A business plan...

The other day we all, the entire family, took an adventurous trip to the mall so dad could get some new work clothes.  I told dad he could go on his own, but he asked for me to come along so he'd have someone with a bit of fashion sense.  Anyone who's seen us lately, knows we are both in desperate need of some fashion sense but I digress.  So anyway, I explained that if Dad wanted me to come along he was going to have the entire crew in attendance.

He sighed and under his breath muttered something about expecting a disaster, but I provided reassurance and off we went.  Secretly mom was prepared.  I had everything I could think of for Isabelle and for the boys I brought along coloring books and colored pencils.  As we walked into the store and dad started pursuing, I found an ideal spot and set up shop.  I gave the boys specific instructions there was to be no running around, in out and of racks and that it was important to stay quiet.  I figured dad had 20 minutes to shop. 

Somewhat my surprise, and completely to dads, the boys actually complied and sat on the carpet in the corner outside of the department store dressing room and quietly colored.  Yes they colored for more than an hour and 45 minutes while Jarrett pulled dress shirts and slacks, tried them on, searched for other things and finally decided up on what he was going to get.  In the time the kids and I had to bond over colors, the boys came up with a business proposition, which I of course 100% supported in an effort to keep the great behavior continuing.  The boys decided that if they colored pictures as nicely as they could (no scribble scrabble, as Gabriel calls it), then they could open up a store and sail (yes, sail, not sell) them for money. 

See the boys have really taken to their compliment jar, they've filled it with enough money to go and get their Bat-a-Rang and now they are working to purchase their next prized possession, a "Spiderman shooter toy" (their words not mine).  They've been working hard doing one "chore" in the morning and one chore after school and their homework.  They've become experts at helping to load and unload the dishwasher and helping sort and put a load of laundry in the wash.  I'm very proud of them and now they've just added the chore to their routine, where I don't even have to ask them.  It has been great for mom!  Through this though the boys have also learned that it takes a really really really long time to earn $10.00 when you only get a penny at a time.  To compensate for their extremely low hourly rate, they decided to get creative, shall I say, entrepreneurial and come up with a business plan to supplement their income.

As they colored quietly at the store, they came up with various business practices and implemented rules between each other as to how they would "share the profits".  They decided they would color some pictures that were perfect with great colors and those would cost $6.00 (only after Gabriel negotiated with Michael to a lower price.  Michael originally wanted to charge $62.00 for each nice picture but Gabriel told him that was too much). And although they would "specialize" in nice pictures, they also decided to have a few pictures that weren't so nice.  They'd charge only a few penny's for those, and kids could buy them so they could learn how to color nicer.  To myself I thought, what a great idea, something for everyone, the Target of handmade colored pictures.  And they even discussed how to bring in more business (besides having mom, dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc having to buy everything), they would go door to door, inviting everyone in our neighborhood to come over to our house to buy pictures.  They said they'd spread them all over the house so people could see them.  They said, "Mom, you can make cookies so people will want to keep coming back for more pictures." 

I have to admit, I was impressed.  Who would have thought a trip to the department store would have prompted such a great business idea.  Isn't there some saying about great businesses being started in someone's garage or in their backroom? Well this idea was started on the floor outside the Macy's changing room. 

Until next time,

Angie