It might seem like the most unlikely time for your daughter to start a business. We are living during a time of uncertainty. Family “stuff” from living at home 24-7. Work pressures. Economic pressures.
But, these challenges present a unique opportunity for your daughter. As a Mom, you can help her unlock opportunities that can help her years from now. So read below for the hidden benefits and I’ll make sure you don’t add any crazy to your life from taking it on!!
Here are 3 reasons why the quarantine is a great time to start a business:
She will have interesting stories for applications
I’m sure you are on the newsletters or have attended the workshops about:
- Learn more about the college admissions process
or
- Tips on how to improve your essay for admissions
While grades and extracurriculars are important, she needs something unique. Something that will help her application or interviews stand out. Since it’s hard for young people to find summer jobs, a business is a perfect experience.
It doesn’t matter if she earns a lot of money
It doesn’t matter if the business earns money. People who are screening youth applications and essays want to know:
- She is unafraid to speak to people
- She knows how to think quickly on her feet
- She has made mistakes and found ways to move forward
For example, your daughter might share a story about how it took several times to sell something. The person listening understands she is resilient and hears she won’t quit easily.
Or she might share how much thought and work she put into launching her business. This demonstrates her ability to set and keep goals.
A youth business is the PERFECT experience to get your daughter’s foot in the door
mom & Daughters, Inc.
Talking to people is a valuable skill within itself. How often do young people in today’s society have the opportunity to talk to adults outside of school? I can remember buying groceries from the local store as a youth. My mom would send me in with money and I completed the transaction solo. But, today’s online shopping and self-checkouts have almost eliminated that action. It’s easy to never have to talk to an adult. Young people miss out on learning how to communicate their ideas or read body language.
So consider encouraging your daughter to start a business. It will help her develop and strengthen these communication skills. And yes, it will definitely show up in a good way when it’s time to write college applications and start interviewing for her first jobs.
She can turn boredom into a future profitable passion
I laughed when my daughter told me that she was bored after her first day of homeschooling. She didn’t even wait an hour and wanted me to entertain her.
I grew up as a Gen Xer. I would have never uttered those words to my mother after I finished my schoolwork. As soon as my homework and chores were finished, I found things to do. I would disappear in my room or spent hours outside with my friends.
Was I bored some times? Of course. But the boredom often lead to exploration. I taught myself crafts, made up games, or read for hours. My friends and I were notorious for making up games with only the “junk” around us.
Boredom can be a blessing in disguise
So, if your daughter tells you that she is bored, let her figure out what to do. Don’t immediately give her solutions. And don’t let her spend hours mindlessly on the phone. Let her explore her room. What toys are begging for attention? What books haven’t been opened in months? What child safe how-to videos does she want to watch and use as inspiration? She might find activities that she is naturally drawn to and discover or renew passions or interests.
This idea might test your skills the first time. Hold on! Don’t run to overscheduling her. Or telling her immediately what to do. Give her room to explore. It is a powerful opportunity for both of you. You will give her a safe space to explore interests. And your daughter might find a future career path in the process.
My crazy boredom story
For example, I’ll share my own crazy story of how I discovered one of my passions. I shared this story recently with my family and they laughed the absurdity. I understood because it was wild. But it was also a true story. I know that no online test or career counselor could have helped me uncover this interest. I had to be BORED and have time to explore.
One summer, I was standing on the stairs to the back of our house. Bored out of my mind. I started talking to a pretend audience. Our yard was small but I imagined 50 people were sitting in folding chairs and facing me on the stage. I ended up spending hours that summer on those stairs. I created make-believe speeches. Developed plays and acted out all of the characters. Got books from the library and keep reading them to the pretend audience.
Support your children by letting them be bored and discover what they are naturally drawn to
mom & Daughters, inc.
Do you think it’s a coincidence today that I speak for a living?
Nope.
What would have happened if my mother over scheduled me and never let me get bored as a kid? I probably wouldn’t have discovered this passion.
So let your daughter spend time completely unscheduled. Fight the initial moaning and complaining. Ask her what she wants to do. What activities could she learn more about? What Youtube lessons could teach her a new skill or something that she always wanted to do?
Don’t cave in and tell your daughter what to do! Let her use a few trusted resources to explore. Whatever you have in your house. Pay attention to what she is interested in and find ways to support her learning and development.
She will develop grit that will serve her regardless of her future career
Are there going to be “bumps “when your daughter starts her business? Yes.
Will she deal with things that she can’t figure out because there is no simple formula? Possibly.
This process will help her learn so many amazing things about herself. Things like:
- How to speak up for what she wants
- How to pivot when things don’t go how she first imagined
- How to share her ideas and convince others to take interest
A business helps your daughter develop grit – a skill that will serve her life.
During this process, she also will learn so much about herself. She brings value to the table. That others should pay attention. The business will develop that elusive skill of grit. It’s a real confidence booster.
If your daughter never has the chance to “fail” as a child, it’s going to sting as an adult. But if she can have the experience of “failing” in her youth business, you have the opportunity to support her. You can talk her through the experience. Why it’s important to try again. What she learned. How to get creative and keep moving forward. You won’t have to “beat her in the head” to learn this lesson. It will happen naturally.
Since you can start a business without needing alot of money, it gives room to explore. Let her experience the bumps and bruises of marketing her ideas to find customers. Learning about the sales process. This will be one of the few times in her life when it won’t matter how much she earns. It’s about the experiences.
After the quarantine is over and we return back to work and school, I’m betting things won’t go back to “normal.” But the people who will survive or thrive are those who are willing to experiment, get creative, and can handle the bumps. So let your daughter start a business and heighten her awareness of these ideas.
I hope this inspires you to give it a try!
