How do you involve your kids in your business?

[mksavage]

I was reading @Helen's article about balancing business and family life and it sparked a few questions in my mind:

1. What ways have you found to involve your kids in your business? I'm specifically thinking of younger kids, but all ideas would be welcome! 

2. If you've given your kids jobs -- did you pay them? And if so, how did you account for that on the business side?

My oldest just turned 5 and is so curious about the business -- I'd love to find little jobs for him to do. 

[dimo10]

Great Question,

We have 3 kids 10F 8M and 5M all wanting to help where ever they can. We run a fish and chip shop so its a bit hard to help cooking and serving customers, but i have had the older 2 on the registers beside me and had them using the POS for me and giving change to customers.

I don't really let them do any of the food prep as we are an open kitchen and customers dont really want to see young children cooking their food.

I let them help me count the money at the end of day. gives them so much confidence in counting and adding the dollar values up.

They do come in on weekends and "help" fill up the drinks fridge with drinks but that last about 10 minutes before they are bored.

I find any little way to get them involved in our world is a confidence booster for them.

Great conversations though.

[mksavage]

These are great ideas @dimo10! We run a small cafe, so I love the idea of them stocking drinks/shelves (although I do understand that they'll get bored). They're a little small to count money, but it won't be long before that's an option, and it's a great teaching opportunity too. Love this!

[Candlestore]

@mksavage ;

I currently have a 15 yr old (M) helping me.  He has been involved with the store for the last 5 years or since he was about 10.  He liked helping customers.  Some encourage him for wanting to help and even tipped him.  They would say its better than sitting on a cell or tablet or video games.  Then I also had 1 'Karen' complain that he was a kid and should be playing with friends.  I agree with Both sides and encourage him to do things at school or be in activities after school.  Since I am an Android type person he ends up helping my with the 3 Ipads I have.  Now that he is older I also have been showing him how to make candles and help me with doing these things.  I also have him carry or help carry some of the heavy items since he likes working out at the gym too.  As for pay he is allowed a roof over his head and allowed to eat..... LOL   Actually we pay him since he is a good kid and has good grades.  Since he does not have working papers in Pa which he can get at 14 I believe, he is off the books.  I give him money for Playsation Games and other things when he asks.  Other than that I put $ in his bank account for time he works, I have him write down hours on paper and this way he can learn to save money for things like a car or college in the future if he wants.  I would like the business to be one he can run off site and do what he likes as he grows.

[dimo10]

As someone who grew up in the business with my parents, it is invaluable to a kids work ethic and motivation in future life.

We have always had takeaway restaurants since I was the age of 4, so i know what it takes to run and operate a busy business.

When I got a Corporate life after Uni, i once had a manager ask me how I was so confident in delegating tasks and putting in effort, all I could say was that is how I was brought up. We work as a team and we get it done. Everyone is all in to complete the task. 

[maxpete]

This is spot on!

[mksavage]

I love hearing this @dimo10. I often wonder what my kids' experience of growing up "in the business" will be, but this is what I hope for!

[mksavage]

This is so interesting @Candlestore! It sounds like he's getting such a well-rounded experience -- from tech, to manual labor, to the creative side.  What an incredible experience!

[CordellMartin]

In our coffee roasting business, our 5 yr old & 3 yr old will help hand out sample bags of coffee and info letters when I stop in at shops and restaurants.  Hand me things for videos off camera and help set-up. They also enjoy cleaning up any beans from the floor at the shop.  Otherwise I try to work on 'skills' with them - asking the cashier what we're looking for at the greenhouse, after I dial, telling the vet which dog we need an appointment for, our name, etc.  

[maxpete]

I love this so much! 👏

[mksavage]

These are such great ideas @CordellMartin! I love how you find little ways to involve them in the bigger projects. That's super creative, and also shows them all the steps that are involved in making things happen. Great ideas!

[VanKalkerFarms]

My kids are involved at earlier ages by rounding up shopping carts from the parking lot, they can help plant and fill pots, and just being around the register makes customers happier.  As they get older say 8+ then they can start learning the register with supervision and how things work for checkouts, and get responsibilities that this area, be it one table or two, is their responsibility.  Customers love seeing a 10 year old check them out at the register and see the next generation coming into the family business.

[mksavage]

I love that you involve them from such a small age @VanKalkerFarms, and it seems like you've found some great age-appropriate tasks for them. My 5-year-old loves being at the cafe. I have often worried that customers might feel like he's "in the way," but one of the special things about our restaurant is that it's family owned and run, so maybe it would be more welcome than I thought. You've given me lots to think about!

[Hailey]

This is such an interesting topic @mksavage ! I grew up in a household on entrepreneurs and I never really thought about how unique that childhood until recently for this very topic - I was exposed and involved in hard work from such a young age. I remember my siblings and I always helping out with small tasks when we were young (7-15), before we got real jobs in high school. I think it definitely impacted us in a great way. We learnt sooooo much from that exposure and experience. It was also never something we didnt want to do - maybe that meant our parents knew where the line was and didnt push us over it. Unsure though, just only happy memories and great skills as adults. 

[mksavage]

I love this perspective @Hailey! I think your point about knowing where the line was is very wise, and probably dependent on each kids age and personality. I love that it was such a positive experience! If you don't mind me asking, what kinds of small tasks did they have you do?

[Hailey]

@mksavage YES! Kids age was definitely a factor as I am the youngest of three with the oldest being 6 years older than me. So we ranged in abilities for sure. 

My Dads business was leather restoration and upholstery, so the work varied from cutting swatch samples, binding them on loop rings, rolling leather hides, packing them in boxes, cleaning/organizing, and then my favourite job..... NAMING THE COLOURS! It was so fun for me to express my creativity (and really my first taste of marketing) by sitting down with leather samples and name them for my dad. A lot of leather would comes from italy tanneries with "factory" names that my dad and I would jazz up to appeal to the consumer market. 

[mksavage]

I love this @Hailey! It's so cool that he found ways to include you in the more creative sides of the business, and not just the manual labor/sweeping the floor side. What a cool experience as a kid -- a huge confidence booster. Thanks so much for sharing!

[dimo10]

Now i know where all these crazy names for colours comes from lol

I always have the scene from Fight Club when people are discussing colours, - "Can I get the icon in cornflower blue"

[maxpete]

I still use a similar treat method for myself haha. It really does help encourage getting the work done!