Summer means fun, especially for kids, because it gives them time to rest and focus on their hobbies. It can also be a time brimming with business opportunities that’ll be great for them to venture on while they’re on a break from school.

Having kids run their own businesses is a great way to teach them about money. Aside from enabling them to earn cash, they can pick-up important values while they’re busy with their ventures.

We ask Melissa, mom & marketing practitioner, questions about what her child, Rocco, experienced in Kiddopreneur. Kiddopreneur is an event that lets kids become entrepreneurs by hosting an avenue where they can practice their own actual businesses.

 

1. What did your kid sell?

We sold self-made grass heads and grass head kits (from the 90s!)

 

2. Where did they get the idea / inspiration?

From mom, of course! Hahaha! I wanted something that people would want to buy while also considering that making the grass heads will be a fun activity for my kid that’ll give him fulfillment when someone buys from him.

3. How much did they earn?

I could not remember anymore but we sold 16 grass heads and 3 grass head kits.

4. What did they learn? / How did you think the experience helped them?

He learned that it’s hard to earn money so you have to value what your parents give you – be it food, school supplies, etc. He also discovered that selling is both hard and fun. He actually had to dance in front of the booth to attract customers! Now, Rocco does summer chores in exchange for a fee. He now helps wash the car, he scrubs the bathroom floor, and gives mom a massage, and the likes, so he can buy things he wants.

We admire how the mom & son pair used creativity to build products from scratch and sell them. If Melissa and Rocco’s experience inspired you, here are other simple business ideas your kids can try!

 

1. Selling food and drinks like halo-halo, lemonade, popsicle, and baked goods.

2. Opening an ukay-ukay where you can both sell secondhand things.

3. Selling arts and crafts like friendship bracelets and greeting cards.

4. Collecting cans and bottles for the purpose of selling them to a junkshop.

5. Offering a tutoring service if your kid is old enough to handle such responsibility.

Keep in mind that the most important thing is to get them out there and encourage them to try and start something. Earning profit is simply icing on the cake because the intention is to get them to interact with others, understand the value of hard work, and discover what they like doing.

Kim Zafra Kim Zafra

Kim Zafra

Kim is your typical corporate junkie who wishes to savor work-life balance. She's part of The Brighter Life Team and takes this chance to figure out her own financial maze. Life is a tender unfolding according to her, thus she named her blog from this perspective. She likes the word harmony and wishes to attain it, one restful sleep at a time — or one sleeping kid at a time, whichever works first.