Encouraging kids to become entrepreneurs

MANILA, Philippines - On Saturday, Nov. 30, over 70 new businesses, wholly owned by kids, will be launched at The Kiddo-preneur Bazaar.

The Kiddo-preneur Bazaar, which was established in 2011, is an annual event where kids aged four to 17 get to become entrepreneurs.

It’s a daylong exercise that teaches kids the value of hard work and the merits of earning their own money.

After securing highly coveted booth space in the bazaar, the kids — aptly called Kiddo-preneurs — get to work thinking about what to sell, how much to sell it for, and what business name to give themselves.

Then they acquire/create their merchandise and plan for their booth decorations.

The exercise encourages the participants to think out of the box as they seek ways to generate profit.

As for the parents of the participants, they become their very first investors because they give the kids the seed money to start the business. From then on, the kids get to work, often with friends or relatives, who in turn become their business partners.

Being a child-oriented learning event, fun and comfort come first.

Entry to the bazaar begins at 9 a.m. and setup lasts until 11 a.m. Then, after a brief pep talk by the organizers and a batch picture, the kids will get ready to man their booths for the stream of family and friends that will come to support them.

The actual selling proper lasts from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the participants close their books and tally their sales.

Awards at the end of the bazaar for categories such as Best Decorated Booth, Highest Sales, The Best Service, and The Most Original Idea help facilitate friendly and healthy competition among the participants.

This year’s Kiddo-preneur Bazaar will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, at The Tents at The Alpha Southgate Mall (EDSA corner Pasong Tamo Extension near Dasmariñas Village), Makati.

Kids and adults of all ages are invited to come and support the Kiddo-preneurs.

For more information about this event, e-mail kiddopreneur@gmail.com or call 0917-585-1081.