Backyard Entrepreneur^TM

Entrepreneurial Economics Teacher

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Check out some of the items we have for sale at our Cafe Press store for anyone interested in economics.  Click on our Economics section.

Make money as an entrepreneur working at home in any endeavor so that you can set the example for the students in your economics class.

Like everyone else, economics teachers make diverse and frequent retail purchases.  In doing so, they become quite familiar with the demand side of the supply and demand equation, with the myriad offerings of products and services available to them in the marketplace, at the retail level.  However, on the supply side, their experience may be quite limited.  It is altogether possible for an economics teacher to earn a university degree, offer up his teaching services to an educational institution in return for a salary, and stop there.  But what is his response when the students ask questions like "How come you want us to be entrepreneurs, when you are not?”  What is his response to the question “How can you teach that which you do not experience?"

We hold to the belief that economics teachers bring more to the classroom if and when they also embrace entrepreneurship, in one form or another.  And as might be expected, we are partial to the Backyard Entrepreneur™ experience.  Embracing our approach affords you the opportunity to develop and perfect business experience, which you can then share with your students, to inspire them, to show them what ‘opening doors’ looks like.  Just think of it as getting in touch with your supply side.  Wouldn’t it be great to share your experiences with your students as they share theirs with you?  And if you then bring parents into the mix, then you have the best of all worlds: parents, teachers, and kids all working together.  It helps if administrators are on board, too.  And to add icing on the cake, the Backyard Entrepreneur™ experience can pave the door for some great part time income, something you can bank for retirement.

The study of economics begins to have a new and improved meaning for students as soon as you demonstrate for them the connections between what goes on in class and what goes on in the real world (i.e., the world of commerce).

Community education programs typically offer classes in business skills for all age groups.  Marketing and business skills can be learned in Community Ed programs.

 Teach Entrepreneurial Skills

Once you get the hang of it, go on the lecture circuit around town. Talk to local clubs and business groups.  Talk about being an entrepreneur.  Start them young.

Organize an Entrepreneur Cooperative

Form networking groups to sell the products you, students and parents produce.  Organize an Entrepreneur Cooperative  and hold monthly sales in a local parking lot.  Set up professional looking booths (i.e., no junk).  Have an adult in charge, to make certain that standards are maintained.  Customers will return if they know your regular schedule.  Advertise all over town, in your community, and soon folks will be coming from all over the place to visit a flea market for young entrepreneurs.

Design and create inspirational posters to sell.  Market your books and posters to libraries.

Fill your classroom with savings banks of all kinds to encourage savings.  Make savings banks to sell.

Make money-related jewelry to sell. See our other pages for ideas as to how ot make it out of clay, paper, string and beads, leather, metal, glass, or wood.

 Get Started

This website seeks to help students and adults become entrepreneurs and to give them some ideas about how to get started.  Getting started is sometimes the hardest part.  Teach start up basics.  Becoming an entrepreneur brings home the basics of what gets taught in an economics classroom.  The intent of this website is to get you some ‘hands on’ experience in the area of getting your products or services marketed and sold, whatever they may be.  We all understand the demand side of the supply and demand equation simply because we are consumers.  Marketing and selling a product or service teaches us about the supply side of the equation.  It brings balance into the teaching of economics. 

Some say ideas are a dime a dozen.  Not so.  Some have an extremely hard time thinking of a markatable product.  Perhaps the ideas in this website will help students and their parents begin thinking.  One thing leads to another.  We also hope we have helped somewhat in the excution of the idea.  Marketing is everything.

 Experience the Standards,Teach the Standards, Get Kids to Experience the Standards

We list the National Standards for Teaching Economics, as a point of reference.  Take special note of Standard 14, which speaks to entrepreneurship. 

Hopefully you will find an idea on this website to help you become an entrepreneur so as to better teach economics.  Here's to teachers turning a profit while turning younger Americans into practicing entrepreneurs.

© Backyard Entrepreneur^TM 2007

Link to us.  Contact us if you wish to have your site listed here as a resource for entrepreneurial teachers.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Links

Books

Jewelry

Magazines

Posters

Resources

A teen success story

Think like an entrepreneur

Ten who can teach entrepreneurs

How to be a motivational speaker

How to teach your child to be an entrepreneur

Teach your kids how to earn money

Toys