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How to Start a Business Today

Creating a business = fun + focus + profits
Rick Snider
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(170)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
35 mins in-class hours
Homework
Come with a specific business in mind if possible. Have questions for information they want to know rather than just answering questions.

Class Experience

This class is an open conversation to spark student imaginations and not a lecture. Indeed, enrollments are small to focus on each student's interest in a free-flowing style to concentrate on their talents and motivation.

The 45-minute class has five topics:

1. Choosing a business. Possible topics for young entrepreneurs are grass cutting/landscaping, babysitting, a lemonade stand or bottled water, pet sitting, washing or walking, plant sitting, baked goods, tutoring, jewelry design and gift wrapping. For older students, IT work for older neighbors needing help with their iPhones or social media.

2. Deciding costs and fees. How much should they charge based on costs. For example, a bottle of water can be bought for 25 cents and sold for $1 or $2. Cutting grass might cost $1 in gas per yard versus $25 overall for manpower. For service-oriented businesses, we discuss how much they'd like to make per hour based on their age and skills.

3. How to find customers. Word of mouth, social media and good old-fashioned flyers find customers near and far. With social media, I suggest a parent become first contact for safety reasons. 

4. Growing the business. Too much can be a good thing. How to get friends to work for you in exchange for a piece of their profits. If your grass-cutting business becomes too much, hire friends to cut yards and keep some of the profits as a manager. 

5. Your next business. The first business is just the start. How to learn from its successes to keep growing with new ideas.
Learning Goals
The goal is not to become a millionaire overnight. It's to foster lifelong entrepreneurship by showing how to have fun while making money and learning business skills. Students learn the value of money and treat it with more respect when working for it.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Content is always G-rated.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined April, 2020
4.9
170reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from University of Maryland-College Park
Rick Snider began his first business at age 6 raking leaves for 25 cents per hour. By 11, he was delivering newspapers and at 15 employed three friends selling fire wood. A career award-winning journalist and author of 10 books, Rick has also owned a vending company, spent 10 years as a Realtor and is now a licensed tour guide and OutSchool teacher with a 4.9 rating. For Rick, "retirement" means choosing fun business opportunities.

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
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$10

per class
Meets once
35 min

Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-13
1-4 learners per class

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