So kiddo tells me yesterday that he wants a job at our community center. He's 10. Please allow me to beam with pride as I share the following.
We have a community center in our condo complex. It's got a gym, business/media center, lounge area, meeting rooms, sauna, pool, etc...they have some office workers who oversee things. They also keep it clean and make sure everything is in working order and they handle package deliveries for the residents. One of the things they do is keep a fresh supply of baked cookies and coffee on hand.
Kiddo comes to the conclusion that he could make the cookies, help keep things clean, do a little "tech support" on the internet machines and help people retrieve their packages because the ladies in the office are always busy. He thinks he could do this for two hours a day and make around $10 an hour. The kids hang out in the community center so this is where he got the idea.
First of all, I praised his industriousness and willingness to work and then told him that he's too young to work, they can't legally hire him, etc...and that I think with school, extracurricular activities, chores, etc...he's already busy enough. He tells me that he doesn't want to end up working in McDonalds someday so he wants to get plenty of experience now. (And he adds, unless it's just a summer job because that's not really a good plan for life is it?)
So he asks me - "What if I become my own boss and start my own company?"
This is the point in the story where a Freeper jumps out of the bushes and gives my son his initiation into the VRWC.
I told him, that yes, owning your own business is a great way to make money and you get to be your own boss. But, you are also the one responsible for your success and you have to come up with a really good idea and offer a service that people are willing to pay for. We talk some more about being an entrepreneur, what that word means, etc...he immediately starts to see how this could be even more lucarative than cookie baking for the man and comes up with his own venture.
He wants to offer a trash removal service to everyone in the neighborhood. As it stands now, every resident must take their trash to the compactor (there are a few on site). You are not allowed to leave trash sitting outside your door in the common areas. Kiddo is responsible for taking out our family's trash twice a week. He told me that he's noticed lots of adults taking trash to the compactor and "they aren't happy about it." He said he never sees other kids doing it and he thinks that a kid like him could make some money helping out the grown ups.
We talked at length about being in business for yourself, making money, investing, planning for your future, etc...I just had to brag. I'm so proud! All of the things we've said over the years seemed to have made an impact. He understands more at his age than I ever did as a child.
Anyway, he's already come up with flyers to sell his business, he's going to charge a sliding fee depending on what floor the people live on, how much trash, how often they use him, etc..he even recruited a friend to work for him. And the kicker? They decided to give a percentage of their earnings to the church and a percentage to a charity. They are going to call themselves "Two Brats and a Bag".
I don't know what will come of this and if it's even feasible. I'm going to quietly ask the homeowner's assoc. But darn it, I'm so proud!!!
