What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Kids
When you’re pondering about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, don’t overlook the business savvy of kids. They aren’t always consciously striving to climb the ladder of success. However, the journey from toddler to teen leaves a trail of tested developmental data.
Here we feature the 8 areas of ‘kids’ mindsets:
#1 – Negotiations
Children of all ages are masters of the art of negotiating. Watch a child engaging in the bargaining process. Kids learn early on that everything has subjective value and might be considered trade worthy in certain circumstances.
Take stock of your own negotiating inventory.
#2 – Compromise
Reaching agreements results in more rewards than stubbornly wallowing in stalemated disagreements. There is nothing defeating about walking away with a gain. When you want two jumping frogs for your slingshot, keep in mind that frogs aren’t so easy to catch. One frog or no frog? It’s that simple.
#3 – Resilience
Kids seldom take ‘no’ for an answer. When they hit a wall, they walk around it, climb over it or set up a catapult. They don’t quit until they have exhausted every possible way to achieve their goals. They are driven with passion, determination, ingenuity and optimism. You need all of those to be an entrepreneur.
#4 – Resources
It’s important to know who has the best, the most, the cheapest, the best delivery time, etc. Kids look through junkyards, yard sales, ‘free’ ads and under rocks. That’s all aside from keeping a list they’ve acquired through the grapevine of those who can offer the best fish bait, fireworks, homework help and bike repairs.
#5 – Funding
When more money is needed, it’s important to be able to turn to more than one funding source. Kids already know this. When one parent turns out empty pockets, they shamelessly hit on the other parent. Benevolent uncles and friends with generous allowances might be willing to offer some temporary financial relief.
You don’t know if you don’t ask.
#6 – Real World Social Networking
You can never have enough contacts. Most kids join activity groups to be with other kids. As the social circle widens through introductions, there is an increase in invitations. The cousin of the friend of the kid on the wrestling team knows the lady who is in charge of auditions for the play you’d love to be in. Hmmm…just maybe.
As we grow older we make less time for social groups like sports, performances and hang outs. There could be a lot of great new info we are missing out on from one another if only we made more time for social networking in the real world, not just online.
#7 – Promote Yourself
It’s okay to talk about your talents, goals and successes with pride. The power of word of mouth advertising can start with you. There is a difference between bragging and exuding supreme confidence. Just be sure that you can deliver on your claims. As you show others what you can do, word will get around.
Those who are in need of your talents will find you.
#8 – Dream Big!
While it’s necessary to be realistic, it’s also important to project a positive outcome. It’s okay to want a pony someday even if you currently only have room for a dog house.
Success will allow you to address such minor details.
As you can see from the above tips, it’s sometimes worthwhile to look back as well as to look forward. Remember when you were a kid and unstoppable! Now the risks are greater, the challenge is bigger and the potential rewards make it all worth it. Like all kids, you practiced and honed your business skills. Back then, it was part of being a kid. Now it’s all a part of how to be an entrepreneur in the adult world.
Article By: Zanne Lamb-Hunt | Addicted2Success.com
Great article! One that I would definitely add is PERSISTANCE. My boys have absolute, unwavering, demanding persistence when it comes to getting what they want. Whether it’s eating a cookie, not eating their vegetables, getting a new toy truck or not wearing a specific piece of clothing for no good reason. They will dig their heels in, kick, scream, cry and not budge an inch until they have their way. Many of us entrepreneurs should take this approach when we know what is right for our business (besides maybe the kicking and screaming).
This is great! The one thing I would add is children’s inherent capacity to focus and be 100% in the moment – they are naturally mindful. I teach mindfulness to mother entrepreneurs and know that it is key to supporting resilience, productivity, creativity, etc…
Our children are masters of mindfulness!
this is great and really can be proved out of children….
its real inspiring!
Wonderful and insightful post. I always thought there is somethings which adults can learn from children, you’ve simply explained it so well. I think it’s remarkable that even though social networking is supposed to bring us closer together, it’s actually splitting us apart. Today’s generation of children are even worse at face to face interactions than previous generations. Therefore I’ve a slight query with point 6. But otherwise a great post. 🙂
What a great post. There is so much that we can learn from children and it seems so simple when you look through the eyes of a child.
My 3 year old has these down to a science…especially negotiations. LOL Great article and I’m going to share with my husband. 😀
Great to hear you have taken something from the article. Thanks Alisha! I hope your husband enjoys it as much as you do.
The adult world is very complicated and we had to adapt to this system an mostly we think complicated. But the Key is going back to simplicity as we were as children. Its about the attitude and how we focus on things.
Great points! Wasn’t it easy to be a kid? Why did we want to grow up so quickly? I’m always amazed at the resiliency and fearlessness with which kids face situations. I’m going to act child-like more often!
Great article! Alot of wisdom in simplicity.
Kids are amazing, I learn something new from mine every day. I always tell my wife that we should see the world through their eyes. It’s like they see things in color with so many possibilities where as we see things as having to be black or white. Not only that, but their approach is so raw and uncensored, which is sometimes just genius!
Adam, I may have to check out your book. I just read a book that you might like in return called “How to Avoid the Common Failure” by Michael Horton. It’s a great reference for success, leadership and personal growth. I think it could be aimed at both personal and professional life.
Absolute amazing post and in all respects completely right because if you think back to when you where once a child we all developed and crafted these skills “i bet you read this article with a smile on your face thinking back to times when you where once a young negotiator”
Great Read
I think this is a great article and is totally in line with my book which i released in April 2012. It is called Making Business Child’s Play and Making it demonstrates the importance of mastering the skills and techniques we possessed as children and exhibit as parents. By identifying the parallels between what goes on at home and at work, it demonstrates how we can transfer behaviours to be more successful within a business environment.
Making Business Child’s Play is for people looking for practical, action oriented ideas about business behaviours in an accessible entertaining style. It is written to be read in less than two hours, ideal for your next train journey or flight. It is not written as a textbook but provides lots of insights, hints and tips across a wide variety of topics through a very personal series of stories and analogies about the author and his two young children.
The book is for all types of people across all types of industries but is perfect for aspiring managers with young children working in an office environment. So, if you are interested in a book which takes a fresh innovative look at common subjects then this book is for you. Once you have finished reading, you will have discovered an array of practical tips and techniques giving you a changed and enriched perspective as a manager and/or a parent.
If you would like a complimentary copy, please let me know.
Alot of these things have been attempted to be untrained out of us. Its weird noticing how smart children really are. Great insights this morning. Great post.