October 24, 2001
Girl Scouts show off their business smarts
Young entrepreneurs explore world of starting own business
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
A new business got off the ground in Traverse City this weekend: The Experience: Books, Music, Cafe and Stuff.
If you missed it, don't feel bad - it was just a thoroughly planned dream. But its owners, five teenage girls, just might be back.
In fact, any of the 21 Girl Scouts attending the nine-day Business Smarts program may one day make their mark in the business world. Sponsored by the Fair Winds Girl Scout Council in Swartz Creek and held at the Timbers Ridge Girl Scout Camp in Traverse City, Business Smarts will instill in these girls the knowledge, attitude and skills required to create their own business.
Indeed, the team creating The Experience was ready to go by Saturday, having figured out site location, square footage requirements, start-up costs, inventory, marketing and employee policies. That afternoon, one team member was charged with finding appropriate rental space for their store via the Internet while the others set off for a guided tour of Horizon Books.
"I feel like we should really start it, we have all the details and are ready to open," said Courtney Knies of Jaspar, Ind., an eighth-grade student.
Humming with ideas and energy, these Girl Scouts from around the nation ranged in age from 13 to 18. For a week, these budding entrepreneurs spent their time grappling with concepts ranging from finance and marketing to sales and promotion, with a dose of employee management and investor recruitment thrown in.
Their end goal of Business Smarts students was a detailed business plan that mapped out the business of their dreams. The teams presented their finished business plans to the group Monday afternoon.
With no shortage of ambition and vision, attendees soaked up all they could in nine days to prepare for their future in the business world.
"This course has been really helpful because I want to major in international business and one day have my own pharmaceutical firm," said Joquese McGrew of Mobile, Ala., a high school senior. "I'm a diabetic and one day I want to be able to give back, to help other diabetics."
Split into teams shortly after their arrival, the girls were grouped by interest. Besides a bookstore, other teams were creating plans for an interior design business and an event planning business.
During the week, the girls toured local women-owned businesses in Traverse City, including Alfie Embroidery, The Bookie Joint, Horizon Books and Impres Salon. Seeing firsthand how a business runs helped them learn the basics of business and begin formulating their own business plan.
Three local businesswomen coached the girls Saturday afternoon: Joan Boyd, owner of Ace Hardware, Bonnie Alfonso, owner of Alfie Embroidery and Michelle Gaudreau, sales manager at Impres Salon. These women guided the teams through the checklist of how much space their business would need, how to rent, business hours, employee shifts and payroll.
The girls, in turn, peppered the businesswomen with questions about store layout, taxes, product delivery, insurance and teamwork.
The excitement was contagious and provided a fun afternoon for everyone.
"This was my first time coaching girls like this and it was so exciting to see the enthusiasm they bring," said Gaudreau. "I wish I had an opportunity like this at their age. I had a class like this in college, but it was my senior year.
Working with girls eager to make their mark in business was inspiring to these veteran businesswomen.
"I like the idea that you girls were thinking as big as you were," said Boyd, after coaching the four teams. "I wasn't thinking that way when I was a girl. Back then, there were three things a girl could do: be a schoolteacher, nurse or stewardess. These three things and be a mother."
"To break away from that mold is just so exciting to see. The world is so big for you guys."