10 Dec

Empower Kids to Make a Difference!

Posted by Carolyn Enenstein in awards, fundraiser, giving, holiday season, oppenheim, parents' choice, santa choice, toys

Empower your kids to make a difference for a cause they love. Instilling the value of helping those in need is very magical. Kids and teens can help others in so many ways, such as donating outgrown belongings, rolling up their sleeves in the community and holding a fundraiser.

A kid-run fundraiser feels great for everyone involved- including kids managing a charity sale, customers making purchases, parents instilling the skills of philanthropy and beneficiaries feeling blessed. Holding a time-honored Charity Bake Sale truly brings magic to the season of giving.

Bizainy’s Charity Bake Sale Kit helps kids and teens realize that their actions are significant – and that they can have a huge impact. By spreading joy, raising awareness and making lives brighter, kids just might influence others to take action, too.

EMPOWER KIDS TO HELP OTHERS WITH BIZAINY CHARITY BAKE SALE KIT!

Including the essentials to hold a charity bake sale for your cause:

printed banner and spinner sign
cause sheets to customize with information
donation tracking pad
“I Donated” stickers
decorate-your-own money box
“Donations” sticker to adhere to a jar for collections
24 Page Planner Book with recipes, how to select your cause, plan a sale, marketing plan, budget, and suggestions for meeting with your beneficiaries to present funds raised.
Ages 5 to 105

BUY IT NOW

CHARITY BAKE SALE WINS A SANTA CHOICE AWARD!

Mrs. Claus herself says “I've seen it all over the years, but I've never seen anything like this Bake Sale Kit.I want every child to get one for Christmas!”

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner
Parents’ Choice Recommended
Creative Child 2014 TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD winner

This holiday season give your posterity the gift of making a difference for others through meaningful, time-honored family fun. And please share your charity bake sale stories and photos with us.

11 Jul

Bizainy Lemonade Stand, Charity Bake Sale & Babysitting Activity Kits Receive Awards in Time for Summer Fun!

Posted by Carolyn Enenstein in awards, oppenheim, parents' choice, toys

Bizainy™ Lemonade Stand, Charity Bake Sale & Babysitting Activity Kits Receive Awards In Time for Summer Fun!

We are excited to share that our new Bizainy™ Lemonade Stand, Charity Bake Sale and Babysitting Activity Kits have received awards from organizations that recognize the very best in children's products.

Charity Bake Sale Activity Kit won the Gold Seal Award from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, which states: "If you have a child that wants to run a bake sale as a charity event, take a look at this kit that really lays out the process."

All three kits received Parents' Choice Recommendations, which praised Lemonade Stand Activity Kit as "...well organized... fresh and appealing." Parents' Choice reviewers said, "As a mom to four caring, creative, entrepreneurial children the Bizainy Charity Bake Sale Kit is a welcome vehicle to channel all their ingenuity..." and "...Babysitting Start-Up Kit offers a great deal of helpful information on the service and business of babysitting."

We are proud that such esteemed award panelists of educators, parents, experts and kids themselves value the timeless, unplugged family fun that Bizainy Activity Kits provide. Bizainy strives to empower kids through active dialogue about business, money management and helping others. And we hope to help families experience first-hand that giving of yourself feels great for everyone involved!

There is no time like the present to inspire children by holding a time-honored lemonade stand, charity bake sale or by babysitting, all of which are easier than ever with our new Bizainy Activity Kits. The kits include whimsical and practical hands-on essentials such as: a printed banner and signs with design-your-own reverse side, decorate-your-own money box, sales pad, business cards, stickers, postcards - plus a book including kids' recipes, marketing plan, budget, and much more. Bizainy Activity Kits encourage creativity, entrepreneurship and fun -contained in eye-catching kits perfect for birthdays, gift giving and family bonding.

Lemonade Stand

When life gives you a sunny day, open up a lemonade stand and have fun! Kit includes: "Fresh and Delicious Lemonade" printed banner and sign, decorate-your-own money box, sales pad, decorate-your-own-price sign, a 20-page activity book with kid's budget, sale tips and more! (Ages 5-105, adult supervision required)

Charity Bake Sale

Raise funds with a bake sale and make a difference for your cause. Kit includes: "Sweets for a Sweet Cause" printed banner and sign, decorate-your-own money box; fill-in-your cause and price signs; donor stickers; sales pad; and a 24-page book with recipes, how to pick your cause and more! (Ages 5-105, adult supervision required)

Babysitting Start-Up

Whether you are ready to babysit or like to pretend, have a blast caring for kids. Kit includes: customizable business cards; client contact book; tote bag; parent instruction pad; kid postcards and stickers; and a 20-page book with business strategies, rate negotiating tips, client management and more! (Ages 10-110, adult supervision required)

Bizainy Activity Kits inspire creativity; encourage quality family time; and provide opportunities for community interaction - all while building business life skills to help kids thrive!

24 Apr

Tips for Family Financial Fun

Posted by Carolyn Enenstein

Tips for Helping Children Develop Healthy Financial Habits

In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, here are some everyday activities that can help your kids (toddler through teen) develop healthy financial habits.

1. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE- Find time to pay the bills, balance accounts and make household purchases when the kids are nearby, to help them realize that money management tasks are a necessary part of everyone's lives.

2. GO TO THE MOVIES- Enjoy a day at the movies (or sporting or live event) and highlight the price for the same snacks and beverages purchased from the concession stand versus alternative options. Empower kids with the knowledge that they can manage their spending by choosing where and when to make purchases.

3. SIGN THE RESTAURANT TAB- When out enjoying a family meal, let your children take ownership of the bill. They can review the tab to ensure the charged items are correct, review the sales tax and calculate the TIP. Start a conversation about sales tax and the importance of hard work.

4. PLAN AN OUTING- For your next family outing or vacation, have your kids research hotels, flights, attraction ticket prices and more. Hopefully, they will become cost-conscious, identify savings opportunities, and appreciate your travels all the more.

5. OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT- Help your child open and manage a bank account. Inquire in advance about special children's giveaways/bank kits to applaud your child for taking an important financial step. (Be sure to select an account with an age-appropriate balance minimum and interest rate.)

6. GO SHOPPING- Take your kids to the store with a shopping list and help them shop within a specific budget. Favorite trips include grocery store, back-to-school shopping and holiday gift-giving. Help your children appreciate the difference between wants and needs, brand names versus private label, and that how we spend our money is a personal choice!

7. TV TIME- Enjoy the many entertaining TV programs that highlight the cost of goods, savvy shopping, how to run a business and more.

8. TAKE A TRIP TO THE STORE- Take a percentage of your child's earnings to the store so they can reward themselves for their hard work. In our world of credit, let your kids complete their entire transaction with their own coins and bills.

9. WORK FOR IT- Create self-reliant kids and teens by letting them work to earn that toy or gadget they really want. Kids can present why they should get the item and jobs they will complete to help pay for it. Consider matching their earnings to reinforce their work effort. They will likely appreciate the item more if they work for it, too.

10. PLAY STOCK EXCHANGE ONLINE GAMES- Simulated stock exchange games provide a risk-free way to understand the risks and rewards of the stock market.

11. PURCHASE ONE SHARE- Purchasing and following even a single share of a stock provides a personalized and exciting investing experience.

12. BUILD APPRECIATION- Instill appreciation for your good fortunes by supporting those in need. Help your children donate gently used items or hold a charity bake sale or lemonade stand to raise funds for a cause that is meaningful to them.

Bizainy Activity Kits

Bizainy Activity Kits make time-honored activities like babysitting, holding a charity bake sale and lemonade stand easier than ever with hands-on fun essentials that provide a crucial foundation all kids need. Bizainy Activity Kits can be purchased at www.bizainy.com and www.amazon.com.

The Lemonade Stand Activity Kit is perfect. It is an amazing way to help your child learn business sense and use their math while tuning into something almost all little kids want, a Lemonade Stand. The Bizainy Activity Kits make awesome birthday presents.

- MomMomOnTheGo.com

Bizainy provides really cool educational toys so kids can gain financial literacy. I would have purchased the book in the kit on its own, and it has such great advice about how to actually budget your money, not just sell. Building these notions through fun is a great learning tool.

- MommasBacon.com

The Lemonade Stand kit is SO full of activities and ideas, and it kept my children happy and busy for literallyHOURS! I love toys that are not only fun, but educational as well!

- SheSaved.com

04 Feb

Managing A Budget: Back-To-School Style

Posted by Carolyn Enenstein

We're back with ways to incorporate Bizainy Business into your summer fun. School is just around the corner, and involving your kids and teens in Back-To-School shopping is a great way to share time while building responsible budgeting habits and an appreciation for the value of a dollar. (See our recent Bizainy Summer Fun postings: Savvy Shopping Steps and Lemonade Stand Inspiration)

Back-To-School Savings

From a 64 pack of crayons to cool new kicks to the latest backpack to the perfect hoodie... did you know that combined Back-To-School and College spending will reach $83.8 billion, serving as the second biggest consumer spending event for retailers behind the winter holidays?1 With over 28,128 available family clothing stores, 25,448 shoe stores and 8,144 office supply and stationery stores, the Back-To-School Savings options and spending can seem overwhelming.2 The average American family spends upwards of $688.62 per child on Back-To-School products.1 You can use Back-To-School as an opportunity to spark a discussion with your kids and teens about appreciating how much items cost and managing their spending with a budget.

Enable Your Kids To Manage Their Back To School Shopping- While it can be so easy for us to make all of the Back-To-School purchases online while the kids are at bay, (done!) involve your kids of all ages in the shopping process so they feel empowered for a future of responsible spending. Start building money management skills today!
Planned Purchases Versus Impulse Buys- Help your children appreciate that not every child has the privilege of returning to school with a new backpack, shoes and clothes for the first day of school. If your backpack is in good condition and your sneakers still fit, could you spiffy them up and continue to use them rather than buying new ones this school year? Beyond your list of required school supplies to purchase for school, plan what you really need to buy (planned purchases) versus what you might consider purchasing on the fly (impulse buys). Those sushi-shaped erasers at the check-out register sure are adorable...but do you really want to buy them?
Time Is Money- Do your kids have any idea how much various items cost in the real-world? Do you know the price of a quart of milk or a three ring binder? The Schwab MoneyWise® Teens and Money Survey found that "Teens are not entirely clear on the cost of basic items. More teens know exactly what an iPod® costs than exactly what a gallon of milk or their cell phone bill costs."3 Enable your kids to understand the value of goods and services. Make the connection between how much their desired Back-To-School shoes costs, and how many hours they would have to work at a lemonade stand, household chores or a teen job to earn the funds to pay for their desired purchase. Understanding everyday prices and the value of hard work can help kids develop a greater appreciation for your tremendous efforts to provide for them, too.
Set A Budget- Empower your kids to successfully manage a budget. Many teachers provide a list of school supplies to purchase for the first day of school. Review this list with your children, and have them research prices for each item and sum up the total list. Set a budget for the maximum amount you wish to spend on your school supplies.
Stick To The Budget- Go shopping together and have your kids sift through the options to make their selections. Task them with shopping within the budget. (be sure to put their value shopping skills from our last blog to work, to maximize savings) Introduce the concept of a Budget versus Actuals. A budget provides spending limits, but the actuals indicate how much you actually spent. Did they come in under budget? How did your kids ensure that they stayed within budget? Did they feel in control of their spending process?
Reinforce Budgeting Habits- We encourage parents to reinforce their children's efforts to live within an established budget. Help your kids own the sense of accomplishment from setting themselves on a course of responsible financial habits. You can consider matching the money they save and put it in their bank accounts.
Donate Gently Used Supplies- Now that your kids hopefully appreciate how expensive their school supplies are, allow them to experience the joy of donating their outgrown clothes, toys and books to other children who can really use them.

From playing sports to learning an instrument, universally it's understood that practice makes perfect! Use this philosophy to help your children develop and practice budgeting and money management skills. Your children may be just budgeting for a backpack today...but tomorrow it could be a house. Use Back-To-School shopping to build a solid foundation now and watch your kids grow into financially responsible adults! Ready, Set, Shop!

To receive the Bizainy Blog in your email inbox, sign-up here:



Join Our Email List Email:

Sources:

1. "Back-to-School Spending Grows as Parents Restock, Replenish Children's Needs." National Retail Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2013.

2. "Facts for Features: Back to School: 2013-2014." Newsroom. U.S Department of Commerce, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2013.

3. "2011 Teens & Money Survey." Schwab MoneyWise®N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.

04 Feb

Savvy Shopping Steps

Posted by Carolyn Enenstein

We're back with ways to incorporate Bizainy Business into your family summer fun. (See our recent posting: Bizainy Lemonade Stand Inspiration) If your kids and teens have earned money this summer, from a lemonade stand to a summer job, they probably hope to reward themselves with a shopping spree to celebrate their hard work. Here are discussion topics to make the shopping process both fun and educational.

Smart Shopping - How Will Your Kids Reward Their Hard Work?

Did you know that discussing what your kids and teens wish to do with their newly acquired funds can help your children develop money management skills that set them on a path to becoming financially responsible adults!? A university study found that "Students exposed to cumulative financial education show an increase in financial knowledge, which drives increasingly responsible financial behavior as they become young adults, such as tracking expenses, paying credit cards in full and saving money each month".1 So let's get to some skill-building shopping!

Spending Covers Everyday Needs and The Fun Stuff, Too- Many kids and teens truly enjoy spending money. Kids at every age can certainly benefit from being reminded that there is a difference between spending your earnings on Needs (things required to survive) versus Wants (the fun purchases).
Spending Is A Choice- Help your children appreciate that while there are certain basic necessities that most people must purchase, how we spend our money is a personal choice! Some people may choose to live in a moderately priced apartment so they can afford to pay for expensive hobbies such as travel or adventurous activities. Other people may choose to prioritize their children's education over buying new clothes for themselves. People have personal preferences on how to spend money on both wants and needs. What are your family's preferences? How do your kids want to divide their spending money between wants and needs?
Spending With A Budget In Mind- At Bizainy, we help kids and teens develop their personal money management philosophy by allocating funds in the categories of: Spending, Saving, Investing and Donating. Today we cover the Spending category, specifically savvy shopping. Talk with your children about how much money they earned. What percentage of the money do they wish to spend? (We like to suggest 50% for Spending. We'll discuss more on Money Allocation in upcoming blogs). Based on how much your children wish to spend, what do your kids want to splurge on? Younger kids might want to buy the latest toy, while teens might appreciate new clothes or electronics. Whatever they chose to buy, your kids will feel a great sense of accomplishment when they purchase something with their hard-earned money!
Prices Range Depending On Where You Shop- For both our needs and wants, there are alternative venues to shop that make purchases more or less expensive. Challenge your kids to find their wish item for the lowest price. You can even reward their efforts by matching how much they save. Encourage them to Comparison Shop by researching prices at various retailers and etailers such as: mass merchants, warehouse clubs, department stores, toy stores, electronics stores, grocery stores, drug stores, corner stores, health foods stores and online stores. Talk to them about what they discovered, and how they can use Comparison Shopping to save money in the future. Even teens find this exercise awakening, so take the Comparison Shopping challenge.
Prices Can Fluctuate Over Time- Have you read about people who make a career out of coupon cutting and can save ridiculous amounts of money on shopping per year? Help create young Smart Shoppers who embrace the habit of doing research to save money on their purchase. Challenge your kids to seek out coupons, discounts, and promotions to save money. Many stores have sales throughout the year, and Back to School sales are currently in full swing. Recognizing promotional patterns can help your kids be savvy shoppers who know how to maximize their hard-earned money. Let your kids realize that the smarter they shop, the more they can buy!
Prices For Similar Items Can Differ Dramatically- Are your kids familiar with Brand names versus Private Label products? Hold a family blind taste test to see if you can tell the difference between a brand name favorite soda, cookie and cracker versus the store brand product. Ask your kids what they truly want in a product. Does your daughter care about that designer boot name or is she fine with getting a similar-looking shoe for less? Is your son particular about having a specific brand name featured on his t-shirts or would he be just as happy having a less expensive t-shirt without a brand name? Help your kids explore what they value in a product and make their shopping choices accordingly.
Let's Hit The Mall- Now that your children appreciate how to be Savvy Shoppers, it's time to reward their hard work by taking them to spend some of their summer earnings. Encourage them to bring a wallet full of their money so they can have the satisfaction of making the transaction themselves. Let your kids feel the wonderful sense of accomplishment when buying something with their hard-earned money.

Have fun with your shopping experience, and remember that a smart shopper today can be a financially responsible adult tomorrow!

To receive the Bizainy Blog in your email inbox, sign-up here:



Join Our Email List Email:

1 2 Next »