Business Opening Tomorrow!

Who is this girl? We will know TOMORROW! Stay tuned for the announcement of a new fan page where you will meet her and where you can check out cool products that will inspire you and help you with your career!!! :-)

A Habit for Young Entrepreneurs

Sooner or later, young entrepreneurs especially those who create their own products, whether these are food or non-food, will find themselves joining fairs and bazaars. It is thus very advisable to visit and get a feel of  events like these before actually joining as a seller in one. You can check out the busy hours, how sellers react to multiple buyers buying at the same time, the packaging of products similar to yours, the sales and marketing pitch of fellow sellers, the buying behaviors of customers, etc. Honestly, no matter how many online materials about fairs and selling you have read, nothing beats going to a trade fair and seeing how bazaar works personally. So whether you are ready to join or not, make it a habit to visit these trade fairs. And Christmas season is the best time to do just that.

One upcoming event is the 10a Alabama Handmade Arts and Crafts Fair.

This will happen on 12 noon of November 10 to 7PM of November 11, 2012. 

Here is the map for your guidance and you can click on this link https://www.facebook.com/10aAlabama
for further details.

Remember though that you will go there not to copy ideas but just to observe how joining bazaar works and of course to get motivated to become more creative with your own products. And because it is also an ideal time for Christmas shopping, why not buy and support our fellow crafters, too.

I got this very inspiring photo from facebook of Travel Finds Shop about buying from small local entrepreneurs:

And oh, by the way. Don't forget to like our facebook page Elle Goes Into Business at Facebook .

I will announce there several discount schemes for the opening of my business on November 15.

Thank you very much!

:-)


  

Business Opening Very Soon!!!

WHO IS SHE? YOU WILL KNOW ON NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Teach Children about Money before Christmas

I personally believe that children should be taught about handling money as early as possible or as soon as that Christmas time arrives when the little kid receives money as gifts from his/her ninong (godfather) or ninang (godfather). Why teach about money to kids? Because using money, like eating food or going to the bathroom is very much a part of man's life. Teaching children how to earn, use, invest, and save money nowadays is as essential as and parallel to the way ancient people taught their young to haunt, slaughter, trade, and preserve animals (for food). Yup, I think we can compare earning with haunting, using with slaughtering, investing with trading, and saving with preserving. Cool, huh? 

Now, why teach about money on Christmas? Well, because most godparents and some relatives give loads of cash gifts to children during this season and how parents react to the situation will definitely influence a child’s attitude towards cash gifts and to money in general. 

Take this scenario for example, in the life of an eight-year-old boy one Christmas afternoon:

Ninong: Inaanak (godchild), here is P100.00 for you. Hand it over to Mama or else you might lose it or pickpockets might get it from you.

Little boy’s thoughts go something like:

Oh no! This money is too much for little me to handle. I must it give it to Mama. I'm scared of money.

Little boy gives the P100 to Mama. Mama takes it and says:

"Okay, I'll keep it. We will save it in the bank. Say thank you to Ninong.

Mama and little boy goes home.

Mama: Okay, son. Is it really just P100? Check your pockets, maybe there's more. No more? Oh well, let us just buy burger and fries with that.

Little boy's thoughts now go like: 

"Hmm. P100 is just a small amount. Better spend it than save it? Hmmm."

Of course, you know what we're getting at in here--not to make a public comedy out of cheap ninongs and ninangs or of parents who take their children's money for their own use (we don't know their reasons), but to help parents use this time of year to teach children about the value money, no matter how much your child gets. Below are some helpful hints to do:

1. Inform your children beforehand of the possibility that their godparents will give them money for Christmas instead of actual presents.

           
Ask your children what they want to do with the money. Remind them of the things they wanted to buy if they had money (like perhaps they mentioned before that they wanted a doll house or a laptop, or even a car when they turn 18). Then tell them that  they can deposit some of the gift money in the bank so they can save up for the thing that they want to buy. You can then suggest on what they can do with the rest of the money, like buy new clothes or shoes for the New Year, or new toys if they have already received new clothes and shoes as gifts. Tell them to consider the money as prize for some good or responsible deed done during the year like getting good grades or maintaining a tidy room. You can also help them decide on what to do with the money by setting an example. You can show them what you are going to do with your own Christmas money (like bonuses received from the office), which might include saving a percentage, buying gifts for family and friends and Christmas food and trimmings, and allotting for tithes, if it is your practice. 

(By the way, this is also the perfect time to explain to your children about how ninongs and ninangs are like second parents to them, who are concerned for their well-being and future but sometimes, like their own parents, godparents cannot give gifts due to money constraints, too. Thus, godparents’ love should not be equated with the amount of money or gifts they can give.) 

2. As much as you can, do not be tempted to take the Christmas money or any percentage of it, unless, of course, they insist on giving it to you.

But do not take the money as is. Give suggestions instead like perhaps they can pay for the ice cream that your family will buy for the New Year. Then take them along when you go grocery shopping to buy the ice cream.

3. Ask your child if they want to give a gift to someone for Christmas and tell them to make a list of names and the gifts they intend to give to each person. 

         

Perhaps there will be a Kris Kringle at school, or they want to give gifts to family members. Let them compute how much money they will need to be able to buy such gifts. Don’t pry on the list because you might be in it and spoil the surprise, but let them tell you if they think they can find the money for the gifts on their lists and offer suggestions on how they can afford them. Recommend that perhaps there are items on the list that they can make instead of buying like a frame of pressed flowers, or friendship bracelets. Suggest that they can also simply offer free services like baby sit for relatives or help clean their garage or kitchen. If they want to buy gifts from the store, help them check out where they can buy those gifts for a discounted price. You can even help them earn money so they can afford the gifts. They can run an errand for you or your relatives in exchange for some money. Or they can sell cookies, toys, or accessories to classmates (check first with the school if this is allowed) or to playmates in the neighborhood. Teach them about inventory and counting profit.

4. Rouse your children’s Christmas spirit by enjoining them to help you make and fill a Christmas coin bank. The collected coins will be given  to Christmas carolers. 

 

         
Tell them that it is good to start saving coins early so you do not have to worry about where to find coins when Christmas comes. Again your children can also do some simple fundraising projects with the aim of allocating the profit to Christmas carolers and donation to charities for Christmas. In this way, you are not only teaching your children how to prepare for anticipated costs in advance, but also the value of exerting effort for a cause and having compassion for less fortunate people.

5. Teach them about saving and banking. You can even tell them the story of the Nativity and what the Holy Family did with the gifts from the Magi.

To inspire your children further, share how that beautiful night when the Lord was born and the three Magi gave Him gifts started all the gift-giving, celebrations, and food and decor preparations during Christmas. One interesting aspect of the Nativity scene on finances that you can share to your children is when the Magi gave baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It can be deduced, of course, that not all these gifts were used up that very same day, but we can see the timeliness of the gifts to meet the expenses that taking care of a baby entails. Also, the Holy Family had to go to Egypt soon after and those gifts cannot be more timely for them to use for their travel expenses. 

Hence, it is not necessary to splurge or spend in excess during Christmas. In fact, we can view Christmas as a wonderful time to acquire extra money and save it for future use. Relate how companies give extra money to their employees as bonus for a year's good performance during Christmas. Nevertheless, same rule applies to this extra money. A portion of any money earned/received by the family goes to savings. And any other extras to that can go to charity. 

Merry Christmas!

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Photo Credits (and also for your further reading):



http://www.ksby.com/news/local-kids-donate-christmas-gifts-to-organizations-in-need/

http://www.churchwoodfinance.co.uk/news/news-detail.asp?h=Children-are-aware-of-Christmas-money-worries-says-survey&News=801243107

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/06/children-savings-account-building-society