quiddler is a card game where you make words using the letters in your hand. You might say it’s a twist on Scrabble, but I personally think it’s more fun to play as a family. Players score points by totaling the value of each card, earning bonus points for the longest and most words in each round. This addictive word game contains instructions for playing a solitaire version, so you can enjoy it even when no one else is around. It’s an excellent game for grandparents to play with grandchildren. It’s easy to learn and fun for anyone old enough to spell!

We bought The Original Food Lover’s Trivia Game this year and enjoyed this game without a board! We rarely use the trivia boards anyway, so this was a nice change. If you are a food lover who likes trivia games or a trivia game lover who likes food then you’ll like this game. It features 1,800 questions in the categories of Beverages, Geography and Culture, Ingredients, Recipes, Food People and Food Arts & Science. If you are playing with kids, definitely try Eat It! This one is all about snacks and candy will make your sweet tooth tingle just playing this game!