2007-08-09
marketing 101
|I don't know why, but I'm always surprised when I find a new read on Diaryland and then I see a comment from someone else I read. I guess it's because it feels like it's a huge community of people from all over the world and I keep running into the same country folk. I think what's happening is that I am looking for new reads by checking out my own peep's favorites, which would explain everything. Mystery solved. It was Miss Scarlet in the library with the candlestick.
We'll return to regular programming now.
Okay, our oldest daughter is quite the little Capitalist. She is seven years old and she is enamored with money. I don't know why. I am actively trying to teach her the concept of a budget and how money works. Perhaps she wants what she doesn't have. Instead of telling her "we can't afford that" (which usually is the reason) I'm trying to phrase it in terms of "needs" and "wants."
I think the mortgage and utility bills are above her basic understanding because she kind of gets glassy-eyed when I talk about that stuff. She just wants me to bottomline it: Can I get that Soda Pop Girl doll or not? Not.
So in an effort to teach her a lesson in finances I came up with a business for the month of August. Katie's Canine Cleaning Crew has two employees (Katie and her 4-year-old sister Allison) and a supervisor (me and the baby, we are seen as one entity since the baby is always on my hip).
For the low price of $5.00 per week, the cleaning crew clears the backyard of doggy mud pies on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We have two clients so far -- the next door neighbor who has a small Bulldog with an under bite and a neighbor at the end of the block who has a German Shepard.
I'm excited because I printed the flyers, the leave-behind cards that announce we have been there and the invoices that are to be delivered at the end of the week. Can you tell I'm bored?
I've been explaining to Katie that the more clients she has the more money she will make. Since she and Allison share the duties (Katie scoops, Allison holds the bag open) they split the profits in half. So now that she has two clients she will earn $5.00 per week. She is looking for one more client so her earnings are $7.50 per week because she wants to have $30.00 at the end of the month.
She knows she won't get the money until August 31 because she is a terrible spender. In the past she has only been able to save about $3.00 because she feels the money burning a hole in her pocket.
Anyway, she has her eye on a Hannah Montana T-shirt from Limited Too and a Hannah Montana bracelet from Claire's.
Allison, being four years old, is saving for a Hello Kitty stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear Workshop and one outfit for Hello Kitty.
My brother, ever the pessimist, says they will scoop once and never do it again. I, being the responsible idealist, say they will honor their commitment (over my dead body) for the month of August.
I will make them.
2007-08-09 at 7:47 a.m.
