by Kidpreneurs 02 Oct 2020

Kidpreneurs have the opportunity to gain incredible life skills through planning, launching, and growing their own business. Research proves that children introduced to concepts like entrepreneurship and financial literacy can be more confident and responsible as adults. Also, Kidpreneurs can strengthen their relationship skills and see their business as a means to express their creative ideas. This helps to build a more well-rounded kid and, in turn, a more well-rounded adult.

The more hands-on experiences kids have with different people, cultures, ideals, and beliefs, the more perspective they gain. This is important, because it teaches kids that there’s more than one solution to problems. It exposes them to new idea and reminds them that being open-minded will allow them to better serve their customers.

What is Diversity?

Diversity is the idea that every individual – regardless of culture, background, or beliefs – has something to offer this world. It promotes the idea that we should respect these unique differences and find ways to value them. Similarly, inclusion is an important concept. From a business standpoint, it reminds us to include these diverse aspects in our business plans, marketing, and product offerings.

Katy Alexander, founder of game and books company The Remarkablz, comments:

“For me, children’s products are at their best when they’re appealing to a broader group of backgrounds. Depending on the nature of the product, the incremental design effort required to make a product more accessible to a wider range of potential customers should mean that the wider appeal can generate broader commercial prospects.”

For example, we’ve tailored our marketing, books, and online courses to ensure they include kids from different cultures. As a result, we’ve received great feedback from parents that tell us their kids were so happy to see a child who “looks like them.” In addition, we have success stories from Kidpreneurs from every corner of the globe! Showcasing diversity is the right thing to do and helps ensure every Kidpreneur family feels valued for their unique skills, gifts, and experiences!

Another example can be found in the toy and doll industry. This sector has been focusing its efforts on creating dolls and figures that accurately represent the wide spectrum of gender and racial diversity.

So, how can you introduce your amazing Kidpreneurs to these concepts and help them weave diversity and inclusion into their business?

Encourage Curiosity

As Dr. Powers mentioned, curiosity is vital to humans and comes quite naturally to kids. Encourage them to be curious about different cultures, peoples, concepts, works of art, and ways to approach problems. Ask open-ended questions about what learning about those diverse perspectives sparks in their minds. Do they want to learn and explore more? Did they learn something new? How could they apply what they learned to life and to their business to better serve others?

If your child asks questions that you don’t know the answers to, enjoy finding the answer together. You can then brainstorm together about how they may apply that new knowledge to their business model, if applicable.

Expose Kids to Diverse Art Mediums

One useful way to learn about other cultures and beliefs is to explore different cultural art mediums. Art is a powerful way in which people share their stories and collective cultural experiences. Some examples of art forms include music, dance, photography, fashion, poetry, writing, film, and visual arts. Kids are generally drawn to the arts and can form their own ideas while gaining valuable insight into other cultures and ideas.

Take your child to a museum, a performance, or to see a film. See which component of that art they are most drawn to. Then, engage them in conversations around why they appreciate that art. What do they think the artist is trying to convey? Another wonderful method is to read books or stories together and ask how they think the author felt when they wrote the book. What are the main themes and conflicts? How did the main characters overcame that conflict? These types of questions allow kids to strengthen their critical thinking ability and practice compassion and empathy.

Practice and Teach Self-Reflection

A helpful exercise for kids and adults is to consider the ways in which they themselves are unique and diverse. Ask them about a time in which they felt “different” and how they handled it. What made them feel excluded or included in that situation? How can they use that experience to better themselves as well as to treat others with more respect? Kids may surprise you with their answers and with their understanding of being a good citizen in the world!

Get Feedback From Your Child’s Customers

The power of direct feedback from your child’s customers should not be underestimated. Asking your customers about their experience with your products helps them feel more valued. And it can provide your child with priceless information about how to improve upon that customer experience. Additionally, this is a way to increase customer loyalty and trust. Customers are almost always willing to provide input on what they love about products and services and what may make them even better.

For example, when we began to have many customers request various translations of our books, we took their feedback into account and implemented that feedback. This has allowed parents and kids around the world to feel more included, empowered, and represented – and able to easily comprehend our products.

There are several free online survey tools your child can use to create customer feedback forms. Additionally, periodically asking your customers for their feedback through social media can often garner the same helpful results.

While you aren’t expected to implement every idea a customer has, identifying common themes is a great way begin improving your products and services.

Ensuring your child’s business doesn’t lose sight of its global base of diverse customers can make a huge difference to its success. But it will also give your child the benefit of helping them feel good about themselves, their communities, and others outside of it. Kidpreneurs who embrace diversity embrace the beautiful multifaceted nature of life!