WITH a keen eye for fashion and detail, Parkerville tween Sienna Tamati is getting an early start in the world of finance, launching her first business in her final year of primary school.
The 12-year-old up-and-coming entrepreneur started Lulu Belle’s Vintage and Retro Collectables after participating in the Money School’s Maker Kid Club program, which provides financial education to young people and helps them start a business from scratch.
“Because I was so young I knew that I wasn’t able to work in a normal job after school and I wanted money to buy things like a new iPhone,” she said.
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READ NOW“With the help of my mum and a friend who is also well known in this industry, I was able to source quality wares and set up market stalls in Guildford.
“I’ve learnt a lot about money. I know not to spend it all at once but that you need to reinvest and buy items to on-sell.
“My future aspirations are to do more markets and be known for selling vintage wares and collectibles.”
Maker Kids Club founder Lacey Filipich said the program facilitated entrepreneurialism in children of all ages, teaching them business frameworks and giving them a space to exercise their newfound skills.
“How to prepare kids today for the jobs of the future may seem a formidable task for parents and teachers, and for most the tools to do so remain unclear,” she said.
“The Maker Kids Club program was designed in response to this very gap between traditional and financial education, which has only widened as entrepreneurialism becomes increasingly important for today’s youths.
“More and more we’re seeing the success stories of teen self-starters, twenty-something moguls and the youngest CEOs, board members and millionaires to date.”
Ms Filipich said the earlier children were taught how to manage their money, the better.
“Supporting kids with an entrepreneurial spirit is especially important,” she said.
“By facilitating financial education and the creation of a sustainable, small business for kids and their parents, we are hoping to produce a whole new batch of kidpreneurs, well on the way to taking on the uncharted jobs of the future.”
The three-month Maker Kid Club program opens again on June 6. Once a week, for 14 weeks, children and their parents will receive worksheets, videos and more, to take them through the ins and outs of financial management and business ownership.
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