Family Business and Entrepreneurs

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Summer seems to be a good time to have fun, but it also is a great time to think about a business for the entire family. Are you ready, here are some great ideas to get you started.Family Business and Entrepreneur – 431

This podcast is sponsored by: Route 60 – The Biblical Highway. In theaters September 18th & 19th only. Please check the website to learn more about this wonderful movie.

What about starting a family business? Anytime is  a good time to have fun, but it also is a great time to think about a business for the entire family. Are you ready, here are some great ideas to get you started.

Visit my website at MediaAngels.com for great books, memberships, and classes.

Years ago I gave a talk at a state homeschool conference on family businesses, and then later at a smaller conference and there was a real interest in working from home. When we fast-forward today we find that many businesses are cropping up online and are based at home. I grew up with a family that was self-employed. My parents owned a bakery…(more on podcast).

We have been conservative in our investments and our businesses and we’ve never had a business not succeed – so, I feel a little bit qualified to give you some advice about beginning a home business. There are many questions you should ask yourself and the teacher in me always starts with the questions…because it is a great place to begin.

Keys to beginning a home business:

 

 

(Details are on the podcast – here is the short list)

  1. Keep it simple.
  2. Learning curve.
  3. Is there a demand?
  4. What makes your product stand out?
  5. What is the start-up costs?
  6. Do you know how to write a marketing plan?
  7. How much time are you willing to invest?
  8. How are you willing to do it right?
  9. Is this something you can do on the side until it can be a standalone job?
  10. How much do you love this idea?

Our kids worked and helped in our business throughout their time as homeschoolers. There were book sales and books to pack and ship, they helped with all aspects of the business that were within their ability. One of my children, Christina (now an adult) was the co-author of a three-book series we wrote together. She learned firsthand that there is no free lunch it takes work and perseverance. There is a booth at homeschool conferences, there are speeches to write and to give, and there is selling online and websites – business cards to design and slogans or catchphrases to create. If you want something that keeps the family together and teaches a good work ethic, this is it.

Well, what do you think? Do you have the next best idea? Well then, I hope you look through these suggestions, add some of your own and let me know if I left anything out that I should have added in the comment section below –

Check out these Information in a Nutshell books about Business!

Information in a Nutshell Writing Tips – Are you passionate about your writing? Do you have an idea that may be the next best seller? Do you have a story that must be told? Do you aspire to share your experience or knowledge with others?  It took me over ten years to get my first book published, not because I didn’t have the desire, but because many books I read about the entire process left me feeling lost or overwhelmed. This book is easy to read and will give you a quick understanding with insider’s secrets and tips. Don’t wait for ten years like I did! Discover today how to turn your ideas into a published book. Learn insider’s tips from successful published authors. Don’t wait another day.  This book will give you the tools you need to jump start your writing career.

Information in a Nutshell – Business Tips and Taxes for Writers – This long awaited companion book of the Information in a Nutshell line is finally here! Authored by Carol Topp, CPA this short book packs a powerful message ~ Authors MUST know the business tips, strategies, bookkeeping and tax advice in order to keep those profits from their writing. Whether you are an author of a book, blog or magazine articles you will want to read this book from cover to cover.

 

Homeschool Grad Becomes Entrepreneur, Interview with Suzanna Fitzgerald

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Homeschool Grad Becomes Entrepreneur, Interview with Suzanna Fitzgerald.

Homeschool Grad Becomes Entrepreneur, Interview with Suzanna Fitzgerald

Homeschool Grad Becomes Entrepreneur, Interview with Suzanna Fitzgerald

One of our favorite things to do is interview homeschool graduates to see what they are doing with life in the post-high-school world. Join us for a fun interview with entrepreneur Suzanna Fitzgerald!

As parents of a homeschooler, it can be nerve-wracking to watch your child graduate and have to step out into the world on their own. While there is no one answer to the question of what will become of your brilliant kiddo, one bright possibility is that they could choose to become a homeschool entrepreneur. 

With the right support and guidance, your soon-to-be homeschool grad can use their unique experience to create something totally new and go down a path that could lead to long-term success as a homeschool-grad-becomes-entrepreneur!

One example of a homeschool entrepreneur is Suzanna Fitzgerald with Fitz’n’Jammer Marketing By Listening. She has always been a driven and ambitious person, so it just made sense that after graduating homeschool high school at the age of sixteen, she chose to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship. Now, at the age of twenty, she is running a successful business alongside her sister and inspiring others with her story. 

In this exclusive interview with Suzanna, we explore her journey from homeschool graduate to successful entrepreneur!

About Suzanna Fitzgerald

Currently residing in Colorado, Suzanna runs a marketing business with her younger sister, Leia Joy. They connect all over the world online and, despite people telling them that they would not even know how to stand in line because they were homeschooled, they managed things anyway – better, even.  Not only can these two sisters stand in line with proper posture, they can also run a business after being homeschool graduates.

Their story is a little bit different than most people’s. Their parents were Arizona ranchers, and they lived miles outside of town on a dirt road, far from any local schools or communities.  Although her mother held a teaching degree, after moving to Arizona to become a rancher, she no longer taught anymore.

At least, not in an institutional fashion.

Instead, she continued to use her teaching skills on her children with their homeschool education. 

Homeschool Life

Suzanna recalls the days when they would gather around the dining room table to do schoolwork. She never spent one day in a ‘regular’ classroom. Instead, she was homeschooled from K through 12.

However, Suzanna and her siblings grew up around business people. When she could independently homeschool herself, she taught herself her business, such as copywriting, marketing, writing, and everything. She is a life-long learner, with a perpetual homeschooling lifestyle: always learning with no beginning or ending.

Suzanna believes all of life is education if we allow it to be. She implores everyone to just keep growing and learning, no matter their age. She adopted this from her mother, who was an awesome teacher because she made learning so much fun.

From the stories she told to the things they have heard from her family, her mom was the kind of teacher that made learning fun for a classroom of thirty students or a homeschool room of three kids. That was due to the fact that she was extremely hands-on and focused. Suzanna credits everything to her mother, who really encouraged them to pursue their dreams and pushed them to excel.

Discovering the Internet and Founding A Business

And then, all of a sudden, the internet happened. And the next thing you know, Suzanna was making a living online, even though she’s never been on a computer previously.

One year, she was asking what a blog and email was. And then the next year, she and her sister were founding an online marketing business. The whole world seemed to open up for them, which was both scary and exciting.

Breaking Into Marketing

Suzanna was initially trying to be a fantasy novelist. When she was seventeen, she had a book published. Then she realized she did not know how to sell nor how to market anything. This became a high priority for her, especially if she wanted to be a successful writer and not a starving writer. 

Although Suzanna tried to pursue her marketing education at a community college, it turned out to not be a good fit due to health limitations. However, she found an advertisement from a company called American Writers and Artists out of Florida who taught copywriting and online marketing, among other things. Their ad fit the homeschool model since you can pay for the courses and do it at home at your own speed. Suzanna figured she could learn about marketing for a while and then go back to writing books.

However, she discovered that she loved marketing just as much as she loved writing books.

(BTW- Suzanna’s creative writing and marketing experiences make excellent electives for the homeschool transcript.)

Sisterly Business Partnership

Her sister, Leia, started working with Suzanna when she graduated homeschool high school, turning into a homeschool-grad-becomes-entrepreneur too, just like her sister.

Their business partnership began with a job that was supposed to only be a summer job that turned into a year-long job, which eventually led to their business partnership. This turned Leia into a homeschool entrepreneur as well. And now she makes custom graphics and custom logos, high-end video editing projects and creative, detailed work for clients. (BTW- more great Career Exploration elective credits!)

Both sisters have different skillsets that dovetail well together for their business. By learning to work together during their homeschooling adventures, it transpired into working well in ‘real life.’ 

Suzanna’s Advice About Homeschooling High School

For Suzanna, the best part of her high school years was when she became more independent. In about sixth or seventh grade, her amazing mom allowed her to pick lots of elements of her own homeschool curriculum. Her mom would show her the magazine she was ordering from. Then they would discuss each type of program, such as which type of grammar she wanted to do and what was next for math.

When Suzanna started homeschooling high school, she was pursuing her writing dreams, so her mom allowed Suzanna to set her own schedule. And as long as she got the work done on time, her mom did not care when she did it. Suzanna learned excellent goal setting and time management in a hands-on way.

Her time in high school was such an adventure. She was able to choose courses and curriculum that helped pursue her dreams and discover what she wanted out of life. For example, Suzanna chose high-end writing courses instead of more science courses. 

Suzanna’s best part of homeschooling as well as her best tip for all parents of homeschool high schoolers and possible homeschool entrepreneur is: 

Just try to fulfill the needs that your children have instead of trying to fulfill something from your past.

The best part of her homeschooling was when that was true. On the other hand, the worst part was when, sometimes,  it would feel like she was trying to live up to her parents’ expectations from long ago.

One of the beauties of homeschooling is all the flexibility. Do what is best for your kids. 

Teens learning entrepreneurship can earn Career Exploration credit.

Fitz’n’Jammer Marketing By Listening

The reason Suzanna fell in love with marketing is because it is such an important key to success. One that many people often overlook. You might tend to think of it as something you can just do in your spare time. After all, there are a lucky few who do luck out with a natural gift for marketing that works for them right off the bat.

However, to the remaining most of us, we really struggle with marketing because it costs so much time, effort and energy. Unfortunately, it can make you think it is just sucking the life out of you, causing you to learn to hate your business and hate what you wanted to do and learn to hate your skills. 

Either you know what you are doing or you work with somebody who knows what they are doing and who is trained to do it right. When you find the right fit (on your own work or marketing with an expert) you will look forward to working in your business. You will see money coming in and you will have communication going out.

And that’s the whole reason for Fitz’n’Jammer Marketing By Listening brand. They try to teach people how to genuinely connect with their audiences and listen to what consumers are saying. They help you do marketing the easy way instead of the hard way!

You have to create loyal customers. It is such a wonderful feeling when you have the right message going out and the right customers coming in. Listening is such a high value.

Connect with Suzanna at Fitz’n’Jammer Marketing By Listening

You can find Suzanna on her Fitz’n’Jammer Marketing website at fitsnjammer.com and connect with her on their contact page. Or you can email her at suzannafitznjammer.com. She is also on LinkedIn as Susanna the Challenge Queen Fitzgerald. 

Ending tip from Suzanna:

Homeschooling is not perfect, but it is the most perfect thing you are going to find in an imperfect world. It is the best option that you can have for your kids, and it is the best way to build a relationship with them in the future. 

If you want to be friends with your kids when they are in their twenties and thirties and later, if you want to know your grandkids, if you want to know that your kids are going to have your values or any values, if you want to know that they can continue learning as human beings, no matter what  unpredictable course their life takes, homeschooling is the best thing you can do for your kids. So definitely, definitely do it. It is worth the effort. It is worth the sacrifice. And it is a lot of fun.

Join Vicki and Suzanna for an encouraging discussion on homeschooling and her journey to entrepreneurship.

For more on entrepreneurship for teens, check out these podcast episodes:

Thank you to Richie Soares with Homeschool and Humor for writing this blog post!

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Entrepreneurship and Homeschooling – Rhea Perry

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Entrepreneurship and Homeschooling - Rhea PerrySome children are better suited for a path in entrepreneurship that does not necessarily require a college degree. On today’s show, Rhea Perry (speaker at our 2016 and 2017 Lifeschooling Conferences) shares the wisdom she applied in homeschooling her son, who became a millionaire entrepreneur by early adulthood and brought his father home from corporate America.

Rhea (pronounced Ray) Perry has educated 7 children since 1987. As a stay-at-home mom, her main goal in life is to encourage women to become the best homemakers they can be. She believes that includes helping their children discover their gifts and find their calling in life as early as possible. The family should also support the children until they enter their own personal journey on the road to financial security.

Yet how can we do that when we haven’t been educated or trained? We find ourselves learning as we are doing it with them. Sometimes we feel like the burden is too heavy. That’s why Rhea created a community called Educating for Success so those on this journey can encourage each other and share secrets along the way.

Whether you desire to have a job or a home business for your children or yourself, the greatest country that has ever existed economically – America – offers unlimited opportunities, especially since the Internet has changed the rules for entrepreneurship.

So many mothers struggle with a fear of failure, but how can we fail when God is for us and desires to help each of us fulfill the purpose He put us here to achieve? (Bio taken from http://www.educatingforsuccess.com/public/department13.cfm.)

I have personally known Rhea and been involved with her Protege entrepreneurship program for the past five or six years. Our family has made friends and business connections with people from all over the country who “do school” similar to the way we do it, with an emphasis on our children’s individual gifts and how they can be applied to entrepreneurship. And my own children are on their way to having successful businesses.

Here are the questions we ask Rhea on today’s show:

  • We talked to your friend Dr. Mary Hood on our last episode about the early days of homeschooling. How have you seen homeschooling change over the years since you started?
  • How has the internet, with so many entrepreneurial opportunities, potentially changed the way we educate our children?
  • With the rise of the internet, there are more opportunities than ever for entrepreneurs to make money. However, the internet has also impacted the homeschooling community. Many support groups are shutting down and the real life community aspect seems to be dying. What are your thoughts on that?
  • Tell us where we can go to find out more information about Educating for Success and the entrepreneur course you offer?

You can hear more from Rhea by purchasing the Lifeschooling Conference video sets from our website and visiting her site at www.EducatingforSuccess.com.

And that’s Life as a Lifeschooler! Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Hope you’ll join us next time!

MBFLP – Balancing Family and Business in a Family Business

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

MBFLP Balancing Family and Business

One of the things that makes a family business attractive is the freedom to have more time with your spouse and kids! Yet entrepreneurs quickly learn there’s a balancing act going on — it’s no longer your employer which drives your schedule, but your own sense of urgency and ambition! This show, we talk with experienced business owners and trainers Philip and Carroll Sue Priddy about how to make sure you keep these two valuable things in balance, and how to keep “family” and “business” in harmony–not competition!

MBFLP – Entrepreneurship As A Family Thing

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In 2006, Hal left the corporate world and he and Melanie started their own company. Three years later, God gave them the business which actually took off and grew, the business they’re in today. Are you interested in “coming home” and running a family business? What should you think about before anything else? And what role do you want your family to have? This episode, we talk frankly about why that first business never really got off the ground, and what made all the difference in our second try. Maybe you, too, have a future in Entrepreneurship As A Family Thing!

MBFLP – Entrepreneurship with Ethics with John Dodd

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

MBFLP Entrepreneurship John Dodd

 

There’s a lot of talk about doing business from home, whether it’s Mom and Dad starting a family business, or teenagers creating a microbusiness project. What you believe about money, wealth, and the government’s role, will make a difference in how you go about that business — and how successful you are! This week we meet with John Dodd, the creator and director of an innovative program to teach smart business with a strong foundation of personal responsibility, philanthropy, and integrity. Over 7500 students have completed the program so far – including four of ours! Join us as we explore the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge!

Recommended Resources

The Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge

The Jesse Helms Center

Kiva – the microfinancing people

MBFLP – Kids in Business with Philip and Carroll Sue Priddy

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

MBFLP - Kids in Business

Changes in the economy and the culture are making it more challenging to maintain a Christian witness in the business world. It’s more and more crucial that we help our children develop an entrepreneurial business sense so they’re not so bound to the corporate lifestyle. Our guests this episode are Philip and Carroll Sue Priddy, a couple with a unique approach to teaching their children how to find business opportunities and then carry them out — successfully!

My first co-op experience!

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Button week 4 EdressI had been homeschooling my children for several years before being introduced to homeschooling co-op style and it changed my life!  On this show I interview my friend, Edress, who invited my family to join her co-op.  This introduction to homeschooling co-op style changed the direction of our academic experience in a huge way.  Listen in to hear more about the ins and outs of co-ops as well as a few stories on how our co-op experience led our family in a few entrepreneurial experiences!!