Overview Note to Volunteers The excitement and fast pace of running troop meetings for the first time can sometimes leave us tongue-tied. For that reason scripting is included for guiding girls through a meeting; these "lines" are under the heading "SAY." However, you're the expert. If you feel you don't need the script, do what makes sense for you and your girls. Prepare Ahead Talk to anyone helping you about what they will do at this meeting. Read the Take Action Guide for Volunteers located in the resources section. Throughout the year, you'll guide the girls on their Take Action Project. When it comes up in your meetings, you'll want to make sure girls understand the steps for taking action: They will see a need, work with others to brainstorm solutions, develop a plan, and do the project. For Activity 1: Print out the Business Worksheet, one for each girl. Acquire the Business Owner Badge, one for each girl Get Help from the Friends and Family Network Find out if anyone wants to lead or support an activity or meeting. If anyone owns a small business, invite them to come and participate in the meeting. Award Connection In this session, girls earn their Business Owner badge. Meeting Length 90 minutes The times given for each activity will be different, depending on how many girls are in the troop. Plus, girls may really enjoy a particular activity and want to continue past the allotted time. As much as possible, let them! That's part of keeping Girl Scouting girl-led! Activity 1: As Girls Arrive 1
Business Worksheet, one for each girl Pens Activity 2: Opening Ceremony Girl Scout Promise and Law Paper Pens Stopwatch Activity 3: Customer Service Skits None Activity 4: Snack Chat Healthy snacks Cool Idea Jars Activity 5: Focus Group Fun Poster board for each girl Markers, paint, crayons Glitter pens Ribbon Stickers Glue sticks Activity 6: Take Action Pause Paper Pen or pencil Activity 7: Closing Ceremony Business Owner Badge, one for each girl Detailed activity plan Activity 1: As Girls Arrive 2
5 minutes Business Worksheet, one for each girl Pens Work on filling out the business worksheet. Some of this you decided last week, but this will help you as we talk more about business today. Activity 2 : Opening Ceremony 10 minutes Girl Scout Promise and Law Paper Pens Stopwatch Gather girls in a circle. Welcome them to the Business Owner meeting. Girls say the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law together. Today we are going to continue working on our Business Owner badge. One thing that almost all business owners do at some point is to talk to investors. Investors are people or banks that have the money to help get a business started. Investors will expect to make their money back when your business makes money. One part of working with investors is to make a pitch on why they should invest in your business. Pretend everyone in the room is investors. In 60 seconds or less, tell us why we should invest in your business. I will time you. 3
Try sure to include these things in your pitch: what problem you are trying to solve who you will help with your business why you are so excited about this business what you would use investor money for Who wants to go first? Keep it Girl-Led Tip Girls might want to draw or use props to support their pitch. Give them some prep time before pitches, if you can afford the time. Activity 3 : Customer Service Skits 15 minutes None When running a business, you want to make sure that your customers always get what they need. That's called customer service. Have you ever had a time when you received bad customer service? Maybe it was a waitress or a sales clerk who wasn't very helpful. How did it make you feel? What about a time you had great customer service what happened? Team up into groups of 3 and act out an example of good customer service and an example of poor customer service. It can be something that really happened or something that you make up. If girls need help as they are creating their skits, offer these ideas: A sales girl at a clothing store is on the phone the whole time you're standing at the cash register. It sounds like she's talking to a friend. What do you do? 4
A waitress at a restaurant gives you a big smile and greeting, then offers you some good ideas about what to order when you're not sure. She's friendly, and makes sure you have everything you need without being too intrusive. You and your friend call a movie theater to find out about times and directions and the person who answers is rude and unhelpful. She tells you to call back so you can get the automated response. She sounds like she just can't be bothered. Do you find another movie theater nearby to go to instead? After girls have finished, What's the goal of a customer service person? (To have their customer leave feeling satisfied about their experience.) Why is it good for a customer to feel satisfied? (So they come back again!) Why do you think good customer service helps make a business successful? (If people don't buy your products, you won't have a business.) How do you think mutual respect works in a customer service relationship? For example, is the customer also responsible for being polite? If a customer is rude, how should a service person handle it? Activity 4 : Snack Chat Time allotment 5 minutes : Healthy snacks Cool Idea Jars Hand out the healthy snack. 5
As you enjoy your snack, open your jar of ideas from the week and think about which of those you'd like to use if you were going to run a business. You'll need to think through all the parts of your business for the next activity. Activity 5 : Focus Group Fun 30 minutes Poster board for each girl Markers, paint, crayons Glitter pens Ribbon Stickers Glue sticks Give each girl a poster board. Now that we've all thought about our business and how we'd run it, it's time to make it even better. Many times when a business owner wants to find out how her business is doing, she asks her customers to fill out a survey. Sometimes she will even conduct a focus group. A focus group is a group of people that come in and give their opinions. It can be for a business, a specific product or even to give their thoughts on a new idea. Use the poster board to write and draw all the ideas about your business. Make sure you add the business name at the top, and include how you'd run the business. For example, what ways could you imagine getting people to use your business? What would people want from your business? We will be your focus group and give you ideas and tips on how to make your business even better. First, spend about 15 minutes coming up with your presentations, then we can start the focus groups. Note to volunteer: Depending on the size of the troop, you can break girls into smaller groups. Make sure each girl gets a chance to focus test her business idea. Limit the presentation times to 2-5 minutes so you have time for everyone. 6
Activity 6 : Take Action Pause 10 minutes Paper Pen or Pencil As you earn badges this year, we're going to think about how you can use the skills you are learning to take action. Then we're going to come up with a small Take Action project that you can do later in the year. How could you take what we learned about business, and help other business owners? Give girls time to respond, then if need prompts What about: Offering to serve on a focus group. Creating a survey for a small business Be a customer service secret tester at a business. Remember, we're going to keep a list of all the Take Action ideas you come up with this year as you earn badges. When it's time to decide on a Take Action project, we'll have the list to remind us of all your good ideas. (Note to volunteer: Write down the girls' Take Action ideas throughout the year as they work on badges. You'll use this list later to remind them of their ideas and help them choose one to do.) Activity 7 : Closing Ceremony Time allotment 5 minutes 7
Business Owner Badge, one for each girl Girls form a friendship circle and sing a song and then receive their Business Owner badges. What did you like best about running a business? You don't have to be an adult to be a business owner. Many kids start their own business! Maddie Bradshaw started making bottle cap jewelry at age 10 and now runs M3 Girl Designs, which sells thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. Does anyone want to continue working on building the business they presented today? Keep It Girl-Led Tip Invite girls to choose a closing ceremony song to sing. 8