The Kids' Guide To Business

Author's Introduction

I wrote The Kids’ Guide To Business to introduce, prepare and launch kids into business. I communicate to kids throughout this book as a business advisor, mentor, teacher and parent interested in preparing kids for business. This book is kid-friendly and relevant to any young person who will be involved in business at some point in their life.  I believe in the potential of kids and the importance of business in their lives. Kids will make good career choices and enjoy success in business once they are exposed and encouraged to prepare for business at an early age.

 The Kids’ Guide To Business discusses business with kids who ultimately will work in a business or operate a business. In the past, business has not been a popular activity among kids and has not been considered fun, so this book offers activities and allows kids to make their experience as much fun as they want it to be. Kids are in charge of fun as they learn about business and explore business activities. This unique book offers parents and teachers a resource to help get kids started thinking, practicing and playing with business.

 Parents are encouraged to assume a role in teaching kids about business. The purchase of this book and providing some time to discuss it’s content is a great start.  As a parent you are very much a teacher, advisor and mentor.  Although our kids don't always appear to listen to us, or do what we ask them to do, they definitely learn from us. Don't underestimate your ability to teach your kids about business. Your experiences; as a consumer, working and dealing with business is valuable insight. If we expose kids in a way that is appropriate to their ability and provide them with insights that help get them thinking about career/business, we will succeed.  Please respect their interests and abilities and let them decide on the businesses they would like to learn about.

 I am amazed at the impact teaching kids business has on kids by simply giving them respect, training, resources and opportunities.  I have received comments from kids; on how they wished they had read The Kids’ Guide To Business before they had tried their business experience, who want to do well in the working world and don’t know were to start, thanking me for the opportunities I have created for them and youth groups who have used my programming to train street kids to make something of their lives. Of all the gifts and opportunities we give to kids, business is one of the most lasting and influential gifts we can give.

 In general, kids do not know what they want to be when they grow up, they have many questions on how to find out what is right for them, they are not sure how fun business will be, they want to gain experience and earn their own money at an early age. The Kids’ Guide to Business is a useful tool to help kids step into the business world, discover their interests and talents and prove their potential both to themselves and others!

 This book was written for a broad range of ages, 8-17, including beginners and experienced business kids. Kids can simply read through this book and explore business on their own, or they can focus on areas that are of interest to them or obtain a broader education about business. The Kids’ Guide To Business can be used with the help of teachers or parents and with a group of kids. Parents and teachers will also enjoy working with kids throughout this book or using it as a business training resource for themselves

 Learning about business is a very valuable education and one that is often learned outside of the school classroom. Traditional school curriculum teaches kids skills, which can be used in business, but seldom are these skills applied in business situations. The Kids’ Guide To Business teaches business by using a case study approach with a combination of developing skills, provoking thinking and applying ideas in a planned or real business experience.

 Business is universal; it crosses all cultures, creates interaction between all nations and determines the standard of living for people.  Business is key to the future of all nations. All kids will be involved in business in some capacity at some point.  Once kids know how to read and write they are ready to start learning about business and preparing for their futures. Business is something kids see and use daily during their lives (clothes, food, school supplies, transportation, products at home, sports teams, music) so it is not difficult to start talking about business and helping kids gain experience from thinking about the many businesses kids encounter everyday.

 I recognize kids are influenced by business in many ways; in terms of the advertising they see and the brands they want and buy. Learning about business in this book will help kids better prepare, understand and deal with business as a customer, an employee and a business owner.

 A very simple way to get kids interested in business is to ask them to create a written product and think of ways of making it the best product in the whole world! – a product that kids around the world will enjoy and pay to read. Kids can quickly be in business with a dream and a product that excites them and motivates them to learn how to further develop their interest and make their product or their talent successful. They can tell their friends about it, take pride in telling people they are in business and work at getting people interested in their product. The key learning lesson is for kids to enjoy to compete and develop in business, to understand that rewards are in the learning experience and success should be measured in more ways than the money earned.

 I have chosen the lemonade stand as the kid’s business case study. The lemonade stand business provides a business example that kids are familiar with and can easily understand. The lemonade stand is symbolic of kids in business and recognizable by kids selling drinks from outside of their home. The lemonade stand appears to be a very simple business to learn, but with advise from The Kids’ Guide To Business, it can be transformed into a sophisticated business experience.

 The Kids’ Guide To Business takes kids through many ideas that have to be considered in business.  Kids will explore, learn to make decisions and develop skills while discovering areas of interest in business. Once kids are exposed to the many aspects of business, they will begin to understand their interests and talents to further develop in their daily lives.

 The learning experience evolves around the concept of DAB - develop a business. The book exposes kids to approximately 50 areas (functions/responsibilities/jobs/careers/areas of expertise) of business and hundreds of business tips and questions to consider in developing a business. Kids will develop skills; discover areas of business that interest them while considering how to develop a business.

 Experiences from The Kids’ Guide To Business provide a start to a life long journey to understand and succeed in business. The more you understand about business, the more likely you are to succeed in business. I encourage kids to develop business experience with the use of this book and any other resources and opportunities they have access to. I have developed www.teachingkidsbusiness.com, www.kidse-marketplace.com and other sites to provide additional programming for kids in pursuit of learning about business.

 Business is such a broad topic to write about. I have tried to introduce kids to many aspects of business by providing information and frameworks to assist them with the understanding and application of business concepts. Kids are inquisitive by nature and like to explore things, so the key is to get them started with safe and positive business experiences to develop an interest and expertise in the fascinating, exciting and challenging business world.

The Kids' Guide To Business is creating opportunities for kids

Proceeds from our book will be used to further develop the social venture of  www.teachingkidsbusiness.com and the development of www.kidse-marketplace.com . This will lead to more business programming for kids.

Please support the development of TeachingKidsBusiness.com by making a  purchase. We also have other products available in our "Kids' Business e-store"