The first time I recall being knowingly exposed to entrepreneurial practices occurred when I was 4 years old with my Grandparents. My parents and all their family before my generation all lived in the United Kingdom, Until my parents boldly decided to just drop everything and start fresh in the land of opportunity. Because of my family's lifelong connection to Manchester, England where all of my family still lives, my parents took me to visit every summer for extended stays of 6 weeks or even more. When I was four and my grandparents were still in the workforce, they began taking me with them to "the market" as they would call it, which is essentially an outdoor, covered marketplace with individual sellers trying to sell there products to customers as they walk by. My grandparents have been selling men's and women's high quality clothing for nearly 40 years before this experience and their passion and effort to attempt to make every sale possible didn't resonate at the time, but now I can understand that when starting a small business from ground zero, there are so many minor things that could go wrong, so it is essential to utilize some type of evolving routine and strategy in how to run the business. As they would make sales, they used to let me wear a fanny pack and they would give me a little something to get candy or a toy at another booth on the market. My grandparents even took me to their bulk suppliers place of business once a week during the summer to buy knitted sweaters and jumpers at low bulk prices so they could maximize profits.
Well to be honest, I am taking this class as it is required for my degree. I feel it could be a little basic as I was in a 4 year high school finance program and already have a head start on most of the topics we will be covering based on the syllabus. I am looking forward to being able to "develop a concept for a viable. scaleable business."
Hello James, this story of your grandparents is great. It is great that even at such a young age your grandparents were able to show you good business. Your Grandparents sound like very interesting people. I also have to say that I am taking this class as a requirement as well. I hope to get the most out of learning the basics of being an entrepreneur.
ReplyDeleteJames,
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderful story. I found my passion for entrepreneurship from my family as well. You are very lucky to have grandparents that care for you so much that they teach you from their past experiences, especially when you were at such a young age.