Little girls and the youngest ladies donning sashes and badges appear to have just as much business savvy as the entrepreneurial sharks on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
“There’s more to Girl Scout Cookies than what’s in the box,”
proclaims the Girl Scouts’ website.
Selling cookies teaches the young ladies five important
skills for running their own lives and future businesses. The five skills are
essential to leadership and general success, encouraging teamwork, critical
thinking, and expanding horizons.
1. Goal Setting
“My Girl Scout friends and I figured out real goals, like
how we want cookie buyers to feel when they buy a box. Or what good we can do
with the money we make. … It has made me realize how good it feels to work
really hard to reach a goal.”
Lessons:
Take time to review your marketing strategy. How do you want
potential clients and customers to feel about your product or service? How can
you achieve this? (Perhaps social media, logo redesign, targeting a
specific demographic, outside counsel.)
Pay it forward: Sponsor a local event, take on an intern, or
upgrade your technology.
Hard work is rewarding. You can do this.
2.
Decision Making
She says:
“I make my own decisions, like how many boxes I want to
sell, how to explain to people the good that comes from buying a box of cookies,
and how hard I’m working to make my goal. We all have to agree on what we’ll do
with the money, which means talking it out and being okay with sometimes not
getting my way. And I have to figure out how to solve problems, like what to do
when one of the girls is sick and can’t help out. … There’s no looking to Mom
or Dad for help.”
Lessons:
Be articulate about your goals. Don’t ask, don’t get.
Persistence and consistency aid in deciding the best course for reaching your
goals.
Leadership, teamwork, and delegation are vital;
brainstorming together is always a great option, and reinforcing decisions once
they are made is essential. We won’t always get our way in the work world, and
we can’t expect to be bailed out, either.
3. Money Management
She says:
“You have to watch not just the money coming in, but the
money you spend. … Now, I think twice before I buy something with my own
money—or at least come up with a better reason to ask Mom for more.”
Lessons:
Cash flow, credit, invoices, billing, estimated taxes: It
can be overwhelming. Setting aside time every week to review your accounts
takes some stress out of the whole thing. Should you run into a problem, it’s
best to find it when it’s small, rather than when it’s large.
Carefully consider your business purchases: Do you really
need another iPad?
Apply for grants — and put effort into it. What great things
will you do if awarded that contract? Sell yourself.
4. People Skills
She says:
“I can’t be shy. I have to speak up and look them in the eye
when I’m talking. And I have to be able to explain why I’m doing what I’m
doing.”
Lessons:
Confidence and articulation stand out. Businesses and
projects involve risks — but they are always learning opportunities and can
often yield contacts.
5. Business Ethics
She says:
“I see how important it is to keep your word all the time.
And why it’s important to build trust. If I don’t do something I say I will, it
ends up hurting not just me but the other girls, too.”
Lessons:
Yep, it's a big one.
People often call for more transparency and accountability
in government. Being able to trust colleagues and vendors is no less important;
business relationships are inextricably linked to character.
Character and reputation are two sides of the same coin.
Character is who you are; reputation is who others think you are. Character will guide your goals, and reputation will affect your business relationships.
This is where small businesses can thrive: pulling their
weight with coworkers and consumers, and establishing an excellent reputation.
Does your mission statement sounds like this? It is the foundation for each of the five skills that Girl Scouts learn and use
as they sell cookies.
I
will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Morethan 59 million American women were Girl Scouts,
and there are currently 3.2 million Girl Scouts.
Some things never go out of style. After all, who doesn’t
want to make the world a better place?
