Video: Palmer Home Children Becoming Young Entrepreneurs

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — High School students from Palmer Home in Columbus are learning first hand what it takes to create a successful business.

On Saturdays, the Starkville Farmer’s Market is full of entrepreneurs selling products from produce, baked goods and homemade items in hopes of making a profit. Among dozens of vendors, 14 high school students from Palmer Home’s in Columbus and Hernando have spent the last few days developing a successful product.

“They have created their own little company and just had three days to come up with a product, figure out pricing at it, to develop it, to produce it and then to display it. Hopefully sell some today,” says Robert Farris.

Robert Farris, the Vice President of Strategic Initiation says Palmer Home teams up with the Entrepreneurship Center at Mississippi State University each year hoping to give each child the tools to succeed.

“When they leave Palmer Home to go to college or to go to trade school whatever their careers are we want them to think about living independently and helping them transition into that stage of their life,” says Farris.

Flower arrangements, sugar scrubs and even yummy treats are on display at the Palmer Home booths.

“We’re doing bake goods. We’re selling cookies, brownies and all that stuff,” says Johnny.

Johnny, a Palmer Home teen, hopes to start a business of his won. Through this experience, Johnny has learned an important factor when creating a product.

“One thing I learned was teamwork and like we all work together as one to make these things happen and just picking and having a positive attitude and just loving each other and caring for each other and picking each other up when we’re down,” says Johnny.

Students now know what goes into making a product and Farris hopes the experience encourages future ideas.

“Hopefully it has empowered them from a standpoint of knowing how to do that but also giving them the confidence to step out and do it,” says Farris.

The students plan to keep selling their products at farmers markets.

Categories: Local News

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