kids
ISSUE 15 TERM 4 2023
technology 4 learning
Love dogs? Start a dog-walking business!
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tech tools to power up your business
Build your own business Meet the Bangadirra Barbers
Create a budget
Understand your customer
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Linda Lazenby EDITOR
Yvette Poshoglian CONTRIBUTORS
Sandy Phillips
e r e h t y e H T4L Kids!
DESIGNER
Anh Ha T4L Kids is created on Gadigal Land. For more information, visit T4L.link/T4Lkids Thanks to Ivy from Hornsby North Public School, and her pup Paddington, for being our cover stars in this issue.
Have you ever had a GENIUS business idea? Maybe you’re planning to build a cupcake empire. Maybe you want to prototype a dog-walking app in your neighbourhood. Perhaps you want to be a game designer and use all your skills to create something incredible! This magazine will help guide you to setting up your business and grow your entrepreneurial skills using tech. Don’t forget to send us your brilliant ideas and business plans! Linda Lazenby Director, Digital Teaching and Learning
Great T4L resources for your business idea... There are loads of great ideas in these editions of T4L Kids to help you get started.
Psst... teachers! Looking for a headstart on some lesson plans and tech tools covered in this magazine? Check out our comprehensive teachers’ notes that are linked to the curriculum for ideas. 2
Build your business! Research and plan
Get your idea off the page and into the real world with the plan below. Use this design thinking model to research, plan and build your business. Working with a group means more ideas! Design thinking is something that many businesses use to develop their strategies.
Research your business – what do you want to achieve? Who is on your team – are you working with a partner, group or class? The government has made a handy guide to help you set up a business!
Identify and define what makes your product or service special Identify what your goal is – what are you going to create and build? Define the steps and jobs everyone needs to complete to reach your team goal.
Test and evaluate with others Share your business plans, ideas and designs with your class or other groups. If you’ve come up with similar ideas — think about what could set yours apart. Try different tech tools – what works best to help launch your business?
Produce and implement Write, design, record and create your business plan and set it up. Share and publish your creations.
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Meet 4 kidpreneurs we love! When she was 12 years old, Andrea Fysentzou started Andy Candle Co to save up for a new computer. Her business has made over $20,000 so far!
These ‘kidpreneurs’ (kid entrepreneurs) have set up fantastic Aussie businesses. Follow the links and read their stories for inspiration.
Angus Copelin-Waters created Croc Candy as a fundraiser to help others in need. So far he’s made $50,000 and donated most of it to a dyslexia charity.
Visit Andy Candle Co here! Photo credit: Andy Candle Co.
Check Croc Candy out here!
Photo credit: Croc Candy
D’Shontea Devow started her own business Téa and Belle when she was just 11. Téa is a First Nations entrepreneur and her businesses, which have included hair products, are founded on reconciliation. Visit Téa and Belle here!
NSW student Abbie started her own media company Her Way in primary school after getting frustrated with media coverage of women’s sport. Her Way now covers women’s sport, sells its own branded merchandise and even supports charities. Abbie also made her own sports magazine with some of the proceeds going to UNICEF to raise support for women’s cricket in Sri Lanka. Check out her website here.
Photo credit: TeaDevow.com
Canva genius! Aussie billionaire and entrepreneur Melanie Perkins was only 19 when she started tech company Canva. Canva is now valued in the billions and came out of a great idea to help her schoolteacher mum create an end of year schoolbook. She is now a CEO, coowner and billionaire of the tech company.
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Photo credit: Canva
TEACHERS – listen along with your students to our T4L interview with Canva’s vice president, Cameron Adams.
Glossary — get to know your business terms! Business plan An outline of your business idea, including financial information to support your plan. Entrepreneur A person who starts a business and is willing to take a risk.
Revenue The amount of money you make from your business – after you remove all the set-up costs. Target audience This is the audience or group of people you are targeting for your business.
Kidpreneur A young person who starts a business and is willing to take a risk. Profit and Loss The money you make or lose in your business. Side hustle A job you do on the side — i.e. outside of school hours. Branding/Marketing The way you spread your message or advertise your product or service.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) The unique aspect of your product or service or ‘the x factor’ that makes it stand out from the pack. Financial literacy Skills you need to have in order to organise your own money or your own business. Product or service Your business will either provide a product or a service that you can charge people money for.
Create a business for good! Social entrepreneurs set up their businesses to give back to the community. Would you consider the following? Donating some or all of your profits to a charity or a special cause. Sponsoring an event or getting involved in the community.
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great tech tools for starting a business
Prototyping tools Adobe XD Take your idea for an app to the next level using Adobe XD. This tool is especially for prototyping and will help you lay out your ideas for your business and get you thinking about user experience. Watch this webinar here.
Marketing tools Produce a podcast using WeVideo Podcasting can help bring listeners to your business. You can also talk about ideas connected to your business. Take a listen to Berry PS’s student podcast for some great ideas.
Keynote Another great tool for prototyping, lay out your designs for your app using Keynote and explore how features of your app will work. A great visual tool.
Build your own website for your business and plan out the user experience. Consider adding contact details, information on your product or service or even offering bookings and a shopping cart.
Create marketing material with Canva
Minecraft Education
Create your logo for business cards, GIFS, flyers and posters using this Canva template.
Why not design your bricks and mortar store or business in Minecraft? Work out your store’s footprint, design different work areas.
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Build a website with Google Sites
Photo credit: Minecraft Education
e g d e g n i t t Cu business! Condobolin High School’s Bangadirra Barbers recently met Granville High’s Barber Shop to collaborate on hair projects, exploring cuts like the mullet and the fade. The two school groups shared ideas with each other, as well as exploring what techniques they use. A trained barber was on site at Condobolin High School to talk students through the basics of being a barber. Don’t try this at home! Always ask a family member or a teacher before you attempt to cut any hair! Find out more about the Bangadirra Barbers from Condo High here or the Barber Shop at Granville High here.
Could you start a barber shop at your school? Who would you learn from?
What equipment would you need?
How much would you charge per haircut? Where would you have your barbershop? How would you promote your business?
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Challenge 1
Create your business
See Steps 1-3 of our design thinking model
: K9 Walkies cenario: ps the startu
start a dog mes want to Ja d n a i n a R are going which they , ss e n si u b w walking d to plan ho s. They nee ie lk a W 9 K t to call cluding wha ill work — in w ss e n si u a b , wh t the eir business th p u t se to they need a, and then is in the are n o ti ti e p m local co unch. efore they la b t e g d u b a build
1
Research your idea
What is your business idea? Is your goal to make money for yourself, for an organisation or charity, or to grow awareness of an issue? Are there other businesses in your local area that are the same? What could your point of difference be? What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition?)
K9 Walkies: The team decides to build a website to manage their bookings. They then decide to prototype a mobile app as their customers will mostly book through their phones. Prototyping the app will help them understand the customer journey.
Choose a business name that represents you. Try jamming together on a Jamboard! Whiteboards are also a great way to brainstorm.
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2
Delve into the data
What research have you done on the type of business you want to start? Can you do any research on existing similar businesses?
K9 Walkies: The team have researched how much other dog walkers charge in their area as well as how their customers book in. They are going to base their pricing on the market value and see how they can create a great experience for customers to book in.
Create a spreadsheet using Excel, Numbers or Sheets to collate your data – do the numbers work? How much money will you need to make in order to cover your business costs? Do some market research – set a quiz or create a form and ask people if they would use your services, or develop your business further.
3 Build a budget How much money will you need to start up your business (start-up costs)? Once you spend that initial money, how long until you will start making a profit? i.e how many units do you need to sell or services do you need to provide before you make a profit?
K9 Walkies: Rani and James are expanding their business — they need to buy more leads, and they also want to prototype an app — which will cost money each month to run the platform. They also have mobile phone costs to pay. Rani and James also need to work out how many dog walks they will need to do before they start making money.
In a spreadsheet, create a column of all your costs involved in starting out the business — e.g. do you need to spend money on a square, set up a business or charity. Plan how much business you will need to start making money.
Prototype your 4 product or service If you are planning to build an app for your business, prototype out what the user experience will be for your customer. Remember, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to book or buy your product or service.
K9 Walkies: Rani and James want to make their app as easy to use as possible, so that their customers book their dog walks. The easier it is for their customer to book, the more their business will grow and the more income they will generate. When prototyping their app, it should be obvious how to book and pay. This could involve a form or a shopping cart.
Adobe XD is a great way to layout your prototype. Try the T4L Kids App Design and Prototyping editions!
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Challenge 2
See Step 4 of our design thinking model
Take the next step with your business ting The marke
scenario
ood know e neighbourh th t le to e lready It’s tim and James a i n a R ! s ie lk a ess — about K9 W r their busin fo e m a n y h have a catc , and plan a reate a logo c to d e e n y rd and now the read the wo sp to y g te ra marketing st omers! get new cust
1 Design your logo This is the time to look at your business name again and see if it matches who you are and what your business is offering.
2 Go online Do you need a website or an app, or is your business more ‘bricks and mortar’ — i.e. a real shop or stand like a sausage sizzle? What information will you need to have on your website? Most websites include an Acknowledgement of Country, paying respect to First Nations owners — where will you add yours? For more ideas, check out T4L Kids Connecting with community. Consider what the user’s experience is — can they find enough information and how can you convert their interest into a sale? Do you need a booking system or a shopping cart?
Use your logo on all kinds of materials — your website, your app, flyers and business cards. Build a Google Site.
You can design a logo so that people immediately know your business from its name, colour combinations and images. Coca Cola has its dynamic ribbon. It also owns this iconic image of Santa! Nike has its swoosh, which was trademarked in 1971.
Try website design in Canva.
Make a GIF for social media in Canva. Create or animate a presentation in Slides or Keynote.
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Artwork created by Suzanna, a student from Boggabilla Central School on Gamilaraay Country.
3 Build an app A mobile app is worth prototyping if you’re going online with your business or campaign. Consider the user experience just like you would on other apps you use online — is it easy or difficult for your customers to use? Are you missing any key information like costs, contact details, testimonials and others?
Read this issue of T4L Kids. Watch this webinar on app prototyping with Adobe XD.
Advertise your 5 product or service
4 Create a podcast Some businesses even have short interviews or videos to further explain their ideas. Sometimes a customer needs to experience a finished product or get a better understanding of what you are offering.
Use GarageBand to enhance your podcast with theme music and sound effects. Explore the Student Podcaster modules to get ideas.
Choose bright colours and consider fonts and images that relate to your business when designing your logo. What is your strategy to build awareness of your business? Who is your audience and how will you reach them? Do you need to create online ads or a social media campaign? Can you create flyers and put them up on a school or community noticeboard?
Create a logo in Canva or Keynote. Read T4L Kids.
Want to hear from a legendary social entrepreneur? Listen to our T4L interview with superstar STEM hero Corey Tutt. Corey’s story will take you through how he wants to change the STEM world in regional and remote Australia!
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Meet Pat Naoum! Pat is a game developer who has just launched his game about artist Claude Monet, The Master’s Pupil. This new Aussie game is a handdrawn puzzle-adventure game where you explore the eyes and life of master artist Claude Monet. The goal is to complete puzzles based upon physics, space, and colour and to assist one of the fathers of Impressionism as he perseveres through personal hardship, loss, and health difficulties. PN: It took a lot of trial and error to get the best method down. It started with building the game’s pieces in the Unity game engine. I’d then take screenshots of all the shapes, lay them out on Photoshop, print out a set on an A4 page, then I’d carefully paint over the shapes. I then used a film negative scanner to capture
T4L: The Master’s Pupil took seven years to hand draw. How did you turn it into a game? How did you get the artwork online?
the paintings in very high resolution. Took a long time, but it was the best way to get that wonderful painterly texture!
PN: T4L:
Way too many to list here, both big and small! But the main ones were learning to code and use Unity. But specifically for a solo game developer as a business, I had to learn how to use my time efficiently and not get too overwhelmed and burnt out.
What skills did you have to learn along the way to set up your business?
T4L:
PN: What advice do you have for budding game designers?
Try and enjoy the work. If you’re making a game just so you can play it at the end, you’re going to have a bad time. I can’t have the same experience as a new player, as I already know everything about the game! But as a game developer, you get to be the one to make and craft your idea. Game development takes a long time, it’s full of hard concepts to learn, and problems to solve, but it’s fun. It’s fun hard work!
PN:
T4L: Are there any pieces of tech you can’t live without?
his t t l i u “I b or me.” game f
The internet! I couldn’t count how many times I had a problem and the internet saved me! Finding the right article, or a tutorial, or a forum where someone else had the exact same problem. Sometimes solving a problem just comes down to how well you can search your problem. It’s the main skill of a good game developer.
Find Pat’s game at www.themasterspupil.com. Play on Steam (Windows and Mac), Nintendo Switch