TOS Review - Micro Business for Teens

All teenagers like the idea of earning their own money. Sometimes they just don't know how to go about starting. Summer is fast approaching and is one of the biggest times of the year for teens to get a summer job. What if there was a way for your teen to earn some money, gain some life experience, and be their own boss in the process. If these statements intrigue you then you definitely need to continue reading this review. We just finished one of our best review products of the year. We were so blessed with the opportunity to review Starting a Micro Business book, Running a Micro Business book, and Micro Business for Teens Workbook from Micro Business for Teens through the TOS Review Crew.

 

We received all the above materials as PDF downloadable Ebooks. I printed everything out and placed them in a 3 inch binder for easy access. Micro Business for Teens was written by Carol Topp who just happens to be a CPA. I was already familiar with her work in two different ways. The first is about six months ago I purchased some of her products that deal with running a homeschool cooperative and found them very informative and helpful. The second was visiting her booth at the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville. Unfortunately I didn't get to speak with her directly, but her assistant was wonderful and I got to see her products up close and personal. She speaks at many conventions and writes articles for homeschool publications. She runs her own "micro business" as an accountant in her home state of Ohio. Ms. Topp even had a recording that was aired on PBS that you can view here to give you an overview of Micro Business for Teens. Grace watched it and really enjoyed listening to the teens talk about their experiences of running a micro business. Ms. Topp even has an online learning portal in the works for teens that like learning all this on the computer. I think by now your saying okay, lets get down to what Micro Business for Teens is actually all about. Okay, here we go.

 

 

Starting a Micro Business book is for ages 10-18 and can be purchased as an Ebook (4.95) or a physical book (9.95). This book is 59 pages long and is full of all the information your teen needs to start their own micro business. Starting a Micro Business is broken down into seven chapters.

 

What is a Micro Business

Getting an Idea: Micro Business Ideas Best for Teenagers

Problems and Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Plan It First: Writing a Business Plan

Financing Your Business Without Breaking the Bank

Taking Care of Business: Extra Information to Get Started

Encouragement: Final Words to Motivate You

 

In this book Grace's favorite part would have to be the Getting an Idea section. It was fun to read through all the ideas for micro businesses that Ms. Topp provided and considering if and how they might fit for Grace. It was also very sobering to read through the section on pitfalls and problems that may occur while running your own business.

 

 

Running a Micro Business book is up next. This book is also recommended for ages 10 -18 and can be purchased as an Ebook (4.95) or a physical book (9.95). This book is a little longer than the first at 78 pages and is divided into 9 chapters.

 

Sales

Marketing

Customer Service

Record Keeping

Bookkeeping Basics

Using Software

Legal Names and Numbers

Reducing Risk

Time Management

 

Hands down Grace's favorite chapter was on marketing. She loved creating brochures, starting a blog, etc. that would help her market the new micro business. We had to go through this book pretty quickly to finish up during the review period. There is lots of "meaty" information that we will need to review and revisit as we get closer to the opening day of her micro business.

 

 

 

Last but certainly not least  is the Micro Business for Teens Workbook. The workbook ties everything together and gives the student a chance to put into practice what they have read and learned. Again the age range is 10 - 18 years old and the Ebook retails for $9.95 while a physical copy will run you $14.95. The workbook contains worksheets and activities for every chapter of Starting a Micro Business and Running a Micro Business. The workbook is a must purchase to get the most out of the books.

 

Our Experience

 

Wow, just wow! Sometimes when you sign up for a review product, you have a preconceived notion about how great it will be and then, well, it isn't a good fit for your family. But boy oh boy this one surpassed all expectations. The motivation my child had with this product is priceless. She was encouraged to try something new and is currently working on starting her new micro business and is excited beyond words. Let me start with a little back story. Grace loves drama, art, costuming, makeup, and cosplaying. For the past year or more she had already started selling art at festivals and art shows but her current passion is cosplaying (dressing up as characters from different fandoms and attending conventions). How to put all these passions to work was the question. In walks Micro Business for Teens and through a few of the provided exercises she now has a micro business. Grace has decided to dress up as Disney princesses for birthday parties. She has a contact (her beloved art teacher) in town that has agreed to let her start out putting on parties at her place of business. We have ordered the first two costumes (Ariel and Elsa) and have thought out what she wants to charge and provide at each party. This time next month she should be in business. The best part is how excited she is about the business. Much of this could not have happened without this review product. Thank you Carol Topp and Micro Business for Teens. I promise to post pictures when the costumes arrive.

 

If your teen is interested in making a little or a lot of extra money or starting a new business be sure to check out Micro Business for Teens. Also take a peek at what other Crew Members think of this product.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/MicroBusinessForTeens?ref=ts

https://twitter.com/CarolTopp

http://www.pinterest.com/caroltopp/