Unleash the entrepreneurial mindset in your kids
Children look at you and learn from it and tries to imitate you and follow your footsteps at a very young age. While today's most kids spend time in video games, your kid wants to invest time in planning for the future which must be appreciated.
Mom, I aspire to be an entrepreneur just like you.
How do these words have an impact on you and how do you feel? Or have you heard them say already. If that's the case , what was your reaction?
Initially, you must have felt proud. Children look at you and learn from it and tries to imitate you and follow your footsteps at a very young age. While today's most kids spend time in video games, your kid wants to invest time in planning for the future which must be appreciated.
But then it obviously makes you worried and fear kicks in. Imagine you are investing your precious resources, time and efforts dreaming it big and just imagine if things don’t fall in place? The outcome is more than fearful for you and your child.
While I was in grade four, I discussed with my parents who were enter entrepreneurs then, that i also aspired to be an entrepreneur one day. Initially they asked, Are you ready to do the work and have the potential to make it possible? I replied “yes” and never denied to extend their support since then.
My start up company was named Caption Ink, and to my misfortune it never went on well. I was thrown back and broken, but my parents came to my rescue and saved me saying that each failure as a stepping stone to success and learn from the failures. They encouraged me to figure out what went wrong and put forward a new step.
I was much motivated and had no sign of not discouragement.
After a few years later, I started to run two businesses: a nonprofit business named “Kids4Community” & a clothing business for young triathletes named “Kids Tri Hard”.
My both parents played crucial roles in both the businesses. My dad handled the Kids 4 Community's and took charge as the board of directors, where he guided me with immense knowledge and advices on how to make the next step.
My mom handled the Kids Tri ard. Of lately, she guided me to find a perfect fabricator for triathlon suits — a business that’s situated in our hometown of San Diego.
How Can Parents Set Your Entrepreneurial Kids Up for Success
IT would be impossible to secure the place where I stand today without my parent’s support. If your kid show enthusiasm in being an entrepreneur, and want to start their own business, here are three great suggestions that are the best guidelines which your young and amazing entrepreneurial kids shall need:
Don’t shy away from reality.
Be clear and let them what all goes in to become a successful entrepreneur to be.What difficulties they face and the amount of hard work that has to be poured into, as they have to be mentally prepared to gain courage towards putting their foot forward.
And this was how my parents guided me through. It was scary no doubt initially, but it did help to me stand up and keep moving forward till i gained success.
Be the right kind of helpful.
Being a parent, you might feel like guiding your child in everything. Refrain yourself and hold that temptation.. You got your own business to look after, and it’s a best opportunity for your child to explore and learn new things, gain knowledge and acquire new skills, and take full ownership of his business.
Helping some support and help makes your child be assured that you care , but if it crosses the limits, you are indicating them that your child is not smart or wise enough to establish him or herself as a budding entrepreneur, which might turn them down.
Provide perspective.
When Caption Ink business didn’t do well, my parents introduced me to the great Thomas Edison quote: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
This inspired me and got imbibed within me. It made me understand that These we re efforts to be successful and I wasn’t failing; In Fact I was learning, which is more important for parents to convey this message to their children to let know that there is something to learn from every failure and these lessons are valuable.
Also, it’s not bad when you compare your child’s work to most successful scientist. That’s very motivating!
In conclusion, the best thing you can do for intuitive child is give him immense love, support and confidence. A young entrepreneur needs some help from his parents to establish as a successful entrepreneur.
Credits: Kenan Pala
