About the Book

What if there was an opportunity to teach the youth in our society the fundamental concepts of growing and developing into amazing entrepreneurs? Or how about educating the next generation on what it really takes to run the companies and grow into the decision-makers and game-changers?

"More Than a Lemonade Stand:The Complete Guide for Planning, Implementing & Running a Successful Youth Entrepreneur Camp" offers you the exciting resources and tools to build a curriculum to plan and run an educationally oriented youthentrepreneurialcamp and the flexibility to pull activities out to incorporate them into your existing program. More than ever,entrepreneursrun the world. They own the largest companies, have the greatest financial freedom, and are at the epicenter of our business world. And we often hear the stories that each of these extremely successful men and women started at a young age with sound business practices and salesmanship. Maybe it was a lemonade stand, a baseball card collection, or even a newspaper route. Regardless of the business, they were hustling and learning fundamental practices very early in life.

"More Than a Lemonade Stand" offers you the inside curriculum to build a camp geared towards offering youth something they haven't quite seen before. Brainstorming, conceptualizing, and building a business from scratch is an opportunity rarely available for our young men and women. But through creating and planning these camp sessions, our children are offered an out-of-the-box camp experience thatseparates them from everyone else. Learning these tools andanalyticalthinking early in lifecan open amazing doors later on. Whether you want to create a whole camp experience or just incorporate entrepreneurial activities in your existing program; "More Than a Lemonade Stand" will take you on the ins and outs of how to build this exciting opportunity and welcome in the future of business leaders-one program at a time.

Excerpt

Dear Reader:

Thank you and welcome.

I would like to personally thank you for opening up More Than a Lemonade Stand™ and joining me in the fun and rewarding world of youth entrepreneurship. Just as technology is used as a tool to accomplish more in less time, youth entrepreneurship can be used as the tool to develop youth in less time. This book focuses on a proven youth entrepreneurship curriculum to help kids utilize their unique talents and skills to start a business with the by-product being increased confidence and self-esteem. Through the experiential learning activities included in the curriculum, they will learn basic business terms, learn how a business runs, develop their own business idea and participate in a large team lemonade stand competition to raise funds for a scholarship fund. These activities are so fun and engaging that kids don’t even realizing that they are learning until they attend the awards ceremony and see the results they’ve achieved.

What it’s included in the book?

More Than a Lemonade Stand™ is a complete step by step guide to planning, implementing and running a successful youth entrepreneur camp. This book is a complete step by step explanation of the activities that I complete each year for the youth entrepreneur camp that I direct at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Small Business Development Center. The guide for anyone from seasoned trainers/teachers to parents, science centers, museums, youth centers, small business development centers, community education programs or other organizations that would like to implement a youth entrepreneur camp or incorporate youth entrepreneur curriculum into their current programs. The book is set up as a checklist so that you can use it as a resource year after year as you start planning and implementing an activity or program. It can also be used to train your staff and as a communication tool so that everyone understands the what, why and how to. Even though More Than a Lemonade Stand™ is set up in a camp format, the book is set up so that you can pull the activities out and used in any program that focuses on youth entrepreneurship. The activities are geared for kids in grades 5-8 but with minor modification, I have used them for as young as 3rd and 4th grade and as high as 11th grade.

The planning section is organized by time so you can see what needs to be done when so you don’t miss any important details. The planning section can be used as a base for planning not only for the More Than a Lemonade Stand™ program but also for any event or program that requires an event planning process. The curriculum section includes a detailed explanation of the activities used and how to implement them into the camp or in your own unique program.

The activities are synergistic in that they build and reinforce each other to help increase the kids’ entrepreneurial skills, confidence and self-image. This is done by focusing on the developing the kids’ unique passions and interests and developing them into a viable business idea that they are equipped to run when they leave the camp. The Biz Ops Game™ and the Lemonade Stand Team competition not only add to the fun and engagement of the activities but they also increase their entrepreneurial skills and self-image as they utilize their strengths to contribute to the team and make it a successful business.

Why am I the Expert?

I have always been a teacher at heart! Have you heard the saying, look back at what you played when you were a little kid (we actually tell the kids at camp that) and it will lead to your true passion and purpose? Well, when I was a kid, I played school and I was always the teacher. Now, my brothers may tell you that it was because I was the bossy big sister, but I will tell you it’s because I loved to teach. Now that I look back, I realize that I have always loved teaching. I have a true belief that anyone can do anything they put their mind to (thanks Mom) and so I always felt that if someone didn’t get it, I took it on as a challenge to break it down and help them learn. This has guided me my whole life; I’ve been a camp counselor, a religious education teacher, an aerobics teacher, a dance teacher, a scout leader, a choreographer and a corporate trainer. When I went to college, teaching still continued to guide me as I obtained a B.S. in elementary education (grades 1-8) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Unfortunately, the job market didn’t agree with my choice and I just didn’t see subbing in a classroom as viable financial choice at the time so I decided to go back to school.

Will I ever get back to teaching kids?

I obtained a degree in Accounting and Data Processing (that’s what they called computer science way back when) from a local business college (Madison Business College). This led me in a completely different path of computerized accounting systems where for the next 15 years, I helped companies take their manual business systems and convert them into the computerized world. Even though I was working with accounting systems, I was training business staff on how to use the systems in both the classroom and one-on-one. When I was 27 years old, I was fortunate enough to have a client (who became an angel investor) talk myself and a co-worker into starting a new company called Checks + Balances, which was a low cost alternative for small to medium-sized business to obtain accounting system implementation and support (much less than the CPA firm cost). In the three years that I started and ran Checks + Balances, I learned more than any other period in my life. I learned how hard entrepreneurship was and how rewarding it was all at the same time! Then Check + Balances was sold to a larger consulting firm where I went to work for the next five years. I worked with larger companies, training their staff, upgrading their systems, writing custom reports, working many hours and traveling regionally 2 days a week. When I was expecting my 2nd child, I decided that it was too much and I the opportunity came up to become the director of Operations at a Management Consulting Firm based in Madison. I had a flexible schedule so I was fortunate enough to volunteer in the son’s classroom one day a week and realized how much I missed working with kids. So when the company was sold, I looked into going back to school to update my teaching certification. That is also the same time I started working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as the coordinator of the statewide Wisconsin Business Answerline which answered questions for people starting or growing a business in Wisconsin. I completing a M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction (educational communications and technology) from the University of Wisconsin –Madison and then found out that school’s don’t want to hire someone with a Master’s because teaching is unionized and they have to pay more for someone with a Master’s degree. So I continued to work at the SBDC and moved into managing the educational programs (including the entire event planning tasks). I also created courses, became a Franklin Covey facilitator, completed my online teaching certification through University of Wisconsin –Extension and taught business courses. I also helped with the Youth Entrepreneur Camp which we had for middle-school aged kids. We hired a consultant to come teach so my role was just assisting with the camp, but I loved sharing my entrepreneurial and teaching expertise and most of all working with the kids.

The chance of a lifetime!

Then finally, the chance of a lifetime! The SBDC funding was cut and therefore the director said that we would have to cancel the camp (since it was not part of the SBDC’s core mission). I was devastated; but entrepreneurship is about taking problems and making opportunities so I proposed to rewrite the curriculum so that we could teach it using our existing staff. He said yes, and that is exactly what I did in 2008. The first few years I made a few changes based on feedback and what was learned, but for the past 4 years, the same planning process and curriculum has been used (which is the basis for this book). The camp has been such a huge success, we have kids from all over the country come to the camp and there is always a wait list. I get calls from all around the United States asking about how to put together a youth entrepreneur camp so what a better way to start than to write a book to teach others how to do it. Looking back through all of my experiences of teaching, working with businesses and entrepreneurship and adding in one of my main life philosophies, actions speak louder than words, I would have to say that’s why I’m qualified to write this book.

Why is More Than a Lemonade Stand™ different?

I have yet to find a complete book that includes both the planning and implementing of a youth entrepreneur curriculum and that gives you the option to plug and play to use with existing programs or as one complete curriculum. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of business startup books written specifically for adults who are starting or running a business which are viable options for teachers to research and create their own youth entrepreneur curriculum. There are also several business startup books that are written for kids and there are even a few books that are written for parents to help them teach business to their kids. There a few curriculums available for teachers to use in their classrooms but those are mostly semester long classes and geared toward high school aged kids or younger kids. The Middle School aged kids are for some reason missed. These are transition years for kids and many are too young to get a job as an employee so it is a great age to start a business.

Another way in which More Than A Lemonade Stand™ is different is that it is a completely experiential learning curriculum. Just as entrepreneurship is all about experiential learning so are the hands-on learning activities in this book.

The last way that makes More Than A Lemonade Stand™ different is that it includes a free membership site where the forms and checklists included in the book are located. You can go to: http://eseedling.com/more-than-a-lemonade-stand-book/book-resources and use the password: MoreLemonade to download and use the forms for your program.

My promise to you! This book is not just about entrepreneurship it is about utilizing entrepreneurship as a tool to develop youth into more confident, more creative, more responsible individuals to make the world a better place. If you make a commitment to utilize the curriculum presented in this book I promise you will begin to make a difference in developing the youth in your area.

This entrepreneurship program will help kids make the connection between math, reading, teamwork, and communication and the real life experience of running a business. The entrepreneurial mindset taught in this program helps kids realize and utilize their gifts and talents to solve today’s problems to make our lives better.

Teaching entrepreneurship as a viable career option will help the US economy. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that unemployment for youth ages 16-24 rose to 19.7 million in July 2013 and only 50.7% of that age group was employed in July 2013 at the peak of summer employment. Teaching kids about entrepreneurship empowers them to create their own job when they are unable to find one. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that small businesses make up over half of the private workforce in the US. Yet many of the skills need to create successful entrepreneurs are not taught in schools. Exposing kids to entrepreneurship at a young age increases the chances that they see this as a possible profession.

Implementing the Lemonade Stand activity will show the kids how they can give back and make a difference. I believe strongly in giving back and so that is why this program is set up to raise funds in the team lemonade stand competition for the camp scholarship fund. This helps the kids understand that not everyone can afford an activity and there are ways that they can take action and help. Also, 10% of all profits from this book and all other More Than a Lemonade Stand™ proceeds will be donated to youth entrepreneurial training and programs.

I look forward to the weeklong camp that I run each summer as it is the most fulfilling and rewarding experience I have each year. It is amazing to see kids come in Monday morning quiet, lack of selfconfidence and appear that are not exceling in the traditional school classroom and go out Friday afternoon confident and ready to go and run their business. It is so amazing that I wanted to share the secret with you so if you have a desire for developing youth and want to try using entrepreneurship as a tool, I guarantee that implementing the More Than a Lemonade Stand™ curriculum will give you the same rewarding experience!

Sincerely, Julie Ann Wood, author

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About the Author

Julie Ann Wood is an experienced entrepreneur with a passion for teaching who loves using her knowledge to develop business skills in children. Julie has a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin Madison, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Accounting & Data Processing. At the age of 27 she began her own accounting consulting company, where she trained and consulted numerous businesses on how to improve their operations. She has spent the past decade working for the University of Wisconsin Madison Small Business Development Center, where she reinvented the youth entrepreneur camp. In addition to this, Julie also serves as a classroom volunteer for Junior Achievement, and is a member of University of Wisconsin Madison’s Pre-College council. In her free time, Julie enjoys musical theater, dance, traveling and her new endeavor of sprint triathlons. Today, she lives in Madison, WI with her husband Dave and their two sons.