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Sep
06
Marketing To Homeschool Families? Try This Convention Hot Spot
So, exactly how many homeschool in America? In 2007, the National Center for Education Statistics (nces) estimated there were 1.5 million homeschool students in America. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine estimates there are currently over 2 million homeschool students. They both also estimate that the expenditure for each student is between $500-$600 each year. That translates to over one billion dollars spent on homeschooling each year. That’s a pretty healthy number that has peaked the attention of marketers everywhere.
The internet has truly leveled the playing field for everyone that wants to start a business. In addition, the homeschool in America is maturing, coming of age you might say. Choices in curriculum have multiplied exponentially and improved greatly along with information online. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more. Now that their children are grown, many moms are retiring from homeschooling and entering the market with what they know. These moms also have the advantage of knowing how to reach other homeschoolers – in an big way.
Of all the many places to reach homeschool families, one of the best ways to reach the largest number in a very short time is at a homeschool convention. If you have homeschooled very long, I would be surprised if you had not attended one by now. Giant halls filled with curriculum vendors and every homeschool product you can think of including healthy bread baking products! Coupled with workshops and speakers to encourage and inspire you in your educational journey, it’s no wonder it’s the highlight of the year for most homeschool families.
Some areas of the country are much more active than others, but the hot spot seems to be in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m sure California does pretty good, too, but for some reason it seems that the numbers for the convention in Ohio tops the charts. So, why Cincinnati, Ohio? It might be the central location in the heart of the Midwest where homeschooling thrives-hence more homeschool families.
I think the sheer size of the convention contributes to the draw, after all, bigger is better, right? Granted, the size of the convention won’t guarantee quality, but it will guarantee information overload! However, the super size of this convention does provide better funding for better keynote speakers and facilities. It makes a difference.
Regardless of the reason, the organizers of this mammoth event have recently added 3 more locations to their selection and now call themselves “Great Homeschool Conventions”. Next year there will be events in Memphis, TN, Philadelphia, PA and Greenville, NC in addition to the one in Cincinnati. Extremely affordable for any homeschool family, it’s a great place to rent a table (booth) and share your homeschool-related product.
If you have never been to or done anything like this before, be sure to visit one before you actually take the exhibitor leap. Look at other exhibitors like yourse
lf and see what catches your eye. You will come away with a zillion ideas, I promise! You may also want to start at a much smaller convention to get your feet wet.
There are several places to find conventions in your area. Your state or regional homeschool site always has the latest local information. If you aren’t sure of your local homeschool organization, HSLDA has a list you can find at http://www.hslda.org/orgs/default.asp
Ann Zeise’s Homeschool’s Cool has a page with event listings for many states.
My favorite place to find conventions is Great Stuff Convention Bags. It’s also a place to find a very cost effective method to “display” at the convention without actually going! You supply the flyer and they will include it in the goody bags made available (free) at your designated convention. I’m sure there are many conventions not included on Great Stuff’s list, so don’t assume it’s a catch-all convention listing.
If anyone knows of a comprehensive list of all conventions, please let me know. I thought there would be at least one website that had them all in one place, but did not find one. There is an idea for a blog!
Happy marketing! (no links in this post are affiliate links, BTW)
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Jul
28
Warning: HSLDA Impersonators Are Calling Leaders
Since a large majority of our readers are homeschoolers and also very likely leaders, I thought I’d pass along an alert to be sure word gets around. Details of what is going on is copied below from the actual email from Mike Smith, president of HSLDA:
Dear Homeschool Group Leaders:
It has come to our attention that multiple homeschool leaders have received phone calls from a person falsely saying he is from the Home School Foundation.
This caller, who is believed to be male but identifies himself as a woman, will often claim to be calling from the Home School Foundation and indicate that you have been nominated for a grant or award of some sort. This individual usually states that “she” has 10 children and a degree in psychology, before proceeding to ask questions about your family’s homeschool practices to follow up on the grant/award that you have been “nominated” for. The questions quickly get around to your disciplinary methods and practices. Please note, HSF has no need to ask you about your disciplinary methods with your children!
If you are ever on the phone with someone saying he or she is from HSF and you become even slightly suspicious, or if the questions don’t directly relate to the work of the Foundation (i.e. helping families homeschool through hard times), please ask for a name and number and offer to call back. The Foundation’s number is (540) 338-8688. If you are given a different number and/or receive a call from an individual who fits the above description, please alert us immediately!
We are trying our best to find out who this caller is and stop him from harassing homeschoolers in our name. This is not actually a new issue; we had a similar situation many years ago and came close to finding the caller before he went underground. This may be the same person.
If you receive such a phone call, write down the date, time and as much information as you can about the caller. Personal information disclosed by the caller and the questions he asked would be helpful. Also collect any information displayed on your caller ID or obtained from tracing the phone number (often by dialing *69). Contact HSLDA or HSF with this information and we will collect it to help authorities in their attempt to track this individual down.
If you have any details that may help us find out more about this caller, please email them to info@homeschoolfoundation.org with “impersonator” in the subject line.
Also, please forward this email on to other homeschool leaders you know—if people are aware of the issue ahead of time, we are more likely to stop it.
Thank you,
Mike Smith, President
May
28
How To Learn Entrepreneurship From Twitter
Sometimes I just want to share some of the great stuff I find here and there. Poking around young entrepreneur Ben Lang’s site in my last post on Alexa ratings, here is another great post for teaching/learning entrepreneurship:
http://ben-lang.com/how-to-learn-entrepreneurship-from-twitter-2/
Finding a mentor on Twitter is one of the better suggestions, and never thought of before now. Read the article. Twitter-who woulda thunk?
Actually, better sign up for his regular updates…
More From HomeschoolEntrepreneur
May
28
Down Syndrome Didn’t Stop Poppin Joe’s Business Success!
Word has it that Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn is some of the best tasting kettle corn you’ll find, made with only the finest ingredients. In four flavors, it can be found at fairs, festivals, events, convenience stores, online, and even Walmart! You find all the places to buy this outstanding kettle corn by going to Poppin Joe’s website. However, what is most amazing about Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn is the young man who runs this this business (with a little help from Dad). Joe Steffy is a man in his mid 20′s with Down Syndrome and Autism.
Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn was officially launched in April of 2005 to provide Joe the means to support himself. Joe now has an excellent work ethic, has learned the value of hard work and most of all, has a feeling of accomplishment. His business is on track to make $100,000 a year by 2012, making $50,000 in 2008.
Joe Steffy has always had the loving support of family. His parents also knew that Joe could accomplish and do much more than the assessment his school district had given him, saying that he would never be able to work or live independently. Parents can usually see what their kids are really able to do and Ray and Janet Steffy were no exception. They knew that Joe loved to work, and on a trip to Alaska, they noticed kettle corn and thought it might work. His father worked closely with Dave Hammis, an an advocate for self-employment for people with disabilities in Middletown, Ohio, who trains business owners, government employees, and parents on how to make use of state and federal programs. They helped him write up a business plan and secure $25,000 in grants from programs like PASS ( Plan to Achieve Self-Support Program).
The first year Poppin Joe’s Kettle Korn made $16,000, and business has grown every year. It’s hard work, but his parents have no regrets. Ray Steffy, in his late 60′s, is quoted:
“It’s been hard work, from the standpoint of physical work. But a parent with a child like Joe has a choice. You can either kick in and do this kind of thing, or you can sit and fret emotionally with the amount of energy, worrying about what’s going to happen to them.”
The rewards for the Steffys have been priceless. They see the deep satisfaction in their son when he make a local delivery and puts the payment in his pocket. His dad says when Joe walks back to the vehicle, he looks 3 inches taller than when he walked in.
Watch how they did it
You can watch a full online presentation of Joe and his dad explaining exactly how they went about starting Poppin Joe’s from the very beginning. Understanding what is needed to accomplish a task like this is very possible when taken one step at a time. Understanding exactly what tasks Joe needed to be able to do was a critical component, and you can see how that was determined here. You can also view the PDF version if you have trouble with the video. The information is valuable for anyone wanting to learn more about how to write a business plan and get a business started from scratch.
I really love this story, and would like to broadcast it everywhere. Attitudes towards those with disabilities have changed dramatically in the that last 20 years, where it was once believed that children with Down Syndrome would probably never walk or talk-let alone work a job or own a business. Of course, it probably has nothing to do with the fact that we have a 17 year old with Down Syndrome that wants to have his own business someday, too!
Apr
30
Do Entrepreneurs Need a College Education to Succeed?
As a home school veteran, I’ve noticed the prevalent philosophy for college attendance after graduation has always been necessity driven. There are still many parents that still advocate a college degree to be as critical as a high school diploma. However, I believe that most hard-core home schoolers will insist that college should only be pursued if their vocational goals require it.
So, does an entrepreneur need a college education to succeed? Bill Gates dropped out of college, along with many other millionaire entrepreneurs. That doesn’t really answer the question, does it? Doctors, nurses, teachers, and engineers don’t have a choice. A specialized degree is required, no questions asked. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, have a choice. Anyone can start a business and call themself an entrepreneur – but can they call themselves a successful entrepreneur?
My middle son loves business. However, he wasn’t positive about what part of business he was crazy about, and was offered a full scholarship to a top Christian college and took it. Did he learn much about business? No. Did he learn a thousand other valuable life lessons? Yes. He also has several decent job offers now that he is graduating this spring. He would still like to have a business of his own someday, but until then, he has some really good options to pass the time (and build a bank account).
As a lifetime entrepreneur, I will say that a college education isn’t required to succeed, but if it’s something you can afford, it’s an excellent investment. If you share the gene pool with the likes of Bill Gates or Michael Dell, then you will probably do just fine without a college degree. However, in the last decade many colleges and universities have developed programs directed specifically at the entrepreneur. Most of these programs are amazing and could be extremely worthwhile, paying for themselves in a very short time.
Most of these programs include actually starting a business under the watchful (and experienced) eye of a seasoned/successful entrepreneur. Avoiding the pain and expense of the many common pitfalls most first time entrepreneurs fall into could make it worthwhile all by itself. The mentoring and training from experienced as well as educated entrepreneurs is priceless. You will make like-minded friends and contacts, building a network for a lifetime. There’s also that degree you will have to help you find a decent job in case all else fails, too. It’s always good to have a back-up plan!
Choosing a School
I don’t recommend one of those $800 correspondence courses offered by Penn Foster or Stratford on “Starting Your Own Business”. There is probably some good information in those courses, but nothing you couldn’t find online. Two year entrepreneur programs are also a questionable investment of time and money since they simply offer more generic textbook-based work that is more than likely outdated. Homeschoolers are masters at finding ways to teach themselves what they need to know.
What you want to look for in an entrepreneurial program is experience-based learning. It goes without saying that the school’s reputation and credibility are important, but what are the graduates from the program saying? If it’s a new program, like many are, that may be difficult to assess. If you can find a way to talk to any of the students that have been in the program for at least a year or two, that would help you decide if the school is what you are looking for. Here’s a video from a student at Neely Entrepreneurship Center in Texas had to say about their program:
TCU’s Neely Center For Entrepreneurship
U.S.News & World Report and Entrepreneur magazine have recognized Neeley’s entrepreneurship program as one of the best in the country. The TCU Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) is the largest in the country and has been named the best student-run CEO club in America. Take a look at their website and hear what the students there are actually doing!
High School entrepreneurial students take note:
Every year the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center and their sponsor, Compass Bank, offer a scholarship competition called the TCU Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards to high school entrepreneurs in the state of Texas. There are six award winners and the competition is open to any high school student who has started and managed a business. For more information, go to http://www.tcuyeya.org/
The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Indiana University)
Fortune Magazine rated them as the #1 Entrepreneurship Program at a US public university. One of the world’s largest entrepreneurship centers with some of the top entrepreneurship thought leaders, Indiana University offers entrepreneurship curriculums at the PhD, MBA, and undergraduate levels.
Highly regarded as the top business school in the US, their entrepreneurship program is unsurpassed. If you doubt the return on your investment, Babson graduate students have an average starting salary of $93,000 yr according to Entrepreneur Magazine! Entrepreneur Magazine details the school’s attributes for the aspiring entrepreneur here.
Read about all 25 of the top entrepreneurial colleges in the US in the opinion of Entrepreneur Magazine.
Obviously, there are many examples of successful entrepreneurs without college degrees, some without high school diplomas! However, how important do YOU think an entrepreneurial education/degree is to an entrepreneur’s long term success?
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