Entrepreneurship

entrepreneurship icon4-H Egg Business Project

This project is intended to generate an income for participating Maine youth and their families, and provide learning experiences in business, entrepreneurship, record keeping, documentation, problem-solving, food safety, and animal husbandry. In addition, participants will learn about, understand, and follow state and local regulations for producing and selling poultry eggs.


Somerset County Teen Leadership Council’s Entrepreneurship Program

As part of their 4-H project, teens in Somerset County learned about entrepreneurship by interviewing local businesses.   Business owners were asked about how they started their business, their target audiences, challenges to being successful, and their advice to teens who might be interested in following in their footsteps.

Two DVDs of the interviews were created containing  a composite of the interview responses to specific questions and each individual interview in its entirety. In addition to conducting, videotaping, and editing the interviews, 4-H youth also designed the case cover and DVD labels.

For more information, or to obtain a copy of the entire DVDs, please contact, Debra Kantor at debra.kantor@maine.edu.


Money Camp

Many 4-H youth have projects and ideas that have potential to be developed into business or career opportunities. This project provides the knowledge, resources, and skills needed to support 4-H youth in discovering the potential market opportunities of their 4-H projects.

The following topics are explored:

  • What is an entrepreneur? Do you have what it takes to be successful in your own business?
  • Savings and credit—what you need to know?
  • Creating your business plan—turning your idea into reality.
  • Marketing and sales—what you need to know to make a profit.

Money Camp 4-H youth projects have included selling strawberries and blueberries picked at a local farm, a poultry project raising chicks to sell eggs, making handmade cards and soap, wooden crafts such as puzzles, and recipe boxes. All 4-H youth sold their projects at a local Farmer’s Market, and several are continuing to sell their products.

Youth 4-H projects can include a community service component as well. One youth donated her profits to the Make a Wish Program, and a 4-H club made homemade dog biscuits which were sold to raise funds for a schoolmate with cancer.

Contact your local UMaine Extension county office to learn more about the opportunities available in your area.