ki d
en·tre·pre·neur änn-trə-p(r)ə-'nər\noun
1. One who manages and assumes the risks of a business 2. Enabling the next generation of business owners
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By Jill Abrahamsen ost parents can’t even get their kids to clean their
rooms, much less get a job. So when you hear about an 11-yearold entrepreneur, it seems impossible right? Not in the case of Kaelan Fisher. The now-14-year-old rose to the occasion and became a self-proclaimed “kid-trepreneur” at the age of 11. Kaelan was looking for ways to earn extra money. His father, Bradd, an entrepreneur himself, saw an opportunity to connect with his son. “I feel strongly that kids should be able to take on responsibility by doing simple jobs,” Bradd says. “Having them feel accomplished is extremely important.” They decided on a simple service: “The Pooper Picker Upper Kids.” As the name suggests, they come to a customer’s house, clean and remove dog droppings. Older sister Taytum (16) soon came on board to help organize the business. The siblings worked with app developers to streamline billing and scheduling. “Everything is done through an app. Customers are notified before the job begins and when it’s complete. Billing and scheduling are automated,” says Bradd. With success and a proven system in place, the Fisher family plans to offer very low-cost franchise opportunities. “The
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all-in cost is under $1,000, so “kid-trepreneurs” can quickly pay back the money with earnings,” says Bradd. Under their father’s guidance, Taytum and Kaelan worked with designers and programmers to create training videos and manuals—for both parents and kids. Although the concept is for the kids to run the business, technically, franchisee parents become sole proprietors and their children work the business as “employees.” “Kids can make around $700 a month, depending on the amount of time they put in,” says Bradd. As a true “kid-trepreneur,” Kaelan is glad for the experience. “It was really cool learning how to run a business. Picking up poop wasn’t as embarrassing as I thought it would be,” he says. Taytum just graduated high school and is going to focus on franchise training and development full time. “I’m so excited for the future of this business,” she says. For more information, visit www.pooperpickerupperkids.com
