It's always been my dream for my daughter to take an interest in business. I think most parents want their children to follow in their footsteps, to a certain extent. And even though I have always told Catherine (sincerely!) that I don't care what she does when she grows up, as long as she works hard at it, it would be gratifying to know that I made entrepreneurship look at least a little interesting.
Well, you know what they say about being careful what you wish for. That's right, folks - my kid is starting a business. She came to me about a month ago, asking if she could start a business customizing cell phone cases and selling them online. I told her to do some research and get back to me. (This is a tactic I've used with her father, my business partner, a LOT. Usually stops the project right in its tracks.)
But it didn't stop her. Turns out there's an American Heritage Girls badge for entrepreneurship, and Catherine was determined to earn it. She decided cell phone cases were too variable, and would require too much inventory, so she pivoted to tied-dyeing shirts. I didn't want tie-dyeing to happen anywhere in my house, so we explored a few other options, and settled on making soap, because there were good resources online and at the library to help us.
And now, I'm hip-deep in soap-making. I'm watching YouTube videos, reading books, researching other soap businesses, scouring Etsy, learning about Square, etc. Catherine and I are hard at work developing her business plan, elevator pitch, product offerings and revenue model. So far, she's hanging in there with me, since I told her I wouldn't seed her business unless she did it properly. She needs to understand the business side of things, not just the fun part (making soap.)
Catherine is now not only my kid, she's also a client of Starling Consulting AND my first angel investment. I know she's got the right DNA for this project, I just hope she also inherited the work ethic. I'll keep you posted.