By JANET KLOCKENGA

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My Own New Biz camp in Windsor Heights utilizes cookies to coach entrepreneurial skills.
When Kate McLaughlin Kaplan's twin daughters were younger, they'd beg her, "Can I have a dollar?"
Now, at 14, Caroline and Ellen Kate can earn their own money as somewhat seasoned entrepreneurs, thanks to their mom and chocolate chip cookies.
As a way to teach her daughters money management, Kaplan developed a marketing program that has evolved into My Own New Biz, an entrepreneurial camp program for kids ages 8 to 15 that teaches financial planning and marketing skills, and encourages teamwork and development of self-esteem.
Kaplan, of the city's west side, offered My Own New Biz in the form of a one-week day camp Aug. 2 through Friday at the Windsor Heights Community Center. The 11 kids enrolled learned how to develop a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, make the cookies, package and market them, and sell them to Windsor Heights residents.
Kaplan's program stems from a similar experience she had with her daughters when they were 11. They made and sold cookies door-to-door: One daughter earned $54, the other $47.
"Everyone was buying from us, and the girls had a blast," Kaplan said. "It was their own money, which is huge."
Kaplan, who is a single mom, moved her daughters to Denver, where they lived for one year. While there, the girls tried the same thing by selling cookies and lemonade to construction workers in their neighborhood.
They returned to Des Moines last year and Kaplan began developing her My Own New Biz program. She sells a program kit that contains all the information for the buyer to host a camp, and she plans to present the My Own New Biz program as a day camp the first week of August each year.
Truro teacher Ashley Smith worked last week with students enrolled in the camp. On Thursday, she and Kaplan said, the group toured the Windsor Heights Hy-Vee store, where they learned about marketing, food styling for photographs, product comparison and packaging.
"We're taking that information right back to daily life," Kaplan said. "It's amazing how interested the children are."
And resourceful.
"The kids noticed the construction workers right here at the community center, and they decided to try to sell cookies to them," Smith added.
On Friday morning, 9-year-old Logan Mons from the city's west side said his cookie sales were "awesome."
It took him about 25 minutes to sell nine bags of cookies - four cookies per bag, $2 for the bag - along University Avenue in Windsor Heights. He said the camp taught him "how to be a salesman."
"It taught me that business is harder than you might expect it to be," he said.
"Yeah, but it can be fun," added Brad Johnson, 10, of the city's west side.
Logan said he plans to start his own cookie business.
"My goal would be to make $25 in a day," he said.
Kaplan now is working to develop other courses she wants to present in schools a course on event planning for third-graders and a course on fundraising for sixth-graders.
"I want to nurture this age group, and I am passionate about helping young girls learn to be entrepreneurs," she said. "It's incredible to see how children are different when they have money in their hands their own money."
My Own New Biz
For more information, contact Kate Kaplan at (866) 329-8763 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Or, go to www .myownnewbiz.com. Scholarship money is available for children in need.
Caption(s): Tanner Johansen, 8, of the city's west side, left, and Logan Mons, 9, of West Des Moines display chocolate chip cookies as they package them for sale. They were part of a camp called My Own New Biz at the new community center in Windsor Heights where they learned how to research, create and market chocolate chip cookies. At the end of the week, they sold their cookies door-to-door and at a couple of locations on University Avenue.

JANET KLOCKENGA/THE REGISTER

Amelia Allaway, 9, of the city's west side shows outstanding hula hoop form during a break last week at the My Own New Biz camp in Windsor Heights.

JANET KLOCKENGA/THE REGISTER
Credit to the Des Moines Register, August 10, 2010

Janet Klockenga
Reporter
The Des Moines Register
(515) 284-8523
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