Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Teaching entrepreneurship may not seem like a sufficiently academic subject for your homeschooler, but today on Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith talks about the advantages of incorporating an entrepreneurial spirit into your curriculum.

Mike Smith:
There are many ways that a lesson in entrepreneurship will contribute to your homeschooler's other studies. Take math, for example. Learning how to balance a budget and arrive at a bottom line will not only test his arithmetic abilities, but using a computer spreadsheet will arm him with a powerful capability when he enters the workforce. Your older child will never forget the various challenges involved in writing a comprehensive business plan, including the need for effective research and writing skills. A student tasked with finding a consumer need and filling it will have an enhanced knowledge of sociology as well as current events.


Let's say your homeschooler's first attempt at entrepreneurship is the classic lemonade stand. As he or she sits on a corner waiting for customers, he will have to start putting himself in their shoes. She may be forced to consider how what consumers want change over time, or may discover their preference for having a variety of options. Perhaps she will become creative and respond to rapidly changing needs by taking advantage of a new trend such as patriotism or nostalgia. All of these will be valuable lessons for him to learn early in life. There's no better learning ground than the one that will minimize the potential for failure.


A small-scale business venture conducted under a parent's watchful eye is a great way to start. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.