When you start your own business, no matter how small, it comes with a learning curve. Instead of wearing one hat as many do working for major employers, you now wear them all. Founder, marketer, product tester, accountant, customer service, and more. It’s quite similar to becoming a mom, where you act as chef, teacher, housecleaner, on and on.

And, like motherhood, the learning curve can be daunting. When I first traveled the entrepreneurship road, that learning curve felt like it kept getting bigger the more I learned about any of the topics required. The idea that the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know comes to mind.

After a bit, and after reading aloud to my 6 year old the entire A to Z Mysteries series, the original BoxCar Children books, and several Magic Treehouse stories, I suddenly wished a similar series existed that introduced entrepreneurship. 

How to Introduce the Idea of Entrepreneurship to Your Kids

The first step? Market research. I found a few books out there that touched on the topic. Most were picture books briefly covering one item of entrepreneurship. A lot of “lemonade stand” stories by popular story characters like Berenstain Bears, Peppa Pig, and so on. The chapter books I found were either with completely inplausible inventions, or very much a “how to” book you’d find in the non-fiction section of a bookstore.

I was looking for something different. A fictional narrative with plausible inventions that weren’t another lemonade stand or a how-to for becoming an influencer. I wanted something kids could read on their own, and learn without realizing they were learning. Finally, I was adamant that adult influence would be minimal in the stories, coming into play only when necessary, letting the kids learn in a supportive environment.

Before long, I realized without much out there already, I was in a perfect spot to do it myself. I had published a book before. I had done extensive research on factors that make a business successful. And I had started a small business. 

Within three months I had written three stories. It wasn’t just one book, but a series, a perfect candidate to publish as a trilogy and introduce the world to The Founder’s Club. Books for this age group, written for 9-12 year old kids to read independently, still included some pictures. My artistic talents, however, lay with different mediums.

So, over the next three months I started a slow search for an illustrator. I found one just as passionate as me with the project, and we got to work. After some bumps in the road, some due to life and others from learning to publish a book with pictures, we had a final project!

The Founder’s Club: Successful Kid Entrepreneurs, books 1-3 was self-published on March, 1, 2023. 

Get a physical copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1J2QB38

Grab it in ebook form from books2read.com/thefoundersclub

They tell the stories of Casey, Quinn, and Marcus. 

The Founder’s Club: Successful Kid Entrepreneurs

The series starts with Casey, a middle school student who becomes an unexpected entrepreneur when she decides to raise money for a summer vacation after her mom’s layoff. 

She collaborates, learns marketing, considers the financials, and performs an assessment at the end.

In book 2, Casey’s best friend Quinn decides to find her own project, creating a streaming service filming all the local middle school and high school sporting events. 

Quinn does market research, evaluates options, launches with “good enough”, and reinvests money into improvements after gaining proof of concept validation.

Book 3 follows Marcus as he enters the local kids business fair. He learns basic business ins and outs when he enlists help from Casey and Quinn, and notes everything he learns in his journal.

His journey follows idea evaluation, prototype creation, and presentation. His story provides an excellent framework for working through an idea if the reader has an idea for their own project.

The trilogy finishes with Marcus writing a paper for school where he details the main points that need to be considered when starting a business. It unofficially represents a recap of the major learning opportunities addressed throughout books 1-3 and what a budding entrepreneur should consider when working on their own business venture.

For anyone hoping to encourage entrepreneurship or inspire confidence as children in your life try new things, this series offers both. The stories weave concepts into the narrative, while keeping it fun, lighthearted, age appropriate, and inspirational.

What tools and resources do you use to share and encourage entrepreneurship thinking with the kids in your life?

Here are a few other book series that include entrepreneurship concepts:

Ages 3-7 https://www.amazon.com/Charley-Bulldogs-Fantastic-Fruit-Stand/dp/1634890507

Ages 5-7 https://www.getepic.com/book/6416027/pet-peeves

Ages 5-7 https://www.getepic.com/book/6409361/stressbusters

Ages 9-12 the founder’s club: successful kid entrepreneurs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1J2QB38

Ages 9-11 https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Squad-Brian-Weisfeld/dp/1250180414

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