Jul
15
What Is An Authority Blog?
With all our to-do about blogging and starting a blog we’ve been doing, I was asked recently what an authority blog was. That is an excellent question! As homeschoolers, a blog can be an incredible learning tool, not just by reading them, but by creating one. Homeschoolers are experts at recognizing and disregarding fluff, and fluff is what has damaged the reputation of blogs as learning tools.
Like everything else on the internet, the face of true blogging is changing and maturing. Sure, there will always be the fluff blogs, the diaries of the shallow Hals of the world, but there are some blogs that everytime you stop by you find something worthwhile.
An authority blog is is more than just worthy of a stop once in awhile. It’s a blog that you’ve come to trust as a reliable source of information on a particular subject, a blog that cares more about their readers than simply their ability to click on their ads. It’s a go-to place for reliable information that is meaty and to the point.
An authority blog is usually there for the long haul, and is able to withstand the ups and downs of internet trends and Google slaps. Yes, they do make money, but it’s usually an income that’s been built up slowly and methodically. Their readers are loyal and stay with them for the long term, because they know that the return on their investment of time is great.
So, if you are thinking of starting a blog as a learning tool, don’t expect instant success. Lay a good foundation, always work at giving more value than you have to, and appreciate your readers. It takes committment, and time, but it is so worth it. Research skills, writing skills, learning to manage your time, managing readers, graphic skills, are all benefits of ‘edu-blogging’, not to mention how much is learned about the subject of the blog. What other learning activity offers so much in return, including some extra money?
Some examples of Authority Blogs are:
http://www.coated.com (cool gadget authority!)
A good forum to get your blogging questions answered:
http://forum.authorityblogger.com/
An outstanding example of an ‘edu-blog’ done by a homeschooler:
http://www.gardeningformyfamily.blogspot.com/
Jul
06
Video For The Entrepreneur In All Of Us
I saw this video and have to share it, still investigating the service they offer, but this production is genius. I love the message, the delivery, everything. Creating videos like this for businesses is a golden ability. Now that video is easily created, displayed and played online, any business would benefit by having one of these express their mission statement. If you or your children have any talent in this area, it could be a great business that wouldn’t be expensive to start. The time to learn and perfect the skill would be your main investment. . . and an ability that would serve them well.
We’ll explore more resources and how to get started in this field soon!
Mar
31
Can You Teach Kids To See Opportunity?
photo credit: khrawlings
I read an excellent interview with Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) regarding prospering in a tough economy..and wanted to share this particular portion:
Q: What one thing would you tell someone who feels that this is the wrong time to be thinking about starting a small business?
A: I’d tell people to invest in themselves and teach their minds to see opportunities that their eyes don’t. This comes with financial education and personal development. This may be the very best of times for entrepreneurs with business ideas. Technology has leveled the playing field in terms of ease of entrance. In addition, there are more outlets than ever before to communicate your messages and tell your unique story.
One of the main missions of Homeschool-Entrepreneur is to encourage parents to equip their children with the ability to “see opportunity” in all situations. Like any other acquired skill, it takes instruction and practice. Once learned, it’s like riding a bike, it’s there for life.
The question still remains: HOW do you teach it to your kids?
First, I think parents have to have a good understanding of what it means to recognize opportunity -if they don’t already. I grew up with generations of entrepreneurs, so I thought everyone thought “entrepreneurially”. Discovering quite the opposite, I am seeing evidence every day of what John Gatto talks about how our culture (government?) works hard at creating ‘worker bees’. Homeschooling gives parents a fresh opportunity to teach . . and equip . . .our children to be everything God created them to be.
Don’t worry if you are learning right along with your children. It’s a great bonding process when you are on a somewhat level playing (learning) field with your children. If you are both learning how to think entrepreneurially, or to see opportunity, it’s a great confidence builder when your kid sees an idea first and you love it!
Secondly, the condition of the economy is a constant source of news headlines and can offer fertile ground to talk about solutions. There’s more talk every day about 2009 becoming the “Year of the Entrepreneur”. Never before has there been so much encouragement coming from every possible venue to think of ways to start your own business.
Another way to stimulate conversations about how different businesses survive economic pressures is to play Investopedia with your older student. Age is relative to maturity and competence, but this is a great time to have 2 Investopedia accounts and watch what happens to the stocks as conditions fluctuate. For those that aren’t familiar with Investopedia, it’s a stock simulator that uses real time numbers with your virtual $100,000 worth of stock investments that you buy and sell. No previous stock knowledge required. (and it’s free)
Another way to teach entrepreneurial thinking is to watch (suitable) TV. Really! Commercials on TV are usually only endured or used as time to grab a snack, but try to look at those commercials through the advertisers eyes. If that was your business, or your competitor, do you think you got your money’s worth? Was it effective in motivating the viewers to buy the product? You could even make it a school project to rate the commercials for effectiveness.
Another way TV can be an entrepreneurial learning tool are the many reality shows that demonstrate various business ventures. Cake Boss is a show about the inner workings of a cake decorating bakery, Everyday Edisons is a show illustrating how inventions are brought to market. I hope to compile a list of these type of shows for you soon. HOWEVER…always watch these shows with your student, you can discuss different situations in a light that suits the values that your family supports. It’s almost like having a chance to view the work world that your child will someday be immersed in, but now you have a chance to point out the good and the bad with them by your side.
Be on the alert for consumer frustrations such as products that don’t work like they should, or a problem that doesn’t appear to have a solution. How would you solve it if you had the money to develop a new product? A young lady (I think she was 12 at the time) that didn’t think the bacon was cooking efficiently in their family’s microwave designed a better way and it’s on the market and can now be found on Walmart’s shelves! I’ll have to look it up to be sure, but I think she’s a homeschooler!
These are just a few ideas to get your entrepreneurial gears turning, I’m sure you can come up with ways of your own. Be sure to keep a journal of all your observations, looking back later will be very enlightening, I promise! Starting a business of any kind is probably the best way to begin thinking like an entrepreneur, most people have no idea of all the details involved. The Small Business Administration has many resources to help you learn everything you’ll need to know and it’s completely free. Start Up Nation and Entrepreneur Magazine also has a wealth of ideas and information to help get you started. Of course, there’s our Homeschool Entrepreneur course too…. 
The important thing is to do just that…GET STARTED! Just DO it!
Dec
12
Helping Your Teen Start Their Own Business
Homeschooling has many advantages, especially when planning a high school curriculum. Meeting your state’s requirements, of course, is your first priority, but many people don’t realize how flexible those requirements are. I love the flexibility of gearing courses towards what my children are gifted in, not only because they enjoy it more (thus more cooperative), but we’ve stumbled on things they were interested in, too. Force feeding some subjects of course, can turn out good, too.
How many kids go kicking and screaming to their first music lesson only to discover music as a love of their life? My son resisted learning how to present speeches, only to discover he has a natural talent with giving speeches, and now enjoys it! I’m sure you have examples in your home. We never had any trouble encouraging our children to start a business, they liked making money. However, if it’s a “class” you offer as part of their school, you may discover they have a real knack for business.
No matter how you look at it, it’s a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives. They will learn that at any point in their life, out of necessity or desire, that starting a business is very possible, and will know the basics that they need to consider before taking the plunge. A recent poll of high school students showed that 70% wanted to have their own business someday, but 90% of those had no idea how to start.
There are two common misconceptions about starting a small business. The first one being that starting a business is difficult, and the second is that it’s very simple. In a sense, both ideas are correct, it is relatively simple for anyone to start a business, but it’s difficult to make it work. This is why we believe entrepreneurship should be required in high school. Knowing exactly what it takes to start and successfully run a business helps anyone know that it’s very possible, yet have the tools necessary to make it work. The reason over one half of new businesses fail within 4 years is usually lack of good business techniques. It’s really not surprising that many new entrepreneurs go into business without knowing some of the most important business and financial basics. Be sure your child goes into life fully equipped.
That’s why as a homeschool parent, the freedom to incorporate an entrepreneur class in your curriculum is one of the best tools you could give your teen! So, I’ve had several requests to start a series on teaching our teens how to start a business, and that’s what we are going to do! If you have anything in particular you want us to cover, email us!
till tomorrow…Debbie
Oct
21
Make a Survey With Google Docs
Google has yet another service they are offering free that could make a great homeschool entrepreneur project. I set up a survey for our newsletter readers as an example, and it took me less than an hour. Most of that time was thinking up questions! Here’s the easy instructions to create a survey with Google Docs:
First, if you don’t have an account with Google, you will need to sign up. It doesn’t cost anything, but you will need it to sign into your Google Docs account. I don’t think you have to have a gmail account, but don’t quote me on that. I believe any email address you have will do. Once you’re signed in, go to Google.com and click on ‘documents’ which is found in the “more” drop down list of their services listed at the top left. Or, go to docs.google.com.
Second, now that you’re into the program, click on the “NEW” button on the left, which drops down some choices, and for a survey, click on “FORM“. This will bring you to a new screen, and at the top you will put the name of your survey, like “My First Survey“, or whatever your survey is about. The box under that is where you can explain about the survey, like when you will give them the results, or skip questions if you like, etc. You leave the “name” box blank, it’s for the survey taker to put their name.
Third, write your questions. “Question Title” is the actual question, such as, “What kinds of music do you listen to?“. The help text can tell them if they can choose only one answer, or as many as apply. You can put a box there for a short typed answer from them, or a paragraph box for a longer answer. You can even have them rate something on a 0-5 scale. Be sure to click “Done” after each question, and add another question with the button “Add Question” on the top left. Don’t worry about mistakes, you can go back later and edit or even trash the question later with the little icons you see on the right of the question box. You can even drag and drop the question boxes to rearrange the questions if you want.
Fourth, save it all (top right), and you can view your survey by clicking the link at the very bottom of the survey, where it says, “You can view the published form here“. Try answering your own questions and be sure they all work the way you wanted them to before you send it out. To send it, just copy the link at the bottom and paste it into your email or webpage.
Finally, to view your results, just log into your Google Docs account and your surveys will be there, sorted, ready to read! Nice, huh? I’m no pro, but if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to help. Have fun!
If you missed the survey we sent out, you can still view it at:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pMDeq1m3fhvynqx_u3n4jGw
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