JAN’S IDEAS

Choosing a business for children to start is relatively easy. Two things are important when choosing a business:

1. Knowing your child
2. Knowing children in general

The following should be considered when choosing a business:

• Can it eventually be resourced out or turned into a passive income stream?
• Is it flexible? Children need to be free to be kids.
• Will your child be interested?
• Can it bring in enough income at the beginning to make it worth your child’s time?
• Will there be opportunity to teach skills needed as an adult when in business?

For my girls, I have started a blog for them. Sadly I have not been able to follow through and help them with writing and posting. I will do this in the future.

Currently I have chosen a backyard nursery for the girls’ business. We have plants reproducing in yard on their own. There is little initial investment needed to begin. We can use recycled items as planters to raise the plants. Some soil will need to be purchased due to the poor quality of what is in the yard.

They can sell the plants at farmer’s markets when they have time. We will split profits 3 ways since I provide the land and water and some time. I don’t need their few dollars, but I do need them to know how to be fair in business.

Each plant will have a short printed out instruction sheet. It will have a companion site that gives further details on planting, growing, and uses of the plant.

Right now it’s too hot here in AZ to do much more than make plans and water the plants that are reproducing on their own. I tried to plant a few Mesquite trees and they heat was too much for them even in shade and with adequate water.

I have my list of seasonal jobs. I choose these because I can be employed anywhere in the US. So if I can get the funds together to travel to and temporarily house myself, I can support myself while I’m there.

Three seasonal jobs:

1. H & R block-spring
2. Boy Scout Summer Camp-summer
3. Wal-Mart-winter

As I continue to work on my internet projects, I will develop the skills and get the education I need for those three jobs over the next 3 years. The seasonal jobs will allow me blocks of time to insert “mini retirement” (from The 4 Day Work Week) time. I can travel in-between seasonal jobs or travel and work the seasonal job in the location of my choice. While traveling I will be writing and taking photos so it will be a business deduction.

To be able to apply out of state I will have to have an exceptional job history w/each company and great references from them. I shouldn’t have any problem in that area.

My other 3 days goals update:

Office organizing-got 1/2 the box done

Identify 3 plants to raise (project for daughters to be partnered with)

1. Bamboo
2. Mesquite
3. Aloe Vera

I haven’t set any new goals yet. I am working on a time line to get my finances in order and prepare to work seasonally for wages. I don’t want to wait till I’m too old to enjoy retirement. By the time I’m 55 years old (8 years away) I want to be free to travel and choose if and when I work and where I work………be financially free.

I have discovered that focusing on three things is very effective for me. A 3 days focus on 3 goal works great for me.

My office organizing is more involved than I thought. I will break it down in individual tasks. It will be one of my 3 goals till it’s done. After that I will have 1-2x per month I maintain the order. It has been great to find lost and forgotten resources.

I successfully completed the last 3 goals. My goals right now are mainly around identifying and inventorying what I have (resources, skills, and projects).

I made two additional lists:

Top 3 time wasters

1. Researching (I often continue to research long after I have sufficient information)
2. Checking email
3. Deleting spam

Top 3 income earning projects
I have all supplies to complete the following

1. Flower arrangements
2. Wall hanging
3. Framed photos

3 goals for 3 days

1. Office organizing-sort through one box of paperwork/resources/memorabilia
2. Identify 3 plants to raise (entrepreneur project for my daughters)
3. Identify three seasonal jobs for three different seasons that I would enjoy

The benefits of seasonal jobs:

• Gives boost to income
• Provides free time in between to work on passive income and self-employment
• May allow for travel
• Allow for part-time retirement sooner
• Flexibility
• May provide room and board

The temperatures have risen again and my motivation has dropped! We have rain so there is no “dry heat” right now. It’s humid and in the triple digits!