One of the greatest opportunities for children and teenagers in Palmas is now a reality with the launch of the Palmas Young Entrepreneurs Club. Palmas del Mar has been a premier destination for some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs in their respective fields, and now the community is giving back their knowledge and experiences to the next generation of business leaders. Led by an all volunteer force of Palmas residents, the diversity of skills and expertise promise a tremendous educational opportunity for its members while making the time fun and engaging. A post in the Palmas Community forum in August quickly showed the interest in participation was very high. Over 40 children aged 8-18 have signed up to participate, and more are expected as the word spreads. The goals and agenda for the group will vary by the ages of each group. However, the general topics will be covered in each group with age appropriate examples and content. General topics that will be taught include:

• Understanding money and how it works
• The power of earning money and ways for kids to earn it
• Formula for success including attitude, self responsibility, manners and lifetime learning.
• Why having a SMART goal is important – how to set and achieve them
• What is an Entrepreneur, traits and mistakes to avoid.
• Mastering sales as a kid
• Marketing, Branding, Promotion and Social media
• Market research and the 4 P’s – Researching the competition
• Creating an exceptional Customer Experience
• Sourcing, Logistics, and Operations
• Business Ethics
• Accounting and Finance – Developing a Business Plan
• Project Management
• Mentoring rotation program – Learn what the leaders of our community do.

Additionally, we anticipate fun projects and games that are age appropriate for each group, with some team projects specific to each age group that utilize the skills that are being taught. The age groups are being split into three different sessions, with 8-10 year olds meeting on Tuesday at 4:00 pm, followed by the 11-13 age group meeting on Wednesdays at 4:00, and the 14-18 year old group following suit on Thursdays at 4:00. Each session is one hour, and will be held in the multipurpose room at 6 Harbour Lights.

The group is still seeking additional volunteers that can help teach and mentor specific subjects. They can volunteer time on a specific subject or a specific group. Contact Michael Bitler for additional information at 787-400-3389.