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Teaching It, Learning It, Doing It!

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Chloe’s Crafts

www.chloescrafts.com

 

Chloe is a remarkable 7 year old girl that is starting her entrepreneur career with more than just a lemonade stand. Yes, she has a lemonade stand, too! She had the idea to sell her homemade hair clips at her lemonade stand and discovered she had a hit.

 

It helps that mom and dad are entrepreneurs themselves, and naturally, have helped her a little. Growing up watching her parents work from home at their own online business, www.kissedbaby.com, often has that effect!  They have one other child, that may only be 3 years old, but I’ll bet the gears are already turning in that little head thinking of what to sell!

 

Here is their online interview :

 

Tell us a little about your family:

We are a family of four, including 2 children ages 7 and 3. We have been homeschooling for 7 years, as “unschoolers”. Chloë (the 7-year-old) has been running www.chloescrafts.com since Fall of 2007. Both mom and dad work from home (mom runs baby sling company called www.kissedbaby.com).

 

Tell us a little about your business and how it’s doing now.

Her business started as a hobby because Chloë enjoys crafts and fashion, and wanted to give something to causes that she supports (first charity was Durham Humane Society, and now it’s World Wildlife Federation). It is not meant to make huge profits, but to learn about giving back to the community, learn math and basic business skills, and exercise her creativity and develop her fashion sense.

 

Who helped you start your business (if anyone)? Who in your family is involved and what part do they play?

Mom helped set up web site, and with basic skills like glueing. Chloë makes all her own purchasing decisions, and does her own poster-making, ribbon-cutting, designing, and has all creative input on her web site.

 

Can you give us the history of your ‘start-up’? Timeline from idea to receiving your first dollar?

Chloë had the idea to start this business and run it along with her lemonade stand (which she had been operating for 2 years) in the Summer/Fall of 2007, and made $200 within her first 6 months, with no advertising.

 

How much money did you begin with? (bootstrapper, SBA loan, friends and relatives, etc)

She started with $30 from Mom, to spend on supplies, then paid back all expenses and made a profit right away.

 

What online services have you used-that you liked...and didn’t like. (This is extremely valuable.)

We loved www.vistaprint.ca (www.vistaprint.com) because it offers many freebies like business cards and promotional literature—invaluable for a kid who has no/little funds to start a business!

 

How do you schedule your busy day? Any time mgmt tips?

No set schedule. We are unschoolers.

 

What do you like best about having your own business?

She learns many valuable real-life skills in business, math, and community-giving, as well as a chance to exercise her creativity.

 

What advice would you give other families/individuals looking at starting their own business?

For kids, do it for the skill-learning, and not for profit. For kids and adults, the same suggestions apply: Enjoy what you do, and don’t stress out over it. When it’s no longer enjoyable, it’s time to re-consider your chosen line of work, or do something differently.

 

-End of interview-  

 

That’s excellent advice. If it’s no longer fun, then it’s time to re-assess. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be times of frustration and exhaustion.

 

Chloe’s giving heart illustrates beautifully how ‘unschooling’ can teach skills, talents, and character with life projects like starting and running a business. Be sure to stop by and take a look at her site...and remember her hair clips make nice Christmas gifts!

 

Chloe’s Crafts

 

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