Last week I finally got around to having that dreaded garage sale to offer all my treasured ‘good things’ to others to help share the love! In reality, I had been constantly reminded for the last six months to do this, so a car could actually fit in the garage, and we aren’t talking about my car here!

I completed all the normal things to promote the event: made and placed signs, placed online adverts, posted on my social media links, placed and advert in the Canberra Times etc, so I should expect a good turnout. I even had to get out of bed at 5am to set up before the 7am start, so all was ready.

My two kids, Madi and Josh also did their bit by selecting items to sell from their collection of used books, toys etc, and they did help to set up, Madi even got up at 5am to help, which wasn’t bad for 10 year old girl.

While I wouldn’t call having a garage sale being an entrepreneur, it got me wondering why my two kids hadn’t seen this as an opportunity to make some extra cash. I remember similar events when I was a child, where you would set up a stall on the road to sell your things on a summer holiday weekend or if your dad had a yard sale on, you would try to sell drinks or something to make some coin.

Why hadn’t this been the first thought for my two kids when they heard we were having a sale? Why didn’t they ask me to go buy some drinks and then they could sell and profit from the event?

I thought this would be a great opportunity to have them look at working out ‘break even points’ on how many cans they needed to sell to be in front, how to set a price, how they would market etc. So I thought it could also be an educational process. I was wrong as it wasn’t even thought of.

Was I being too unrealistic in my anticipated behaviours from them as potential entrepreneurs, or is it a case that children today have different values and expectations in that they get a lot more without the efforts? It got me thinking, what makes an Entrepreneur, as they are all out there? Just look at the number of new businesses and ventures each year. Are they born or developed? Is it a skill that can be taught?

While I’m not posing the answers here today, I am throwing it out to you to seek your thoughts or comments as I would love to know your views?

Oh yeah, and the good news is it took a lot less time to pack up the unsold items and I can now get my wife’s car in the garage and I got some beer money! So all good and profitable!

Until next time.

Tony Ozanne
Small Fish Business Coach Canberra
www.smallfish.com.au