Kids learn business ins, outs

Young entrepreneurs saw the results of their efforts come to life at the Hickory Square Farmer's Market Saturday, opening up shop for products developed through a local program established to give them a taste of being small business owners.

Through a collaboration with Cool Kids Club and UNL Extension, students participating in the EntrepreneurShip Investigation program(ESI), which taught them the process of marketing products – from concept, to development, securing financing and finally, placing their products in front of consumers.

That final process, sales, is the final say on a product's success or failure. And, as evidenced Saturday, the students were on the right track – although none of them were too sure how it would go.

"They were all so worried," said Micahla Beyer, an AmeriCorp volunteer assisting the students at the farmer's market.

That worry was the same experienced by any other product developer. Would they sell anything? And if they did, would their sales be enough to cover startup costs and the loans they had procured?

Beyer said those loans, procured the same way any other business owner would, were foremost an each student's mind. On the way to market, students went before volunteer loan officers from local banks, who listened to presentations and offered feedback on pricing and the potential for success.

As students marketed their products Saturday, they realized a success they had previously just dreamed of having.

"Almost all of them earned enough to pay back their loans," Beyer said.

In fact, some of the successes were beyond expectations.

Refillable Water Buddies, developed by Paige Pritchard and Lauren Fleenor, were the hit of the market – selling out even before the Farmer's Market even officially opened. The water bottles, which feature decorative trinkets and small stuffed animals draped from the bottle neck, caught early bird buyers' attention quickly.

Pritchard said sales began while she was setting up, and were gone when the market opened. Because of the extraordinary success, Pritchard sat through the rest of the morning with an empty table, able only to show shoppers an incomplete example of what they had missed.

Just down the line, decals were also a popular item. Beyer said the student selling them sold enough to pay off his loan and was already eying an expansion of his line.

"He said he made enough to get a few cups and asked if he could buy some and sell the decals on cups," Beyer said.

Beyer said that was one example of how good it was to see how students responded to the challenge of being at the market.

"It was fun to see the kids try to sell their stuff," Beyer said. "It was neat to see their sales personalities come out."

The students will have a chance to see if they can maintain their success. As a continuation, they will set up once again at the Cheyenne County Fair, marketing their products before a new audience in the 4-H Building on Friday.