The next generation of local entrepreneurs started their adventures in the world of business Friday night at a Hanford Chamber of Commerce event.<\/p>\n
The chamber hosted a graduation ceremony for its 2022 class of Junior CEOs at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see that they\u2019re just picking up on everything,\u201d said chamber CEO and executive director Amory Marple. \u201cThey\u2019ve learned a lot.<\/p>\n
Nine elementary and middle school students have been participating in the program for the past month and local business owners have been teaching the students about various aspects of the business world during weekly workshops. The program will culminate at this week\u2019s Thursday Night Market, where most of the children will open up shop and sell their goods and services.<\/p>\n
After coming up with a business idea at the start of the program, each of the nine students were given $50 in start-up funds, provided by local sponsors \u2014 dubbed \u201cinvestors.\u201d Over the course of the four-week program, the students were taught things about marketing, branding, budgeting and even simple tasks like ringing up sales and writing receipts.<\/p>\n
Marple said that one thing the program offers students \u2014 that school often doesn\u2019t \u2014 is how to get a business off the ground. Generally, children are encouraged to become a doctor or lawyer but rarely are they taught how to open their own clinic or law firm, she said. Additionally, she wanted to empower the young entrepreneurs to not just learn the logistics of building a business but to do it in a way that was creatively fulfilling to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve taken to it quickly,\u201d said Marple. \u201cI think young minds already have a niche for being creative because they don\u2019t have outside pressure yet \u2026 they\u2019re free to be themselves and you can see it in their presentations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The students and businesses include:<\/p>\n
Diana Chavez, Panda Crafting
\nMelody Dinkins, Brentwood Bakery
\nAryana Haley, Ary\u2019s Joy Shoppe
\nJerzy Hanson, Spice Up Your Whites
\nZoey Janik, Crazy Creations
\nCaleb Najera, Drenched Aquatics
\nGavin Najera, Groovin Loomen
\nNoahlyn Medina, Sunshine Blues
\nHayli Olivera, Breeze Beads
\nAmong the class, it\u2019s fashionable to be, well, fashionable as multiple students have gone into making accessories like bead bracelets and other jewelry, as well as tie-dyed clothing. Dinkins is the sole student going into the food business with baked goods while Caleb Najera has perhaps the most unique business in that he offers swimming lessons.<\/p>\n
Haley offers shoppers a way to beautify their gardens and homes by offering succulents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was unique,\u201d the 10-year-old said. \u201cThere aren\u2019t a lot of shops in Hanford selling succulents this cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haley is the CEO of Ary\u2019s Joy Shoppe, with two Ps, she is quick to point out. Marketing is just one of the skills the class has learned, along with budgeting, inventory goals, pricing calculations and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very complicated,\u201d Haley said. \u201cIt can be overwhelming, but when you break [business] down into segments, it\u2019s OK and much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the graduation ceremony, the students were given \u201cunofficially official\u201d business licenses so that they can open up shop Thursday. Most of the students will be on-hand at the chamber\u2019s booth to sell their products. Sales will be cash only. The students get to keep all profits.<\/p>\n
The program has been sponsored by College of the Sequoias, the local Soroptimist club, American Ambulance, West Hills College, Raising Cane\u2019s and other local businesses and organizations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason the program has been so successful is the support from the community,\u201d Marple said. \u201cGetting sponsors was fairly easy, I think, because of what it was we wanted to do with this concept.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program is scheduled to return next summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The next generation of local entrepreneurs started their adventures in the world of business Friday night at a Hanford Chamber of Commerce event. The chamber hosted a graduation ceremony for its 2022 class of Junior CEOs at the Carnegie Museum of Kings County. \u201cYou can see that they\u2019re just picking up on everything,\u201d said chamber […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-911","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest-news"},"yoast_head":"\n