Friday, November 30, 2012

Business ideas from 10-year old Jessica, and sinking cities, in the opposite order

If we're not submerged by the coming rise in sea levels, we're going to need to make a livelihood. Thankfully,  over Thanksgiving weekend I came across some suggestions for businesses from my 10-year old self which we can all probably just pilfer as we move forward:


Pretty good list, huh? Who wouldn't want to buy "Fun Pads" from a ten year old?

(In case you're wondering, "*M.S.* TBITW" is the name that I and my business partner Robin eventually gave to the business we started. It stands for "Monica Stelles - The best in the west!" There is absolutely no logic to that name; we lived very much in the East, and Monica Stelles is nothing more than a bastardized version of the name of a tennis player my mom liked at the time. The checks with crosses across them represent ideas that we actually executed.)

Not to be hampered by making products, I also had the following ideas:


In retrospect I am not sure whether one dollar for seven classes was an appropriate price (seems quite low), but it was 1991, so I suppose a dollar stretched farther.

In 1992, I had apparently not yet executed my business class idea:


So I started brainstorming ideas for the business class. 10-year-old me didn't have totally terrible ideas, if 30-year-old me does say so herself. Of course, Robin probably helped.*



Below is a transcript  in case you can't read my cursive.**

Ideas for business class:

1. Get all set up
2. Have a snack
3. Get started
4. There are some things we need to teach:
1. Prices have to be reasonable
2. Do not copy from other businesses, like ours
3. Put a copyright sign on everything. That way NO ONE can copy you.
4. Have your business set up, so people can come & look at the stuff.
5. Have sales from time to time.
6. Keep the money safe.
7. Do not split the money in half. Save up for something for the business together.
8. Have a catchy name for your business.
9. If people don't buy, you may try lowering your prices, or getting better products.
10. But most of all, Just Have Fun!

Point number 9 above is particularly perceptive. And I really took point number 7 to heart--I *STILL* have the money that Robin and I earned (around $80) sitting in a Folger's can in my childhood bedroom. Robin - what do you think we should get for the business with that money? I think we were planning on a trip to Darien Lake, but that doesn't sound very business-y. Maybe a new software program to print out cards for Donna?

Anyway, you are all welcome for the ideas. I think we'll be just fine for the apocalypse now that we know how to run a business!

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*One person who probably didn't help was my poor sister. I was a meanie. Sorry, Andrea!


**"They'll make you write in cursive in middle school! You had better practice at home!" So many lies.

4 comments:

  1. This is amazing!!! I actually very recently found the typed out version of this business plan!! And some samples of our product. I have been moving this around with me, coast to coast for the past 15+ years! Haha! How brilliant were we!? Step 2. Have a snack. Brilliant!

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  2. I specifically remember purchasing Monica Stelles products! This happy customer would have given 5 stars if you had ever expanded your business plan to include a website. It's baffling that those Fun Pads never took off.

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  3. Hmmmm. The timing of this couldn't be any better. I'm filing papers today, probably, to form an LLC. My state Secretary of State (who is generally a poop-head) lowered fees to $1. So I'm starting my business for a dollar. It's going to be called Relentless Exploration, LLC. Unless you have a better idea. I've always thought that it has a nice ring to it.

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