Entrepreneurship Story

Many years ago while on the board of the parent teacher organization at my children's school,  I had an idea to create a store where the students could shop for their families at the holidays.  I discussed the “holiday house” idea with a few other parents who really liked the idea and wanted me to move forward with it.  The natural progression was to approach the administration for approval to set up shop and they loved the idea and was on board. 

Since I planned to buy all of the items at the local dollar store and charge the same to the kids, I budgeted for each child to purchase at least 4-6 items for their immediate family including grandparents.  It was a smaller school with not more than 100 kids at the time.  I purchased everything from candles, picture frames, kitchenware, children’s toys, men’s ties, flashlights, puzzles, automobile accessories and many more.  The items were inventoried, separated and stored at my house until shopping day at the school.  A little inconvenient, but I was excited and so were my kids.  I created flyers that went home with each child directing the parents to send in funds for the children to shop and built up excitement visiting the classrooms and explaining what the store was about.

To set up the shop, I bought a pop up tent with curtain walls that was decorated like a gingerbread house to feel like they were going into their own store.  Volunteer elves dressed up in festive outfits to help the students shop.  It was an entire experience for the kids.  As the students waited to enter the store during their class time, we provided refreshments and a bag decorating activity to place their purchased items in to take home.  Stapled shut of course so there could be no peaking by the parents.  For the next few years I would continue to set up the holiday house even as the student population grew.  Eventually I passed on the responsibilities to new parents who continued the tradition.  Although this was not a venture that provided monetary rewards, it was all about the feel good moment of seeing the kid’s faces and how proud they were of the items they picked out for their loved ones.

I do find myself coming up with more ideas from time to time. I enrolled in this class, not only as a requirement for my business degree, but to learn more about the process.  I would hope to come up with an idea to provide a benefit for others and could be something my youngest daughter could participate in when the time comes for her to work.  She has special needs and her opportunities for employment are limited. If I could start something for her that would be my goal.