How to start a business and develop an entrepreneurial mindset

Chapter One: Vision - Crafting Your Business Map

Every great adventure begins with a map, and Hope’s business is no exception. She starts by imagining where she wants her business to go and what she’ll need to get there.

1. Define Your Treasure (Goal):

• Hope's Vision: Initially, Hope wants to create beautiful, handmade bracelets that make any outfit sparkle. But as she plans, she starts thinking about other fun gifts people might need.

• Why It’s Awesome: She believes that her products can bring joy and color into people’s lives, especially on special occasions like birthdays and holidays.

2. Set Up Landmarks (Milestones):

• First Checkpoint: Hope's first goal is to sell 20 bracelets at the upcoming school fair. This will help her understand if her peers like her designs.

3. Gather Your Tools (Resources):

• What Hope Needs: Beads, threads, clasps for her bracelets, and a booth at the fair. She also considers budgeting for future products like soaps and cards that she might resell.

4. Know Your Terrain (Understand Your Audience):

• Researching Her Market: Hope talks to her friends and family about what kind of gifts they love giving and receiving. She notices many gifts are for specific events—this sparks an idea.

The Aha Moment: Expanding Beyond Bracelets

As Hope prepares for the school fair, she realizes that people don’t just buy gifts randomly; they often buy them for specific reasons like birthdays or Mother's Day. This observation leads to a brilliant idea: what if she could create an app that reminds people of upcoming events and suggests gifts from her product line? This could be her unique way to expand her business beyond just making crafts.

Ready to Start Your Own Adventure?

Like Hope, you can start small with something you love doing and grow it into something bigger. Think about what you enjoy, how you can serve the needs of others, and how you can use feedback to make your business better. Stay tuned as Hope develops her app and explores new product ideas in our next chapters!