Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

Follow Us

More Education Headlines

Current Poll

Would you support a proposed 1% statewide sales tax?

	No, sales tax is already too high.
	Yes, no higher than 1%.
	Yes, whatever it takes to save jobs.
	No, not at that amount.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

Featured Jobs

Home-school entrepreneurs sell their wares

Education

Written by Brian McCauley

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 08:00

Standing just a few inches taller than the table featuring her homemade pillow cases, 8-year-old Charity Dunlop of Parker was literally a small businesswoman Friday at Cross Point Assembly of God in Paola.

Elsie Sexton, 10, of Fontana sells homemade brownies Friday during an event at Cross Point Assembly of God in Paola. (photo by Brian McCauley)

But what she didn’t have in height, she made up for in salesmanship as she greeted each potential customer and marketed the benefits of both her pillowcases and her tye-dye T-shirts on display.

“I sewed them myself,” Charity said while organizing her pillowcases. “My grandma was a collector, and that’s where I got the material.”
Next to Charity’s booth, her 11-year-old brother Jacob Dunlop was busy selling his own variety of T-shirts featuring bleach designs.

The brother and sister were just two of almost 20 young entrepreneurs putting their business skills to the test Friday during the event organized by H.O.P.E. (Homeschool Organization of Parent Educators), which includes students from kindergarten through high school mainly in Miami and Linn counties.

The products on display ranged from clothing to food and everything in between. Four children from the Spragg family of Fontana also participated. Erin, 15, made fudge and jewelry; Tyler, 13, made sketches; AnnaBeth, 11, made scarves and Emily, 9, made ornaments.
Elsie Sexton, 10, of Fontana sold brownies and Nate Sexton offered wooden back scratchers and bonsai trees.

Nate also joined with James Crook, Curtis EuDaly and Ben Sexton to play some music for the event using a guitar, fiddles and a mandolin.

Pam Dunlop, who helped market the event, said the home-schooled students learned everything from marketing and product production to salesmanship and money calculation during the event. She was happy with the turnout, saying several people she didn’t recognize stopped by and bought products.

“We may do it again in the spring or next winter after the students have tested what works and what doesn’t,” Pam said.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email This

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry