I’ve been ramping up A.’s knowledge of business. So first we discussed what a business is and we worked together to find some examples.

Later that night we discussed what a business has:

Dan
So A., remember this morning we talked about what a business is?
A.
Yep!
Dan
Do you know we know someone who runs a gymnastics business.
A.
Wow, who?
Dan
Aunt Paula and uncle Bob. Do you know what they do?
A.
Oh yeah, they're gymnastics teachers!
Dan
That's right, and they have their own gym. And do you know who else has their own business?
A.
Who?
Dan
Uncle Ladd and aunt Rose.
A.
What do they do?
Dan
They take old furniture and replace the cloth on it and some of the pieces inside so it's new and nice.
A.
(Excited) I want to have a business like that!
Dan
Well, unfortunately it's a difficult business to be in, because people aren't doing that as much as they used to. They aren't having their furniture fixed very often.

A. looks dejected here.

Dan
But it could be a good hobby. You'd probably have a lot of fun.
A.
Yes!
Dan
And you know who else has a business?
A.
Who?
Dan
Papi Percy and Mami Lucy! (Her grandparents.) Do you know what they do?
A.
They build buildings! Mami has that business. (My wife.)
Dan
That's right. Mami was trained to do that. She doesn't do it right now.

I let A. think about all these things for a few minutes before I continue. It’s time to explain what a business has. Which will help differentiate it from other concepts like “a job”.

Dan
So A., what does a business have?
A.
(Thinks real hard.)
Dan
Like, what does a gardener have?
A.
Oh! Something to dig with!
Dan
Yes! A shovel.
A.
And flowers.
Dan
Yes, and what does a house-cleaning person need?
A.
Um, something to clean with.
Dan
Yes. Sometimes they go and just use the cleaning stuff that is already at the house, but sometimes they bring their own cleaning stuff.
What does a garbage company need?
A.
Um... Oh! A garbage truck!
Dan
Yep. That's almost all they need. They also need a place to keep their garbage truck. Maybe they own a place or maybe they pay someone to use their place to keep their garbage truck in.
So what does an architect need? What do Papi Percy and Mami Lucy need?
A.
Um... what's that stuff that holds bricks together?
Dan
Cement, yes they need cement.

(About this time, my wife Pati came in the kitchen.)

A.
And bricks! If the house is made of bricks.
Pati
Yep. And they also need a computer.
Dan
Yeah, to draw what they're going to build. They might draw the idea first on paper, but then they use a computer to make sure they know exactly how big everything has to be.

I let her think about that stuff for just a moment.

Dan
There's one thing that all businesses have to have.
A.
Money?
Dan
Actually yes, they all need that. And where do they get it?
A.
(Pause.)
Dan
Where does a gardener get money?
A.
From the people who live in the garden.
Dan
From the people who own the garden.
A.
That's what I said!
Dan
Ok, you're right. Yes, the people who own the garden pay the gardener to mow their lawn and plant their flowers. They're called the customers.
Who are the customers of a house-cleaning person?
A.
The people who live in the house.
Dan
That's right. Who are the customers of a gymnastics business? It's not the kids. It's the parents, right?
A.
(Nods.)
Dan
If a business doesn't have customers it is not a business.
A.
Who is the customer of the firetruck?
Dan
Firefighters are a different story. If they had customers, then only people who could afford firefighters would have their houses saved from fires. The same is true for policemen...

Then I started talking about government and didn’t come back to the topic of business.

Since I mentioned all these people, here you go:

If you’re interested in furniture upholstery in North Florida, take a look at Ladd Upholstery Designs.

If you’re interested in attending gymnastics classes in Greenville, South Carolina, look at PENultimate Gymnastics. Or if you’re interested in leotards, PENultimate Leotards is the place to go.

If you’re interested in architecture and construction in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, look up Percy Alvarez or contact me for more info.

Business for 6 Year Olds

Part 1 is about what a business is.

Part 2 is about what a business has.

Part 3 is about how businesses are not jobs.

Part 4 is about concrete examples.

Part 5 is about brand loyalty.