I have surprised myself by falling in love with Entrepreneur magazine.  We ended up subscribing to it when I happened to be the one to answer the door when a magazine salesman rang the doorbell.  Yes, it was one of those times that I couldn’t say no.  I chose Entrepreneur because Hub had been playing around with the idea of starting a new business and I thought the magazine might give him some ideas and helps. 

When the first issue arrived I thumbed through it and read some of the articles that caught my attention.  Before I knew it I was reading the entire issue.  And now I read every issue from cover to cover.  I especially enjoy the articles about marketing.  I never knew I had an interest in marketing until I started reading the magazine.  I love sharing some of the ideas and suggestions I find in the magazine with Hub and I really get excited when I come up with an idea of my own for his business.  I’m now more aware of small businesses and their marketing techniques.

Today I got to witness some junior entrepreneurs in action.  While I was sitting in my car waiting to perform my afternoon crossing guard duties I saw a mom walk out of her house carrying a card table, she had three kids following her, one with a pitcher of purple Kool-Aid, one with a jar and a bunch of plastic cups, and one with a sign that said, “KOOL-AID: 5 CENTS.”  The group crossed the street and set up shop on the sidewalk directly in the path of kids walking home from school.

It was a warm day.  Kids walking home from school would definitely think that a cup of purple Kool-Aid would be tasty.  The junior entrepreneurs were banking on that fact and that most kids would probably have at least a nickel in their pocket or backpack.  It was amazing to watch as kids walked around the corner and suddenly needed a cup of Kool-Aid.  There was quite a crowd around that little card table.  Mom had to keep going back and forth with fresh pitchers of Kool-Aid to supply the demand.

Younger siblings begged older siblings for a nickel and even my son, Yawlin, asked if he could get a nickel from my purse.  The Kool-Aid Kids were making a killing!  As soon as the pedestrian traffic died down the Kool-Aid business packed up shop and moved across the intersection to a prime corner location where they caught the attention of parents driving minivans and SUVs.  These particular customers were golden because they typically paid with paper money and said they didn’t want the change.

Supply and demand.  Timing.  Location.  Targeting customers.  It was all there.  These little business tots knew what they were doing and they walked away with a jar full of cash.  Donald Trump had better look out!