Real entrepreneurs
Stories of real entrepreneurs who started young: Mikaila Ulmer (Me & the Bees), Moziah Bridges (Mo's Bows), Cory Nieves (Mr. Cory's Cookies); what makes someone an entrepreneur
What a learner can do afterwards
- Retell the story of at least one real entrepreneur who started as a child
- Explain creativity, persistence and passion using examples of business actions
- Explain what the word 'entrepreneur' means in their own words
1 · Read
An entrepreneur starts and runs a business. You have learned how business ideas can solve problems. Entrepreneurs act on ideas by offering products or services and finding customers. They can work with family members, helpers or a team.
Mikaila Ulmer began selling lemonade as a child. She used her great-grandmother's recipe and added honey. Learning about bees helped her connect her business with helping them. Her company became known as Me & the Bees Lemonade.
As a child, Moziah Bridges learned to sew with help from his grandmother. He made bow ties and started Mo's Bows. Learning from another person was part of his business story.
Cory Nieves also began a business as a child. His business, Mr. Cory's Cookies, sold cookies. Entrepreneurs turn plans into business activity by offering a product or service, setting prices and serving customers.
Creativity means finding or trying ideas, such as using a recipe in a new way. Persistence means continuing to work and learn after a setback. Passion means caring strongly about your work or its purpose. These qualities can help a business, but they cannot promise success.
A success story can give you ideas, but copying it does not promise the same result. Customers, costs and support also affect a business. Children should plan any selling activity with a trusted adult.
Entrepreneurs start and run businesses. Creativity, persistence and passion can help, alongside planning and support, but success is not promised.
Four original readings written for this dataset about business activity, reading founder stories, explaining an idea and planning with an adult.
More to read
Turning an idea into an offer
Imagine someone has an idea for bookmarks that stay clipped to a page. A drawing can explain the idea, but customers still need something they can use.
Before selling, the maker needs to try a design, find suitable materials and work out what making it costs. Asking people to test it may reveal a problem the drawing did not show.
Running a business also means deciding how to offer the bookmarks and serve customers. A price needs thought, because money received from sales is not all profit.
Children should plan these activities with a trusted adult. You can learn about business by investigating an idea, even if you decide not to sell it.
Reading a founder's story
A short business story cannot tell you everything about its founder. It may describe a first product but leave out the people who helped, the costs or plans that changed.
Separate the facts given from your guesses. A story that says someone made bow ties tells you what they made. It does not tell you how they felt during every difficult day.
Look for actions you can describe. Who learned a skill? What did the business offer? Who were its customers? Which details still need another source?
A successful founder's experience can suggest questions for your own idea. It cannot promise your result. Two businesses can sell similar products and have different customers, costs and support.
Practising a short pitch
A pitch is a short explanation of a business idea. For practice, choose an idea and explain it to someone you trust.
Name the product or service and say who might use it. Explain what it would help them do. Then describe one thing you still need to find out, such as the cost of materials.
Ask your listener which part was unclear. Their question may show you something missing from the plan. You can revise the explanation after listening.
Some competitions include pitches, but their rules and prizes differ. Read the details with a trusted adult before entering. Presenting an idea does not promise funding, and you do not need to enter a contest to practise explaining it.
Planning with an adult
Before a selling activity, talk with a trusted adult about what the work involves. Decide together where it could happen and how much time and money you can use.
Ask permission before using household supplies or tools. Having supplies at home does not make them free: using them may mean someone must buy replacements.
List the costs and compare them with the money you expect from sales. You might change the idea after seeing those amounts.
An adult can check the rules for the activity. Ask for help with food preparation and ingredient information if food is involved. Let an adult manage online selling and contact with unfamiliar customers. Leave time for school, rest and other activities.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.