First of all, we can help them see the worth of providing a needed service or product. Now, allow me to pause right here. Drug dealers would argue that they are furnishing a necessary service. I am advocating for businesses to build neighborhoods up, not down!
Our children must be taught to observe and to discern which services or products are needed. My favorite is the ever-practical lawn care service. There is always going to be someone on the block who is looking for a young person to mow their lawn or shovel snow off of their sidewalk. Suppose the youth does not have access to lawn care equipment. Sometimes homeowners are willing to lend their tools while the child is working on their premises. It never hurts to ask.
Last year one of my children observed that women young and old appreciate attractive accessories. She began a business making and selling crocheted fall and winter scarves. Eventually, she added handmade glass bead earrings to her product line. Her summers are spent replenishing her wares before the start of the busy school season. Among her customers have been her dentist and members of her basketball team. Both she and I have been pleasantly surprised by her success!
African American children need to see examples, both good and bad (we can learn from both) of Black entrepreneurs throughout history. James Presley Ball was a successful 19th century photographer (not an easy time for Blacks). Nonetheless, he saw a need (folks love to have their picture taken), and stepped up to fulfill it.
John P. Parker, a former slave, went on to become an inventor and foundry owner.
As for the bad examples, stories abound about business failings, quite often due to poor business skills, resulting in the entrepreneur being taken advantage of. Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr., founder of the "Famous Amos" chocolate chip cookie comes to mind. Although a wiz at baking cookies, he has admitted to not being a great businessman. Unfortunately, after initial success, he was eventually forced to sell his business. What is noteworthy here is that once down, Mr. Amos refused to stay down and is today a sought after motivational speaker, author, and literacy advocate.
Finally, once they begin to make a dollar or two, black youth must be taught the importance of saving money and putting a portion of their profits back into their business ventures.
The point is not to promote getting rich, although that could certainly happen under the right circumstances, but rather to promote the acquiring of valuable skills for life, such as creativity, honesty, and tenacity.
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