Youth Entrepreneurship
Training and Consulting Services
Training time is about 30 hours with some work required outside of the seminar. The typical day is immersed with business vocabulary development, networking, goal setting, math, reading, work time, strategic planning, personalized business consultation by the trainer, and frequent rewards and incentives. Besides a business plan, students develop business cards, flyers, commercials, and of course, their products or services. The five-day training session culminates with a business plan competition judged by the local Small Business Development Center Director, a business loan officer from a local bank and, a representative from your program. The top three new entrepreneurs receive rewards from local community banks.
While the business plan competition is taking place, a community trade fair is conducted where youth display their products and services, distribute copies of their flyers and business cards, and take orders from parents, family members, VIPs, and other invited community guests. The seminar ends with an awards ceremony.
Biz Ed-Ventures uses only the best materials available to conduct the training. Each student receives a You’re the Boss textbook and workbook by Bonnie Drew published by The Bureau for At-Risk Youth. The materials cover topics on accounting, marketing, research, business planning, budgeting, sales, investments, legalities and ethics, and cash management to name a few.
The size of the community doesn’t make a difference. Most successful youth-owned businesses have been developed in rural communities. Some of these include Pecos Valley Horse Grooming in Dexter and Mountain Top Sheds – a school based business at Coronado High School. Another recent and successful youth business venture is AMA Biz Kid of Albuquerque, which is owned by three sisters ages 19, 15, and 10.