Children and entrepreneurship – Five ways we can prepare them for a changing society

Carmen Iorgulescu, Ken Academy coordinator, offers five tips that can help parents prepare their little ones for a constantly changing society.

The traditional model until now – finishing college followed by a stable job and gradual advancement in the workplace – no longer applies today, let alone in 2030, when the children will be adults. We are facing globalization and the decline of economic power, labor markets are increasingly dynamic, technology is booming, economic crises are emerging, and the future no longer seems as certain as before.

What can parents do to help their youth cope with such an ever-changing environment?

"The answer is simple: to develop entrepreneurial skills within them as early as possible, even starting with primary school. Entrepreneurship turns children into mature adults who can create autonomous lives, who have the courage to turn their dreams into successful entrepreneurial projects.

mission KEN Academy it is for each KEN child to become aware that within him lies a multitude of resources that deserve to be discovered and developed. Within the program, we aim to strengthen the child's spirit of initiative and the confidence that he has the ability to develop entrepreneurial projects." , says Carmen Iorgulescu.

How can we support children to develop these superpowers?

1. Inspire them to be creative!

Children are creative and curious by nature and are not afraid to ask "Why?". Either you encourage them to spend more time innovating the way they play, or you make them understand that they don't have to fear failure, but rather use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. , little ones must be guided to nurture their creative side.

2. Give them basic financial knowledge!

It is very important for children to be able to have discussions about money at home, at the supermarket or even in front of an ATM. In this way, they will learn the value of the things around them. Ken Academy, for example, offers a comprehensive financial and entrepreneurship education program for children between the ages of 7 and 13. The novelty brought by KEN Academy is the applied component of the program – visiting some companies (intended to help children understand business concepts, but also the production process), building their own businesses and holding sales events; thus, they come into direct contact with the market, get to know customers personally, practice their courage, sales skills and learn to work in a team.

Parents can enroll their children for the 2018-2019 school year at Ken Academy starting now by filling out the form on the website: http://kenacademy.org/inscrieri-ken/

3. Encourage their passions!

In an increasingly technological environment, children's passions have a difficult say in choosing a future career. It is very important for a child to be understood and supported by his parents in order to turn his passion into an entrepreneurial project from which he can earn money. Thus, you can cultivate in him the spirit of initiative, creative thinking, autonomy and confidence that he has the ability to develop entrepreneurial projects.

4. Teach them to set goals and plan how they will achieve them.

Goal setting and planning are integral parts of entrepreneurial success. They represent positive habits that will be helpful to the child once they have been assimilated. The earlier they learn to plan and set realistic goals, the better.

5. Teamwork plays an important role.

It is difficult to succeed alone. The most successful entrepreneurs have strong teams around them, with whom they exchange ideas and build strategies. The child must discover his superpowers as early as possible and learn to work in functional teams, where everyone has an important, complementary role in order to achieve common goals.

Financial and entrepreneurial skills are the lifeline of the children of this generation, who in 2030 will enter a field of work totally different from the one now.  

About Carmen Iorgulescu

Carmen Iorgulescu is KEN Academy Coordinator, psychologist, financial and entrepreneurial education trainer for children, speaker at financial education conferences for parents. She is the mother of Andrei from Nazdravan, who knows from a reliable source that money does not grow on trees.

In 2012, he founded the KEN Academy (www.kenacademy.org), the most complex financial and entrepreneurial education program for children between the ages of 7 and 13.

Carmen enjoys and supports children's courage, initiative and confidence to take action to make their dreams come true.

She is actively involved in educational projects, firmly knowing that "financial intelligence" is a "must have" nowadays, while the "entrepreneurial spirit" is an engine for future growth, that "key" element that helps children to they manage in life no matter what they choose to do.

About Ken Academy

KEN Academy is a non-profit organization, a complex financial and entrepreneurial education program for children between the ages of 7 and 13, developed by the KEN Institute Association.

The novelty brought by the KEN Academy is the applied component of the program - visiting some companies - designed to help children understand business concepts, but also the production process. Also, on these occasions, small entrepreneurs have the opportunity to obtain approved information from managers, opinion leaders, successful people.

Through the KEN program, children build their own businesses within marketing events (including sales); thus, they come into direct contact with the market, get to know the customers personally and learn to work in a team.