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“Why so
early,” I yelled back. I was already in bed and was not getting up to hold a
conversation.
“I have to
help run the school store as part of my marketing class.”
My son
arrived on time for his duty, but things didn’t go as smoothly as he thought
they would. When he got home from school, he shared his experience with me.
“Let me tell
you what happened at the school store. First of all, no one from my group
showed up. I had to arrange the products, run back and forth to fill the orders
and take the money.”
“Welcome to
the world of business,” I said.
“That’s not
all, everybody kept asking for change but no one want to make a purchase.”
As a result
of his experience, my son came with a few tips for operating a sales business.
1. Require that the customer make a
purchase in order to receive change for his money.
2. Have a plan in case employees don’t
show up to work.
3. Know all aspects of the job in case
employees don’t show up as scheduled.
The next
week at school, my son had to run the store again…at 7:10am. This time he had
more help AND he told his customers they had to make a purchase in order to
receive change. One student only purchased a $.25 item, but the principle of
the idea was there.
What tips
would you give a teen for operating a business?
Dear Angela Verges,
ReplyDeleteI like your essay very much! Certainly, the experience of trying to run any business, no matter how small, teaches a teenager a lot.
I find that many businesses need more publicity so that people know what they offer. More customers will come if a business does appropriate publicity.
Best wishes!
Sincerely,
Janet Ruth Heller
Author of the poetry books Exodus (WordTech Editions, 2014), Folk Concert: Changing Times (Anaphora Literary Press, 2012) and Traffic Stop (Finishing Line Press, 2011), the scholarly book Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and the Reader of Drama (University of Missouri Press, 1990), the award-winning picture book for kids about bullying, How the Moon Regained Her Shape (Arbordale, 2006; rpt. 2012), and the middle-grade book for kids about sibling rivalry and discrimination The Passover Surprise (Fictive Press, 2015).
My website is http://www.janetruthheller.com/
Thanks Janet for your comments/feedback. I look forward to checking out your website.
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