Posted: Oct 21, 07 9:57pm

As admin of the group NonProfits, I thought I'd get things started, and share the mission I'm passionate about. So an intro of myself to the TBD community.

I'm developing a new business that returns me to a passion I discovered about 20 years ago. I want to structure this new venture as a non-profit. I've had a number of businesses, and while a profitable bottom line is important, this effort is growing from a desire to achieve a mission: excite kids and entrepreneurs about global trade through experiential programs.

Here's how it all started:

While living in Japan in the mid-1980's as a military wife with a daughter, I started a business making my living as a gemologist, designing a line of jewelry I had manufactured in a small studio in Hong Kong. That role quickly grew to importing various treasures from around the orient, which led me to develop workshops for adults on building successful importing businesses.

My daughter, at the time 10 years old, said she wanted to have an importing business like me. Hmmm, why not? It would be a good math project, I thought. Profit/loss, inventory counts, currency conversion. I encouraged her to get a couple of girlfriends together, come up with a name, design a logo, and Kosmic Kids Fashion Accessories was born. Then the idea took on some serious momentum. I opened my files of contacts and guided these girls through the initial steps of setting up an importing business. Where do you get your biz cards printed? Where do you get the display fixtures? Who can you have design the hang tags? How do you choose suppliers? What does your line include? Where do you sell your stuff, and how do you capture shelf space? There were additional challenges: the product they were importing would be coming through Japan's borders onto a US military base, so two currency conversions on every PO; they would be too young to visit trade shows; and they didn't have much in working capital for their first purchase order.

When people realized they were helping kids on a new lesson in business and life, everyone got on board to help them succeed. They were entrepreneurs, learning about global trade, product development, sales, the list goes on. Think lemonade stand on steroids. An initial highlight was successfully sneaking my daughter into a Hong Kong trade show (with an age-altering outfit of stuffed bra, heavy makeup and high heels) and watching her negotiate the first sample-sized purchase order. Then she showed her age and literally jumped for joy! She had to figure out how to make her initial investment of $1,000 stretch to the max, and didn't want to tie it all up in pink hairclips with moon faces.

She got the first order onto the shelves of the USO, and couldn't wait to pick up her first check. The manager said it looked like her line would be a success, and announced her first month's gross was $600. After expenses, she expected to receive $480, but she received a check for around $350. "Where's the rest?" she asked, and then she learned the meaning of the word 'pilferage'; that when you steal from stores, you actually steal from someone's pocket. She quickly asked how she could showcase her line from inside the glass cases, then learned the delicate act of encouraging retail sales help to assist customers politely and turn a question into a purchase. All the stuff that adult entrepreneurs have to learn along the way. Age made no difference, but with one exception: being young, everyone was eager to help in this endeavor. Minimums were ignored to permit a small first-time purchase order.

My daughter, now 30, looks at all business with a mature knowledge of how global trade works, and doesn't hesitate to pick up the phone and contact someone in a foreign country to get things rolling. It was a real confidence-builder. As I look back, I realize I did something simple that day as a parent that changed the course of my daughter's adult career path. I said YES to a simple request that I could have just as easily been too busy to encourage. "Sure I'll help you start a business." I had no idea how that response would alter both our futures.

And now I want to give back. And give parents and kids a way to work on something rewarding together. I'm in the early stages of getting my nonprofit launched (to be located at http://www.nextgenerationgba.org) which teaches American youth and entrepreneurs about global trade through hands-on experiential programs. And I'm hoping to find answers to my basic nonprofit questions: How to connect, how to structure the org, how to see my mission realized.

Maybe you have an idea that you are passionate about and need to connect with others that can help. Or maybe you've been involved in a nonprofit and have some experience that you can share with others. I'm hoping this group discussion will take on a worthy life of its own from the TBD members, and can become a rich place to connect folks with great ideas, and provide answers to newbies like me.

Let me know your thoughts and keep posting!

Thanks!!

GlobalGypsy