In a recent article about how a bad economy can actually be a good time to start a business, Jerry Osteryoung, director of outreach of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Florida State University, noted: “So many people say that entrepreneurs are born, but I am here to tell you that entrepreneurship is a learned discipline.”

Well, my girl just had the great opportunity to start that lifetime of learning by opening her first business. It was part of Austin’s first Lemonade Day - an event begun in Houston to introduce kids to entrepreneurship. The event encourages kids to start a lemonade stand and sell their lemonade to the entire community on May 3rd.

When I first heard of it, I thought “oh, that will be something fun for us to do” and envisioned nothing more involved than setting up a card table in the driveway. After picking up our backpack of how-to workbooks to teach students participating in Lemonade Day about budgets, securing investors, choosing locations and making signs, however, I quickly realized that Prepared 4 Life was taking their job seriously and I was thinking too small.

So, we talked to a friend who was also planning to participate and stuck a partnership. A new location was chosen at our neighborhood park where we thought there would be more traffic. We discussed my role as an investor, and made choices on what kind of lemonade to make and how much to charge per glass.

Despite threats of rain, it turned out to be a beautiful day to pass three hours watching cars, walkers and bike riders pass. Sales were not booming (we blame the fact that the park’s playscape was fenced off due to a factory recall) and there were times of boredom where our young enterpreneurs talked of calling it quits; but, then a burst of business would renew their enthusiasum.

After splitting the proceeds and paying her investor, my girl only grossed net $3.75 - a far cry from the revenue she hoped to use to buy that Nintendo DS mean-old-Mom won’t purchase. But, she had fun and did learn about counting money, making change and providing good customer service. And, we weren’t the only ones who had to learn not to drink all the product it sounds like. She’s also got ideas for how to improve business next time - like finding a location with higher traffic, and maybe adding “a pretty table cloth” to the stand.

Lemonade Day 2009 had local organizations in Austin, Houston, Bryan/College Station, Minneapolis and Wayne County, Indiana, this year, but anyone can participate and they have a goal to reach one million kids in the next five years. Contact them now about hosting the event in your city next year!

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• Lemonade Day Teaches Kids Entrepreneurship (myventurepad.com)
• Entrepreneur 101: Words of advice to a future Entrepreneur (The Jeff Pulver blog)

Mothers have ideas - great, million dollar, change the world ideas.  The more mommies I talk to the more ideas I hear - they’re everywhere.   Here’s a few we all know about:

• Baby Einstein
• Shabby Chic
• Jibbitz
  

Yesterday I was on a school field trip - hunting worms - when one of the mothers on the bus said “I have this great idea” and promptly outlined a phenominal educational concept for inner city kids.   She went on to tell me where she was stuck and how difficult this process was for her (a bright college educated woman).

I know her pain.  I’m working full time, raising twins, and trying to bring my own idea to life.

So how do some succeed and others not?  If I had the answer here I guess my own idea would be much further along.  But I do have some ideas I thought I would share - in hopes that maybe some of you have bettr ideas that might help me continue my pursuit.

1. Stay Motivated - I love to watch a show called The Big Idea.  Donny Deutsch shares stories from every day entrepreneurs who have achieved success.  I can just see myself on his show - and watching other entrpreneurs gives me hope.
2. Involve Your Kids - my children LOVE Run U Mother.  I share what I am doing with them and oddly when I say I have to spend time on it they support me instead of whining (most of the time).  I didn’t realize how much it meant to my kids to have a “cereal entreprenuer” in the family until I overheard my daughter asking her unsuspecting playmate, “have you heard about Run U Mother, well my mother did that.”
3. Have a Partner - whether it is your husband or someone else, I find having a partner is what has kept my venture going.  When I’m down, she’s up.  And vice versa.  I truly couldn’t do this on my own.
4. Find Moments of Clarity - worse than the lack of time is lack of clarity.  For me exercise induces clarity.  When I am out running I see things clearly and ideas come into focus.  Exercise literally gets your juices flowing.

So on that final note - I am off for a run.  If any of you have some great advice, I’m all ears!