RAM started when my mom told me she was about to throw away an old carton of school supplies and asked if I wanted anything from it. I got an idea to bring the carton into school and start a business. Because we were in fourth grade, we didn't sell the supplies for money, but we made trades.
Every day during recess we opened up RAM for business. I distinctly remember being very excited when another student wanted to trade in his erasable pen. This was a rare item. We received numerous inquires for a fourth partner, but RAM was an extremely elite group and a complex operation. We deliberated almost every transaction until we reached a unanimous decision on the deal. When one of us was absent from school, business would be closed for the day.
We also collected the broken tips of pencil graphite until we had a giant Ziploc bag full of them. I don't know what that was all about.
I enrolled in ENT because entrepreneurial skills are transferrable to almost all fields. To be a successful entrepreneur, one must have good communication, organizational and critical thinking skills. I hope to gain insight into the business world and use that to my advantage as I move forward with my life and into my career. ENT can give me the knowledge and training to keep up in a world of innovation and technological advancement.
Below is a photo of Alex (left) and Robbie (right) posing with my dad (middle). We have remained friends to this day.
This story had me smiling, laughing, and overall just amazed. This is truly a legendary story to be told through the ages. I can't believe that you guys had such a tight operation, needing to make a unanimous decision, and closing business on sick days. In regard to what you said about the pencil tips, when I was in second grade, I actually got detention because I liked to break the tips of pencils, leaving the tips in my desk, all so I could get up and sharpen the pencils. I was obsessed with sharping pencils for whatever odd reason. So if you had been at my school, I would've had a bunch for you.
ReplyDeleteYour school supply trading business was brilliant. I can also agree, those erasable pens are a rare commodity, and a highly sought one in middle school and high school. I wish I had thought of something like this during those years. It would've eliminated a lot of people asking me to borrow a pencil, pen, etc. I hope this class continues to encourage your creativity,
ReplyDeleteHi Molly,
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you worked so well with your two friends. I love how you didn't let the school supplies you had go to waste. I particularly enjoyed reading about how you collected the broken pencil points, but didn't know why. I personally think you had an idea for them, but weren't able to do it. It shows that you were thinking ahead for your little business and looking for new ways to trade. Its great that you, Robbie and Alex have remained friends.