Entrepreneurship 101
We are raising the most educated generation of students, but not the most skilled. In fact, the gap between education and career-readiness seems to be widening. Almost 3/4ths of employers surveyed agree that graduates are not ready for hire. The good news is that students can be pro-active and gain the skills today’s marketplace demands.
Marketplace:
- the world of trade or economic activity.
- the everyday world.
- a place where ideas, thoughts, artistic creations compete for recognition.
Whether our children want to fix fences, take care of the sick, or design buildings, we all have a place in today’s marketplace.
Successful entrepreneurship involves both a mind-set, and a skill-set. Students today would be served well by understanding what it takes to start up and run a small business. Their livelihood might depend on it! But can college teach a mindset? No, but parents can!
How can you foster that mindset and skill set in your student? I encourage all students to start some sort of small business. Find something that interests you (product or service), determine if someone will pay your for it, launch! One year my two young kiddos made water balloon launchers and sold them during the holiday season to earn money for their own Christmas purchases. It started when my son made one as a birthday gift for a friend and it received rave reviews. Then my over-30 friend asked for one … to have fun with her own boys. We had proof of concept (Shark Tank fans here!) and soon they were ready to take orders.
Start by introducing you student to the ideas involved in being an Entrepreneur. Then have them take a Entrepreneurship 101 course (below).
- Teach Personal Finance – Dave Ramsey has a great one for teens.
- Conversation – “hmmm… I wonder how that team of house painters got that job?”
- Introductions – “Let’s go talk to the owner that family-owned greenhouse.”
- Biographies – Barnes and Noble’s List
- Good Reads – Ralph Moody’s series that includes Little Britches is my favorite. Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
- How-to Books – Start Here by Brett and Alex Harris was required reading for an Entrepreneurship class I taught.
- Movies – Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Temple Grandin, Hidden Figures.
- Internships – Ask a local business owner if your student could stop by for an introduction. Perhaps together they can discover a task your student could do that would be of value to the business owner, and in return, your student learns skills and insight into what it takes to run a business.
Entrepreneurship 101 Course
CLEP-Guru Jennifer Cook DeRosa put together a course for her own sons and shared it on her website. (Shared with permission).
Month 1
Daily Lessons: MIT Entrepreneurship 101 online course
Reading List
- Disciplined Entrepreneurship, Bill Aulet (MIT Professor teaching the series)
- Cold Hard Truth, Kevin O’Leary (Shark Tank)
Videos
- Shark Tank (Airs weekly on ABC, or available on Hulu.com)
- Economics U$A (videos 1-9)
Month 2
Daily Lessons: MIT Entrepreneurship 102 online course
Reading List
- Display of Power, Daymond John (Shark Tank)
- Driven, Robert Herjavec (Shark Tank)
Videos
- Shark Tank (Airs weekly on ABC, or available on Hulu.com)
- Economics U$A (videos 10-19)
Month 3
Daily Lessons: MIT Entrepreneurship 103 online course
Reading List
- How I win at the Sport of Business, Mark Cuban (Shark Tank)
- Use What You’ve Got, Business Lessons Learned from My Mom, Barbara Corcoran
Videos
- Shark Tank (Airs weekly on ABC, or available on Hulu.com)
- Economics U$A (videos 20-28)
Please share this article with friends and introduce them to Credits Before College.
Copyright©2017 Cheri Frame – All Rights Reserved.
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