How Children become Online Entrepeneurs

Give the Kids Some Credit
In the GoldStarCafe social learning network, we've been carrying out research to see how children (11-14) naturally evolve into enterprise.

Kids in GoldStarCafe can earn Cafe Credits by making a contribution to the community – helping other kids, making useful posts in Forums, writing articles for Zines, doing research surveys or competitions and winning their Gem Awards.

They can then spend their credits on extra Home Pages, more Messenger buddies, Email background images, home page Codes and Smileys or for starting their own forum topics.

A little while ago, a few of the children asked if they could give credits to each other, and after some deliberation we granted their wish. Since then we've been watching a new economy evolve.

It Started with Charity
A few started begging credits from peers: "Please give me 5 credits so I can start my motorbikes forum". In fact they got to be a nuisance, clogging up the forums with their requests, so we had to ban begging.

Private Clubs
They progressed to offering services like "club membership" in exchange for credits: "Please join my motorbikes forum - only 5 credits.". This proved a popular strategy and we soon saw children sharing the cost of starting new forum topics with other kids who shared their interests.

Design Agencies
Each community member has a small icon avatar displayed by their names in the Who's on list. Many of them are delightful animations they make themselves. A few enterprising children started offering icon design services: "I'll make you a custom icon - choose from over 20 designs - only 5 credits."

Children offered to make banners and other graphics for other children's Home Pages. Emily is selling customized "name plates".

Online Marketplace
This embryonic economy, is now growing into an online marketplace where children are inventing ever more ingenious ways to trade credits for services, entertainment and information. Some are selling advertising space on their home pages, where other kids can promote their clubs.














Erin has a members-only Guinea Pig Club with her own currency exchange – 2 Credits are worth 500 Carrots!

Shareholdings
Aidan and Jason are shareholders in the Techie Club where in exchange for a monthly subscription of 9 credits, children can take part in forum-based classes designed to improve their computer skills. They've even invented their own awards scheme.

Mini-Enterprize
We're watching this development with great interest. It's adding a new dimension to GoldStarCafe as children apply their innovative ideas into mini-businesses and learn through experience, a range of business and life skills, including how to effectively package and market their services, how to set prices and how to assess and manage risk.

If you have an interest in how children become natural entrepreneurs, let me know and we'll keep you posted.