Robert Beckford 
When running a business, over time you hopefully learn simple marketing methods to connect your products to the right people.  A business fair can turn local interest into sales – you will build confidence, learn to minimise online scams and better ways to reach your audience. Join us as we explore ways to support young entrepreneurs on their journey.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding your audience gives direction to marketing efforts and cuts wasted time. Take the example of a 12-14-year-old selling friendship bracelets: classmates want bright, affordable styles while parents buy nicer gift versions.
- Tip: run a quick survey with parental permission, watch what sells at school stalls and aim messaging at the group most likely to buy.
- Creating engaging content helps stories stick and builds repeat interest. A young artist filming a short clip of the necklace-making process can turn craft into a compelling story.
- Takeaway: keep visuals bright, post on a social media and let a grown-up approve captions and comments.
- Using social media widens reach but needs strict adult oversight and safety settings. Parents should manage accounts for under-13s or hold admin rights for younger teens on Instagram or TikTok.
- Safeguard: switch on privacy controls, disable location tagging and agree clear posting rules with your child.
- Local community work builds real connections and trusted customers. A stall at a children’s craft fair or a trial display in a local shop often brings helpful feedback and repeat buyers.
- Steps: book family-supervised stalls, introduce your child to shop owners with an adult present and carry simple public liability cover if selling regularly.
- A short marketing plan plus basic money tracking teaches business sense and responsibility. Set a weekend sales target, note costs and profits in a simple spreadsheet and plan a small budget for materials and advertising.
- Safeguard: use a child-friendly bank or parent-held account, keep sales records and consult HMRC guidance if earnings grow.
Understanding Your Child’s Business Idea
Pinpointing your child’s idea helps you shape a clear plan. Ask what they enjoy, who benefits and which skills they use. Focus on the target audience and practical steps to test demand. This clarity saves time and builds confidence.
Identifying Passions and Strengths
Observe your child during play and tasks to spot passions they repeat. Match those interests to skills they enjoy using. Highlight their strengths and set small goals so they see quick wins; that boosts confidence and motivates consistent effort.
Market Research for Kids
Ask simple questions to classmates, family and neighbours to learn what they want. Use quick polls or a stall trial to gather reactions. Keep methods fun and supervised to protect privacy and funds, emphasising parent supervision and online safety.
Test small samples, price points or colours at school or local events to see what sells. Track responses in a chart and adapt the product or pitch. Watch for signs of demand and for any money-handling risks so you can teach safe, practical steps.
Creating a Business Plan
Draft a short plan that lists products, who will buy it and how you’ll reach them. Add timelines, simple roles and a one-line budget so you can act quickly. Clear goals and parental oversight keep the plan practical and safe.
Outline common risks such as overspending or online payment issues and what you will do if they happen. A compact plan helps them test ideas and focus on what brings profit.
Setting Goals and Objectives
Set specific targets like weekly sales or customer numbers so you know what to aim for. Break goals into small milestones to keep motivation high and learning visible.
Measure results against those milestones and tweak prices, offers or posting schedules when something isn’t working. Use parental feedback to keep targets realistic.
Budgeting for Success
Plan a simple budget that lists materials, any fees and a small reserve for mistakes. Track every cost so there’s no slipping into overspending.
Track income and expenses in a notebook or spreadsheet so you can see when the venture becomes profitable and where to trim spending.
Consider setting up a basic account, agree rules for spending and decide how much profits to reinvest. This oversight reduces online payment risks and keeps growth steady.
Marketing Strategies for Kids
Start by focusing on audience and what they want; that lets you pick easy marketing steps that actually work. Small tests at school or a stall help them learn fast, build confidence and spot what needs adult supervision.
Social Media Basics
Choose platforms that match your audience, and ask a grown-up to manage settings so you stay safe. Short videos and bright photos show products well; keep captions friendly and clear to build followers and repeat customers.
Traditional Marketing Techniques
Use local noticeboards, flyers and community stalls to reach neighbours and school families; these low-cost steps make your offering visible and invite face-to-face feedback. Highlight local events where you can sell or demo goods.
Combine shop window consignment, school fayre pitches and simple loyalty cards to encourage repeat buyers; get written permission and involve an adult for payments and safety checks.
Building a Brand
Build a simple identity that matches what is sold and who they are selling to; pick two colours, a friendly tone and a short name. Use consistent visuals across posts, labels and stalls so people recognise your business quickly.
Keep your story short and honest so customers connect; share why the product matters and encourage feedback so you can refine the look. Strong brand choices boost your child’s confidence and repeat sales.
Designing Logos and Taglines
Help them make a logo that’s clear at thumbnail size and printable on stickers; test simple shapes so they can draw it from memory. A tidy mark gives a professional look without fuss.
Choose a tagline no longer than a sentence that explains the benefit; test it aloud with friends so you know it works and stays memorable.
Establishing Online Presence
Use one profile name and image across platforms so followers recognise you; get them to write a short bio that says what they sell and how customers can contact them; with clear contact info.
Protect accounts with parent-managed passwords, two-factor where possible, and strict privacy settings; never post home addresses or school details that could be dangerous, so you keep them safe.
Post short videos, photos and updates on set days to build a habit; respond to comments and collect testimonials to show social proof and engagement.
Networking and Community Involvement
Connect with neighbours, school groups and community organisers so you raise visibility and gather feedback, with adults helping secure permissions and safety; face-to-face trust often turns into repeat customers.
Attend local fairs or school events so you can sell or showcase items and collect real-time reactions; direct customer feedback boosts your confidence and sales.
Engaging with Local Businesses
Partner with local shops to display a handful of products on consignment so you learn pricing and stock control while a shop window dramatically increases your exposure.
Ask shop owners for short trial placements or advice and have an adult agree terms in writing so you avoid misunderstandings; clear agreements protect you and the retailer.
Utilising Family and Friends
Offer family and friends roles like first customers, testers or promoters so you get honest feedback and quick sales; trusted networks kickstart your growth.
Use parents to manage online posts, check messages and handle payments so you stay safe and compliant, and never share personal details publicly.
Include simple rewards such as referral discounts, thank-you notes or exclusive previews to keep supporters engaged and learn how referrals expand a customer base; referrals grow repeat business.
Financial Literacy for Young Entrepreneurs
Financially, they are learning to track income, costs and set prices that cover expenses while leaving profit. Parents should supervise and teach simple bookkeeping so you can track cash and spot issues early.
Practical skills can turn a hobby into a business, so items should be priced to cover ingredients and a small margin. Takeaway: log every sale and cost to see if the idea is working.
Understanding Profit and Loss
Understand how profit (what’s left after costs) differs from loss (when costs exceed sales).  Expenses should be listed, affordable prices set and totals checked weekly.
As an example: if selling bracelets for £2 with £1 material leaves £1 profit per sale; selling below cost creates a loss. Simple tables will help them to spot these problems early.
Saving and Investing for the Future
Plan to split earnings: spending, saving and a small amount for investments. Aim to save regularly and let a portion grow with low-risk options while adults handle accounts.
Next, learn about junior ISAs or savings accounts that offer steady growth; be aware of risk and get parental oversight before investing.
Always compare interest rates and fees so your saved money actually grows; small regular contributions compound over time and build real capital for bigger projects and future choices.
Summing up
With these considerations you can help your 10-16‑year‑old launch a small business that builds skills and earns pocket money.
- Explain: focus on audience.
- Practical: running a stall at a children’s business fair.
- Takeaway: start small, learn fast, keep close adult oversight.
– Steps: choose one platform, set posting days, test prices
– Challenges: online safety, time balance, finding customers
– Safeguards: parental account control, simple budget, clear rules
