Introduction

School teaches kids many life skills. It teaches them how to count, read and write.

But school doesn’t teach them how to run a business.  It is assumed that they will somehow just “know” those skills.

Many kids dream of starting their own business during their teens and in the digital age this is easier to achieve than ever before. According to the influential GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) and the Harvard Business Review people are starting businesses at younger and younger ages.

Enterprise should be encouraged as much as possible. Enterprise is, after all, the lifeblood of our countries’ economies. Yet as a society we still rely on young people learning businesses stewardship through trial and error.

It is hardly surprising that so many promising new businesses fail.

Story behind the KidsMBA course

Starting out as an insolvency barrister Professor Mark Watson-Gandy was horrified to discover that many of the business he saw failing did so not because they were based on a bad idea but because of basic mistakes.

Indeed, for instance in the UK 50% of new businesses don’t survive the first five years.

Inspired by this, he took time away from his practice to write the first Masters Programme in Corporate Finance Law and taught on one of the world’s leading MBA programmes at Cass Business School.

Eventually he concluded that business skills were so fundamental to succeeding in life, they needed to be taught before children left school.

The KidsMBA courses took 3 years to write with the input of a panel from a range of disciplines, from entrepreneurs to experts in law, education, banking, and accountancy.

What are the characteristics of a KidsMBA course

  • It’s a course targeted at kids aged 11-15.
  • It is designed to provide a “taster” of the mind-set, skills and know-how that young people will need for their own enterprise.
  • The course is taught by trained teachers through pre-scripted course packs, discussion, games and role play.
  • Each student will receive a certificate.
  • Students are invited to compete for the Star Performer Certificate or Trophy.
  • Students can compete in national and international competitions and win seed money for their business.