One day I was on youtube looking at DIY videos and I saw this really cool one called, “5 amazing things you can make out of cardboard.” It showed the exact directions to make a basketball game with a slingshot. I asked my mom if I could get all the things needed and she said yes. So we got a glue gun, pen knife, cardboard and some cups. Then we started to build. It took about a month of hard work but finally we were finished.
I realized something. I could make those games for the TREP$ Marketplace. I thought it should look cool so we went to the store and bought spray paint. I then realized I didn’t need to make just the basketball games but I could make other things out of cardboard too. I went back online and found out how to make a picture frame. I made one and it looked perfect. That went on and on until I had basketball games, picture frames, picture frames with sports cards, foosball tables, marble mazes, a checkers board and a desk shelf. I needed a name for my business and I thought I would call myself the “C.C.C.” for “Chase’s Cardboard Creations.” I decided that since I had 3 basketball games I would sell one of them differently. I would call it “Chase’s Shootout” and you could pay one dollar for 8 shots at the basketball game and the highest score at the end of the day would get to keep it. At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to make everything in time, but after 5 months of hard work I finally finished.
The Marketplace
I was in the car looking at all my products with worry. What if they don’t sell?, I thought. Then, we were there. I remember being the first one there and setting up in an empty room. The others entrepreneurs started to come in later. What if I make the least amount and no one wants to buy it?, I thought in worry. Finally, the consumers started to come in.
Quickly, I had a line. Almost everyone that came wanted to try the shootout. My friend Brian was in first with 70 points. Then a fourth grader named JJ went and got 110 points. No one could beat him. These little kids came over and tried it. They did not do very well but they really wanted one. Their dad gave them each $20 and they decided that they would both put in $10 to get one. The picture frames were very slowly going. Next, both my marble mazes were gone. A fourth grader bought a foosball table and 5 minutes after another one sold. A dad came over and bought the last basketball game and said it was for his kids’ birthday. Everything was gone except for some picture frames, the desk shelf, and the checkers table. The shootout must have already made $40. JJ was still in the lead and he was watching everyone go to make sure no one beat him. The desk shelf sold. Then the checkers table sold. Then it ended all that I was left with was 2 picture frames. I counted my money and I had $213. Since I used all recycled cardboard I only had $20 of expenses. I gave it to my mom and I had $193. It was a fun experience to learn about starting and running a business.
Note: Chase participated in the TREP$ entrepreneurship education program as after-school enrichment, right at school. This extracurricular activity is a PBL (project based learning) experience that helps kids gain an entrepreneurial mindset, financial literacy and life skills to prepare them for and improve their futures.
