Marketing to Youth Entrepreneurs

Darick J. SimpsonDaricksimpson@aol.com

www.poeticd.com 562-787-3052

Presentation Overview • Finding youth participants• Community Partners • Outreach Strategies and tools• Team building• Selecting the business ventures• Barriers to participation• Youth incentives• Engaging Presenters• Follow Up & Case

Management

• Follow up & case management• Personalized communication• Interactive opportunities• Choosing the right staff• Technology• Empowering the youth• Spot light• Parent support• LISTEN

Where Are They?

• In school and Out of school youth difference• Tweener’s are searching • Community Partners (two levels of commitment)

– Parent Groups– Youth Serving Agencies– FBO’S– School Clubs

Outreach Strategies and Tools

Traditional strategies alone will not work• Club flyers • My Space • School Loops• FACE TIME with the youth in class rooms

• Word of Mouth

Brochures Designed by Teens, For

Teens.

WITH ONE EXCEPTION

?

Team Building

• Different places, different faces• Fun experience• One team one goal• Empower them to take ownership• Youth will want to join something special

Team Building

Video shoot, Ropes Course, High Ropes

Selecting The Business VenturePromote the Relativity

• When recruiting ask about inherent talents• What are career goals• How is spare time spent• What are the hobbies• Write a business plan to make dreams a

reality and MAKE MONEY ALSO

Barriers to Participation

• Parents must be on board• Schools reluctant to support outreach• Hungry students at end of day• Transportation

– Used for meeting attendance and school– Eliminates some safety concerns going and

coming

Incentives

• Attendance stipends• Field trips• Gift certificates• Out of the box opportunities

Incentives

Grammy Sound CheckK.T. Tunstall

Engaging Presenters

• Cool people they want to meet• Remember word of mouth will spread• Capture the imaginations

Case Management

• More than just an entrepreneur program• Gets teachers on board• Gets parents on board• Keeps students engaged because someone

cares

Personalized Communication

• Outreach staff must be able to relate to youth

• Staff contact has to build relationships• Phone calls to parents show you are on the

team with them• WORD OF MOUTH AGAIN

Interactive Opportunities

• Promote opportunities to use computers and equipment

• Some youth are a natural already• Allow for PRODUCT to be created • Gets them excited about working as

YOUNG ADULTS

Dance Team Pointing Out Photos for Graphics Department

Technology add video shoot photo

The Right Staff

• Passion• Patience• Persistence• All add up to relationships that may not

otherwise exist

Empowering Youth

• Incubator office• Public presentations• Opportunities to interact with key leaders• Pride in ownership

Rudy & Mayor Bob Foster

Youth Want The Spot LightPhotography Division Photo Shoot

Parent Support

• Parent meeting to explain virtues of program

• Provide opportunities to support youth• Support academic success• Celebrate program success

LISTEN!

Summary • Finding youth participants• Community Partners • Outreach Strategies and tools• Team building• Selecting the business ventures• Barriers to participation• Youth incentives• Engaging Presenters• Follow Up & Case

Management

• Follow up & case management• Personalized communication• Interactive opportunities• Choosing the right staff• Technology• Empowering the youth• Spot light• Parent support• LISTEN

Without the Youth, you have no PROGRAM!

Marketing to Youth Entrepreneurs

Darick J. SimpsonDaricksimpson@aol.com

www.poeticd.com 562-787-3052