#micro-enterprise

I got a good story to tell that literally happened about 2 hours ago, but first we gotta go to the begginning. NOW THIS IS THE STORY ALL ABOUT HOW MY LIFE GOT FLIPPED TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

So, my 3rd period high school class is about accounting and business. Learning about checks, banks, deposits, etc. We began to do a project to sell brownies. Our team name? Tiger Munchies (because the school's mascot is a tiger and we sell baked goods and stuff like that). After a few weeks of planning, we finally make it to the day of our first...test? Experiment? The day we tried it out and see how it went. And BOY OH BOY!

In my school, there are two lunch periods. The first lunch period is for those who have specific classes and the same goes for the second lunch period. We were selling on the first lunch period. After I left class, since I had the second lunch period, I was down the hall and our micro-enterprise teacher just got off the stairs. I said her name and said "I'm so excited and I don't know why". She laughed and held my hand as we continued on. IT WAS GREAT. The tables had chips, cookies, a cooler with Capri-Sun, water, and soda, and an old cash register the teacher brought. I talked to one of my classmates and he wanted me to promote the business, spread the word.

And I did.

I went to the cafeteria, stood by the entrance, and waited for people to exit so I could say these exact words. Keep in mind, I'm not used to talking fast and smooth to people. I'm such an introvert. But this is what I said as smooth as possible.

Hello sir/miss, we have brownies, cookies, beverages, and chips, over there *point* at the Tiger Munchies. Everything is just $1!

After people bought something and came back, I would say this:

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to tell your friends and spread the word!

I don't know if I was doing anything wrong, (I thought I was doing great) but I have never ran my mouth off about something so fast, over and over. I've never advertised anything so fast either! I was shaking in place and I had to move around to not make it noticable. I managed to get quite a few people to go in the direction I was pointing and I felt so accomplished.

“अगली ट्रिलियन-डॉलर कंपनी में संभवतः पाँच कर्मचारी होंगे”। यह बात हाल ही में संपन्न विचार नेतृत्व मंच में कही गई. यह आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस (एआई) और अन्य तकनीकों को व्यापक रूप से अपनाने से संभव होगा जो छोटी, यहां तक ​​​​कि गैर-संबद्ध टीमों को एआई एजेंटों की सहायता और वर्कफ़्लो को बढ़ाने के साथ बहुत कम संसाधनों के साथ नए उत्पादों और सेवाओं का निर्माण करने के लिए सशक्त बना सकते हैं, और कभी-कभी…

Om Plates is a leader in developing biodegradable-ware for consumer and industry use. We focus on both the social and environmental impact our products make.

This one is so well rehearsed now, it's become a cliche, but still so much wisdom to be gleaned from here. (shared for the benefit of the 'Small Is Beautiful' discussion I'm a part of today - more at smallsb.com )

The Parable of The Fisherman And The Banker

An American investment banker was taking a much-needed vacation in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. The boat had several large, fresh fish in it.

The investment banker was impressed by the quality of the fish and asked the Mexican how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “Only a little while.” The banker then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican fisherman replied he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman replied, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos: I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The investment banker scoffed, “I am an Ivy League MBA, and I could help you. You could spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats until eventually you would have a whole fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to the middleman you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You could control the product, processing and distribution.”

Then he added, “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City where you would run your growing enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You could make millions.”

“Millions, senor? Then what?”

Monday is Day of Internships at the CRC.  Meaning, each student travels courtesy public transportation to his or her place of employment for hours of interning fun.  I have the privilege of working with Las Vecinas, a group of women who live in a small impoverished community located on the outskirts of campus.  They have developed a card making business, what is officially called a micro-enterprise, from which they reap what they sow, i.e. make individual profits based on their works sold.  So if you buy a card made by Rosa, Rosa will be the one earning the 2000 colones price paid (colones being Costa Rican currency, like this). 

The cards themselves are naturally sourced and reasonably priced.  Also pretty. We use dried flowers to recreate original designs provided by our lovely teacher Elena, a Costa Rican woman with a knack for giving constructive criticism and working with Mod Podge.  Rosa (pictured below, to the left) and I will be meeting Thursday morning bright and early to stroll around the beautiful CRC campus and collect flowers to be dried for future use.  It's rough, this internship life.    

I'm thrilled to be working with these women, to explore who they are and why they live as they do.  I also see the effort put behind each card, and I am all about it.  If you have any interest in supporting these women as they attempt to supplement their family income, holler at me for info on available products, pricing, and the like.   

We make a mean Christmas card, folks. (See below). 

  Photos courtesy Whitworth CRC facebook page.         

Suppose as you went to preschool and school, teachers were telling you that there were two kinds of businesses, one to make money for yourself, another to solve the problems we see around ourselves. And you can use your creative power either way. So you would have grown up with the idea that there are two kinds of businesses. You would make your decision what kind of business you would like to get involved with, and how much of each, if you want both.

We’ve used our creative power to focus on making money and we’ve done it like it’s the only game in town. It’s not. There’s a more exciting game in town.

There’s a whole generation of young people coming up with social business ideas. Profit making doesn’t interest them as much as it interested people before, particularly the postwar generation. Their main question is: What am I going to do with my life. What is the purpose of my life?

Friend and member of Caminolargo, Jonah Price, has a chicken coop housing three chickens. They are organically fed, and provide his family with fresh healthy eggs. Jonah suggested that it may be a good idea/ to teach the children at the orphanage how to raise up chickens, which would cut cost on having to buy eggs from the market.

Challenge: With only one women taking care of all the kids/ she might have her hands full. It’s very hard to discipline children into taking that kind or responsibility without someone there to hold the children accountable for raising the chickens.

If not for the children at the orphanage why not the local community? The community needs economic empowerment.

(Location: North County San Diego)