Resa was swiping at her phone and smiling. “Wow,” she said.
“A good wow or a bad wow?” asked Didi.
“Good,” said Resa. “People have been posting from the show, and everybody says the Radical Skinks are gonna win.”
“Really?” asked Harriet.
“And remember Skinks 4Eva, who wrote that rude post about us?” she asked. “Listen to what he just posted.”
She read: “‘Love the cool new Skinks merch!!! New staff way better. Just upped my order to 3 shirts and 3 buttons. Skinks 4Eva!’”
Harriet looked at Resa, her eyes wide. “Reginald? He’s Skinks 4Eva?”
“Looks like it,” Resa said, nodding. “And he’s in our corner now.”
“Ladies and gentlemen!” The emcee was back at the mic. “We have a winner!”
The crowd grew silent.
“As everybody knows, this is a very special Battle of the Bands,” the emcee continued.
“Amazing contenders, every one. It was an incredibly close vote for the judges, so close we had to do a recount.”
Harriet’s stomach felt as if there were some kind of animal trapped in there doing somersaults. She couldn’t take the anticipation.
“But finally,” the emcee went on, “we have the results!”
Harriet squeezed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists. “Pleasepleasepleaseplease,” she whispered under her breath.
“The winner of tonight’s Battle of the Bands…”
Harriet felt a hand reach for hers. She opened her fists and clasped Didi’s fingers. Then, on her other side, another hand, this one belonging to Resa. On Harriet’s shoulder, she felt Amelia’s hands giving a little, encouraging squeeze.
“The band who will be featured on American Supahstars…” called the emcee, “iiiiiiiiiiiis … Xpectation!”
Harriet opened her mouth to let forth the most earsplitting whoop ever. But before she unleashed it, she realized her brothers had not, in fact, won.
The audience clapped, though it mostly came from the contingent in white fedoras toward the front of the auditorium. The members of Xpectation! were triumphant, though, grabbing any loose objects within reach—a notebook, a plastic cup, an orange traffic cone to mark off-limits areas—and banging them on nearby surfaces as they walked onstage to accept the trophy.
Harriet couldn’t watch. She let go of Didi’s and Resa’s hands, shook Amelia’s hands off her shoulder, and spun to face the wall so that they wouldn’t see her eyes fill up with tears. It was embarrassing to cry in front of other people, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been so sure her brothers would win. They were so talented, and the crowd loved them so much. It didn’t seem fair that after all the hurdles they’d jumped through—the broken guitar, the broken drum, the broken-up band—that this is how it would end: losing to a band that didn’t even have instruments.
“Oh, Harriet,” Didi murmured. “I’m sorry.”
Harriet wiped her eyes with the end of her shirt. “I know you are.” Harriet sniffed. “It’s not your fault.”
“They were robbed,” said Resa, her eyes flashing. “We should demand a recount.”
“They already did a recount,” Amelia pointed out.
“A re-recount,” Resa demanded.
“I used to go to a ton of these contests—music, art, writing—when my mom was on the arts beat back in the city,” said Amelia. “Lots of times they give the prize to the ones who are the most unique, the most outside the box. Sometimes they’re great, and sometimes they’re just…”
“Bizarre,” offered Didi.
“Yeah,” said Amelia. “And if the winners are going to be on national TV, they probably want them to be as bizarre as possible. I mean, sometimes people like to watch bad performances more than good ones.”
“Ladies!”
Joe was jogging toward them, sweaty from performing, his face aglow. A few steps behind him was Sam, still holding his drumsticks, his hair impressively intact.
Harriet took a deep, shaky breath. She’d have to put on a brave face for her brothers. They were probably devastated.
“Did you hear our set?” asked Joe, pushing his long hair out of his eyes.
Harriet nodded. “You guys were amazing. I’m sorry—” Her voice broke off.
“You mean, ’cause we didn’t win that spot on American SupahCheesefest?” Sam snorted with disdain. “Who cares? That’s not where serious music acts perform, Harriet.”
“Yeah, we were never that keen on being on that show,” said Joe. “You just seemed so jazzed, we went along with it.”
“And hey, any chance to play, right?” asked Sam.
“But it was good we came,” said Joe, “because—Harry, you’re gonna flip when you hear this.”
Harriet’s pulse quickened. “What?”
“There was a guy from New Blue in the audience!” Joe was so overcome with excitement, he laughed out loud.
“What’s New Blue?” asked Harriet.
“A record label.” It was Eleanor’s voice. She’d walked up beside Harriet, and next to her, with his arm around her shoulders, was Larry.
“A really cool label,” Larry added. “And he liked our set. A lot. We’re going into the city next week to play him some of our stuff.”
Harriet said nothing. She was absolutely dumbfounded. Her brother’s dreams were literally coming true.
“We want you to handle all our merch from now on,” said Sam.
“Are you game?” asked Joe.
Harriet looked from Joe to Sam to Larry. Then she inhaled deeply, raising her shoulders nearly to her ears. “Yeeeeeeees,” she hollered. “Yes! Yes yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes!”
Harriet ran full throttle over to Joe, flinging her arms around him. Then she did the same to Sam, and finally Larry. Eleanor leaped backward to avoid getting knocked over.
“I saved everything! I am a star-maker!” Harriet shouted.
Sam laughed. “Well, you and your associates.”
“Come on, ladies and gents,” said Eleanor, nodding toward the exit. “I’ll use my employee discount and hook you up with ice cream.”
“We actually gotta run the drum and guitar back to Music Mania,” said Larry.
“Right now?” asked Eleanor.
“Yeah,” said Sam. “Mo already texted me. News travels fast, and she isn’t happy we didn’t win. She was really counting on that shout-out on TV we promised her, so she suddenly ran out of generosity.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” said Amelia with a wry smile. “Why don’t you guys go to Music Mania … but keep the instruments. Give her this instead.” She handed Larry an overstuffed fanny pack.
“Is that the money we made?” asked Sam, eyes wide.
Amelia nodded.
“Is it enough for a guitar?” asked Larry hopefully.
“Yep,” said Amelia. “And not just any guitar. It’s enough to get you the ChromaChord 3000.”
“Yes!” exclaimed Larry. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” He lifted Eleanor off her feet and spun her around in a circle. She beamed.
“Will there be anything left over for a drum?” Sam looked more hopeful than a little kid first thing on Christmas morning.
Amelia nodded. “That snare drum’s all yours.”
Now it was Sam’s turn to celebrate, lifting Joe off his feet and spinning him around in a circle.
“Dude.” Joe laughed, shoving his brother away playfully. “Cut it out.”
“I was hoping you guys would have enough to buy a new amp, too,” said Amelia. “But the rest of the money has to go toward a deposit for the next batch of T-shirts.”
“Once you guys get a record deal, I have a feeling you’ll be able to get an amp,” said Eleanor.
“Record deal,” reflected Joe. “I like the sound of that.”
“Guys,” said Sam to his brothers. “Should we—”
“Yeah!” said Joe. Turning to the girls, he said, “We put together a little something for you. We’re going a cappel
la here so, you know, bear with us.”
Sam hit his drumsticks together three times and then played a simple beat on the edge of the merch table. Then, in furiously fast unison, all three boys sang:
“You’ll be wowed and awed
By the Startup Squad
Let’s hear it for these ladies!
They’re tough and they’re smart
Make you wanna applau-aud!
Let’s hear it for these ladies!
They never give up easy
Even when they maybe should.
They’re never mean or sleazy.
They’re honest and they’re good.
They’re whizzes at the bizzes!
Go hire them, you should!
Oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhh
Let’s hear it for these ladies!”
The boys struck a “ta-da!” pose, making it clear the song was done. The four girls—plus Eleanor—clapped and laughed.
“Come on, guys,” said Sam, tugging on Larry’s arm. “I don’t want to get another text from Mo.”
As the Radical Skinks headed off to Music Mania, Eleanor turned to the Startup Squad. “My offer still stands,” she said. “Wanna get some celebratory ice cream?”
“Uhhh, I think the only question that remains,” said Harriet, “is how many scoops? And can we get marshmallows on top? Jumbo ones, if possible?”
Eleanor laughed. “That’s more than one question.”
“It’d be good to have a meeting,” said Resa, nodding. “We can figure out how big our next order should be. And if we should maybe mix it up with different colors for the shirts.”
“It would be cool to make patches, too,” said Didi. “You know, the kind you sew onto your backpack?”
“And do the Radical Skinks have a website?” asked Amelia. “Because they really should.”
Eleanor laughed as the girls grabbed their shopping bags and boxes of supplies. “Hey,” she said, gesturing under the table. “Don’t forget your megaphone.”
Harriet lunged for the bright orange megaphone before the other girls could stop her.
“The Startup Squad foreva!” she boomed.
Welcome to
THE
STARTUP
SQUAD
You can start your own business by yourself or form a Startup Squad with your friends! You could even sell T-shirts, like Resa, Harriet, Didi, and Amelia did for the Radical Skinks. The girls learned about revenue, expense, profit, negotiation, and customer service as they worked together to make money for the band. Here are some tips from the Startup Squad that will help make your own business a huge success!
* * *
Revenue is the money a customer pays you for your products. Expense is the money you spend to make your products. Profit is revenue minus expenses. It’s the money you get to keep after running your business. For example, the Startup Squad sold each T-shirt for $25—that was their revenue. It cost them $20 to make each shirt—that was their expense—so their profit on each shirt was $5 ($25 - $20 = $5).
Revenue and Profit Tips
Make sure you’re earning a profit on each item you sell. First, add up all the money you spent to make your product; that’s your total expenses. For example, to sell lemonade, you need to buy lemons, sugar, and cups. Check your recipe to see how many cups of lemonade you can make. Then do some simple math to figure out how much it costs you to make each cup:
Once you know what each item costs to make, you can set your price to make sure you earn a profit. A good guide is to set your price at twice what it costs you to make each item. (For example, charge $2 for a cup of lemonade that costs $1 to make, so you can earn $1 in profit on each cup.) But you should also do a little research about what similar products cost—and think about what you’d be willing to pay. The Startup Squad thought that $2.50 was a fair price for a button even though the buttons cost only $0.50 to make.
Avoid using round numbers in your prices. $9.99 sounds less expensive than $10.00 even though it’s only one penny less. Also, if you charge $1.75 for a cup of lemonade, your customers might give you two dollars and tell you to “keep the change.”
If you’re raising money for a charity or a good cause, consider not setting a price at all. Tell people to pay what they want as a donation. You might find that some people will give you a lot more money for your product than the price you were thinking of charging.
* * *
Negotiation is a way to reach an agreement. When your bedtime is eight o’clock, but you ask to stay up until nine o’clock, and you’re then allowed to stay up until eight thirty, that’s a negotiation! The same thing happens in business (but usually about prices, not bedtimes).
Negotiation Tips
It never hurts to politely ask someone for a lower price. The worst that can happen is the person will say no. Lucy’s T-shirts were priced too high for the Startup Squad to make enough profit. Amelia asked if there was a way to get a lower price—and Lucy agreed! If you are buying a lot of something, often you can get a discount. Just ask!
On the flip side, if someone is thinking about buying a lot of your products, you might offer them a discount to get the sale, just like the girls did for Reginald when he bought a lot of shirts. But make sure you don’t sell an item for less than it costs to make it, like Harriet did! Decide the lowest price you are willing to sell for before you start to negotiate.
You may have heard the saying, It takes money to make money. Sometimes you need money to buy the things you need to start your business. If so, you can ask your customers for money in advance as a deposit and use that money to start your business or place your first order. You can even give a discount to customers who give you a deposit, like the Startup Squad did when they offered a 15 percent discount on T-shirts if people paid in advance.
Negotiations don’t have to always be about price. You can also exchange your products for something other than money. Especially when you’re first starting out, you can save money by exchanging your product for something else you need, like supplies or advertising. Mo was willing to loan a guitar to the Radical Skinks as long as she got free publicity about her store and a guarantee for a future sale.
* * *
Customer Service is how you treat people before, during, and after they buy your products. It’s important that your customers have a good experience so they will not only come back, but tell their friends to buy from you, too!
Customer Service Tips
There’s a saying that a happy customer will tell three people about their love for your business, but an unhappy consumer will tell ten people about their bad experience. Always try to leave customers with a good impression and make them feel special, even if they don’t end up buying anything. Remember all the bad things Eleanor heard about the girls’ customer service? And she wasn’t even at the concert!
A little extra effort can create very loyal customers. Eleanor exchanged her customer’s “warm” ice cream and his family became regular customers. If a bug lands in someone’s lemonade, replace it. If someone drops their cookie or brownie, give them a new one. It will cost you a little extra money, but it will help create happy and loyal customers. And you’ll end up making more money in the end.
A smile and a positive attitude make customers feel welcome and can help your business stand out from the competition. Try to remember Val’s smile or Eleanor’s “So sorry about that” line when you’re dealing with a difficult customer. You can turn an unhappy customer into a happy one, who might even become a loyal customer for life.
* * *
Want our favorite recipe for lemonade and more tips about running your business? All that and more can be found in the first book in The Startup Squad series. You can read about how the girls first met and became friends, their misadventures running a lemonade stand, and what they learned about marketing, sales, location, and merchandising.
And you can learn more about running your own business at the
startupsquad.com and start planning your empire. Because GIRLS MEAN BUSINESS!
For help with these business tips, special thanks to Daniel R. Ames, Professor, Columbia Business School; Hafize Gaye Erkan, President, First Republic Bank; and Kathy Waller, former Chief Financial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company.
Meet a real-life girl entrepreneur!
Emma Shelton has her own business, Earrings by Emma (EarringsByEmma.com), and she’s the winner of the second Girls Mean Business contest.
Q: Tell us about your business.
A: My business makes and sells hypoallergenic plastic post earrings for sensitive ears of all ages.
Q: How old were you when you started, and where did your idea come from?
A: I started Earrings by Emma when I was eight years old. Since I had a hard time finding earrings that wouldn’t irritate my sensitive ears, I started making my own. I quickly discovered that many others struggle with sensitive ears too. I have always wanted to start my own business, so this became a great opportunity for me to give it a try.
Q: What are the most fun parts of running a business?
A: The most fun parts of running a business are making money, meeting new people, and being able to meet a need for those with sensitive ears.
Q: What’s the hardest?
A: The hardest part of running a business is working long days.
Q: What are your future plans for your business?
A: I hope to exponentially grow my online sales and continue to improve my business skills.
Q: What tasks take up the most time to run your business?
A: The tasks that take up the most time to run my business are preparing for and working trade shows, and inventory management, as we have a massive selection of earrings!
Q: Do you have a role model or mentor?
A: My dad and mom are great mentors. They are naturally entrepreneurial, so I have learned so much from watching them.
Face the Music Page 11