Your Kid's Small Biz

I shared a video of my daughter selling her bracelets, and I got this question: "My daughter also makes bracelets. I need to support her more. I need tips!" And since I love to go overboard about things like kids running their biz, let the tips commence! 🙋🏼‍♀️

Supporting your kid's business is a beautiful way to encourage creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and independence. Here are some ways you can help your child: (and I'm just gonna point out right here that leaning in and being involved in their business using these tools will strengthen your relationship & help you with your own life!)

Include them in your conversations. Don't just talk about them in the third person with them standing there. LET THEM TALK. Have them speak up for themselves! Let them get used to talking about their product and the process. HOW they make it & WHY. The more they can get used to it and not feel like they need their mom to do it 🙄 they will gain confidence. My daughter is shy, but the more she practices and sees how people respond to HER, the more confident she becomes. Everyone loves to see someone trying! 👏

Use the product! Seed it to people and give it as a gift 🎁 instead of going to Target (it’s OK, you can still go to Target)! Have people ask you about it - they can't buy what they can't see! Have it visible. So I wear my daughter's bracelets, and give them, and she sees me doing this! So I'm not only telling her I'm proud of her work, I want her to SEE I am proud by my actions too! 👀

Be their biggest fan! Show genuine interest in their business and tell them how excited you are about their work. 🎉 Offer words of encouragement and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. REMEMBER, and this is a toughie: 👉 It's THEIR business, not yours. Let them lead the way. Let them come up with the creative process. This is how they will learn. Sure, give tips and your feedback, but don't squash their excitement. Who CARES how perfect or imperfect YOU think it is? BUTT OUT, OR THEY WILL GIVE UP. The worst thing you can do is get too involved and take over. This is a kid and we want them to dream,💭 so let them.

Help with marketing and promotion. This is the hard part bc of social. 😅 I didn't want mine to have her own social account, but we settled on me sharing through mine, and she could manage an Etsy account. 👩🏼‍💻 She does all the creative on Etsy, prints out the shipping, and goes to the post office, 📦 and I manage the back-end accounting. Let them have ownership, but do what you feel comfortable with.

Celebrate! 🥳 Acknowledge and celebrate their milestones and successes along the entrepreneurial journey. Whether making the first sale, reaching a sales target, or receiving positive customer feedback, take the time to acknowledge their hard work and dedication. I took a video when my daughter made her first Etsy sale, and I know we'll look back at it (esp on the hard days). No matter what they do, building the foundation of putting themselves out there is already winning. 💯

Providing love, support, and encouragement is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing. Celebrate their passion and tell them you are proud of their efforts, regardless of the outcome!

Provide guidance on pricing & financial management: Talk about pricing and understanding business costs. Create a simple budget and track income and expenses.

Networking: Participate in local craft fairs, community events, or school fundraisers, help prepare for these events, set up a booth together, and engage with customers. Encourage them to connect with other artisans and entrepreneurs - this is for the long run! It's a GREAT way for you and your child to bond and connect, AND these are life-long lessons they are learning!

Foster a learning environment: Encourage them to learn and improve their craft. Provide resources such as books, online tutorials, or workshops—support exploring new techniques and experimenting with different materials to expand the product line.

Teach them about customer service: Help them understand the importance of excellent customer service. Encourage them to communicate promptly and professionally with customers, handle inquiries or issues with care, and express gratitude for their support.

Encourage time management and organization: Develop good time management skills by creating a schedule for business activities. Teach how to prioritize tasks, set goals, and meet deadlines. Encourage them to stay organized by keeping track of orders, inventory, and customer information. I’m gonna repeat this, but doing this for THEM will also help YOU do this for YOURSELF!

So was this helpful? I could go on and on, so shoot me the next topic and let's talk!

If your friends or family would like these tips, please have them join the newsletter. When you help others, it's a sign that you are taking the initiative and gaining confidence with them. 🥰

Love you. Gotta go. Bye.

xoxo

Tamara