Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Or is it? Why do people have to copy or imitate existing products to make a fast buck? There are enough consumer problems out in the world that need solving. So why copy? Why not innovate? Why not solve a problem that needs solving? I really feel sad for those who don’t have the creativity to think for themselves.

All of this leads me to the fact that one of Biz in a Boxx’s great assets is that it not only teaches business skills, but it helps and encourages a child develop his or her own creativity. Taking an idea and making it come to fruition is truly a rewarding thing. It made us at Biz in a Boxx feel good and we know it has made our young entrepreneurs feel good too. It’s a feeling of accomplishment that builds self esteem, pride and accountability.

The example that comes quickly to mind is that of a young man of 14 who saw a problem with the existing jelly and jam products available in his local supermarkets. So he identified the problem and made a better product which is now being carried in the entire chain of 220 stores. Earth shattering this is not, but if you are a jam lover like I am there is little worse than tasteless jam.

Young entrepreneurs have amazing ideas and are great at problem solving. They look at solutions differently than adults do because they are unrestricted by financial obligations. They are capable of going from problem to solution in a very direct way without the concerns of “what ifs”.
So while imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery innovation and problem solving are really the paths to success.

Reba

Young Entrepreneurs and Seniors with Computers

At Biz in a Boxx we try to support our young entrepreneurs as much as possible. So many of them keep us informed on our “contact us” page as to how their businesses are doing.

Last week my beloved computer passed away. As I looked at my friend of five years with whom I interacted every day I felt so frustrated. Not only did I need to get a replacement , I needed to get all that info transferred from old to new. No way was I capable of doing that!

I contacted Kevin of Teen Tech to set up my new computer. As I sat in my chair watching a 15 year old set up my new computer I was truly amazed. I have trouble doing anything out of the ordinary, and this kid moved so fast and so confidently that the computer was up and running with all the “stuff” on it that I needed in a couple of hours.

Now Biz in a Boxx did not teach Kevin how to use a computer, but it did teach him what to do with his skills and how to profit from them. Kevin found a niche. He caters to Seniors with computer issues. He advertises in the bulletin board at the local Senior Center and at a couple of the retirement homes in the area. How smart is that? Kevin started his own business because he could not get a summer job. He wants to earn money to buy a car when he turns 16.

What this is all leading to is that kids are not too young to start a business. They have great ideas, and so many have great skills like Kevin. They just need the “know how” to get started, and that’s why Biz in a Boxx was created.

You know, after my Teen Tech experience I was so proud to be a part of this company.

Reba Rose

P.S. I really miss my old keyboard. This one makes too many mistakes!!

Timing is Everything

Last night I went to get into bed to go to sleep. Blanche, my miniature schnauzer, was already stretched out and ready for the last bit of TV before we were off to slumberland. I have to tell you that Blanche and I sleep in a Cal King bed which is really huge and somehow I only get about two and a half feet of it and my fifteen pound dog seems to hog all the rest.

Anyway, being a senior I have aches and pains so I sleep with a heavy duty heating pad which I usually turn on before I go and get ready for bed. For some reason I forgot to turn it on. So I get into bed, try and arrange Blanche so I will have a bit more space and turn on the TV. I turned on the heating pad and a flame flew out of it and a popping noise and all the electricity in the house turned off.

No fire, thank goodness, but I had to go outside at 2:00am to go trip the breakers. Upon my return and the return of my electricity I discovered that Blanche had chewed through the the heating pad cord and severed it. Have you any idea how grateful I was that the heating pad was not turned on when she decided to have a snack? Let’s put it this way….if it was on I would no longer be complaining about the bed hog as there would no longer be a Blanche!

So what am I getting at? Timing!! Timing is everything. The biz in a boxx series starts teaching kids as young as 7 the fundamentals of becoming an entrepreneur. Too young you say? No, not too young. It is amazing what children are capable of learning at a young age. Their brains are like sponges. The earlier children learn basic skill sets the easier it will be for them to expand their capabilities with confidence as they get older.

So, as of this writing Blanche is still intact, and my aches and pains have increased because the bed hog ate my heating pad. And, hopefully some day a young entrepreneur will invent an electric cord that is chew proof.

Last weekend’s delight

This past weekend, I had the pleasant and surprizing experience of being an exhibitor at the Arizona Families for Home Education convention.

It was my first exposure to this group and I was delighted with the interest paid to Biz in a Boxx. We had many adults and tons of kids of all ages that not only wanted to hear about this entrepreneurial product, they bought the product as well.

As I have always suspected, kids want to earn their own money and are gung-ho to start their own businesses. They were adamant about their parents buying the Biz in a Boxx for them so they could live their dreams of starting and running businesses.

Lots of the parents have the entrepreneurial spirit or experience, recognized the value of  Biz in a Boxx in the development of their kids and purchased the Boxxes with their kids’ futures at top of mind.

We even had one father who not only bought a Biz in a Boxx “Apprentice” for his son, he got a “CEO” version for himself as well!

I was encouraged by the enthusiasm of this group to embrace youth entrepreneurship and can’t wait to catch up with all our new young entrepreneurs and see how they are doing.

Andi

It’s too darn hot!

I don’t know about you, Reba, but this heat is making mincemeat outta’ me.

It seems like each year I get more and more intolerant of the measly 2 months of tiny percentage of humidity that signifies the monsoon season here in the Valley. I mean, compared to the humidity that I left in Chicago 18 years ago, this is child’s play. Maybe because the humidity is coupled with 115-ish degrees, that’s why it feels so awful.

I’m not too crazy about the wind either. I never had allergies in the midwest, but now I’m constantly wiping my runny nose and my contacts stick to my eyeballs. Quite the attractive sight, I know. I can be outside in the wind for only a few minutes and it’s all over.

The pool looks clean and inviting, but frankly it’s way too hot to even consider jumping in. And, I would have to wait till the sun moves away from the pool so I don’t have to put on 5 tons of sun screen. And then whatever would I do when I actually get into the pool? Just float there? Why is it that it was so easy to have so many fun ideas when I was young?

Wait for it……

Yeah, kids do have so many great ideas and they can actually do something with their ideas–like create their own businesses by using the guidelines in their very own Biz in a Boxx from www.bizinaboxx.com.

Shameless, I know.

Andi.

A real-world young entrepreneur

Hey,  Reba, I don’t think I ever told you about my experience with a young entrepeneur named Jodi. I think she’s about 11 or 12. Stop me if you’ve heard this one……

Jodi has a rash in her armpits.

I think she has too much time on her hands; she’s lazy and bored, even though she’s out and about every day playing with her brothers and her friends.

Maybe she needs to have a job to keep her busy and productive. Sure, the economy is awful right now, and she might have a devil of a time finding work, but what if she didn’t have to work for someone else? I’m sure she must have at least one good idea for her own business.

Yeah, but she’s just a kid and would never know how to follow through on making the business become a reality.

A Biz in a Boxx would certainly teach her the fundamentals of starting and running her own business and she wouldn’t be so dependent on me for money. She’d have her own money to spend on toys and treats and other stuff that would make her happy and give her the freedom I know she relishes. She’d certainly have less worries and no more rashes.

I mean, why not? There have to be lots of kids’ businesses out there. OK, that’s the answer. I’ll go to www.bizinaboxx.com. She will be another successful young entrepreneur mentored by Biz in a Boxx. Oh, wait, that won’t work…..Jodi’s a basset hound.

It’s here to stay….

Reba, I feel like word is finally getting around that this youth entrepreneurship thing is not the whimsy of just a few extraordinary kids whose parents took the time to “sponsor” them in their business endeavors. 

As we both know, kids come up with great ideas that can be developed into actual, profitable businesses; ideas that go way beyond the lemonade stand, which, here in the Phoenix area, sounds really good right now.

So, if ideas are plentiful, why are there not more businesses run by kids and teens? I think it’s because the kids just don’t know what to do with the ideas; how to make a business out of them; what the next steps should be, so they abandon their ideas and further delay living out their dreams.

We know what the answer is, of course. On our site, bizinaboxx.com, we have those next-steps that the kids need to start and run their businesses. Kids as young as seven can do this on their own. Parents don’t have to oversee this project. It’s a fun experience that will empower the kids and maybe parents won’t have to continue to dole out allowance. Yea!

Hopefully, the word will continue to grow. Youth entrepreneurship is here to stay and Biz in a Boxx is right here to help.

From the junior of the seniors,

Andi

From the Young Entrepreneur Trenches

Since Andi and I are are the most senior officers at Biz in a Boxx (by that I mean we have been on the planet longer that the rest of the staff) we think we can come at this whole youth entrepreneur phenomena from a different perspective.  We both have grandchildren, and perhaps our seniority has brought us a bit of wisdom, but then again, perhaps not!

I have to tell you how amazed I am when I see young kids in business.  It is so impressive to see what their imaginations can bring to reality.  The lemonade stand seems no longer the number one business of choice.  When I read in the newspaper what the third to sixth grade kids were doing at Sigourney School in Iowa with their Biz in a Boxx program I actually got “goose bumps”.  How proud they must be of themselves and how proud their parents must be’

How fortunate they come from a school district that understands the value of teaching kids at an early age the value of business skills.   They have a solid foundation for the future upon which to build whether they they become entrepreneurs or employees and this knowledge is invaluable in every aspect of their lives.

From the most senior of the “seniors”,

Reba