March 8-14 is National Girl Scout Week, and today we are celebrating female entrepreneurs! We invited Manager of Council Sponsored Programs Alice LaBour to reflect on Girl Scouts and entrepreneurship.

Did you know Girl Scouts are entrepreneurs? By selling Fall Product and Girl Scout Cookies, Girl Scouts are a part of the largest female-run business in the world! Selling fall product and cookies helps girls build their entrepreneurial skills, including making business decisions, thinking creatively, marketing a product, selling the product, and so much more. As girls get motivated to sell their products, they come up with creative ways to get the word out and make sales, just like entrepreneurs who start businesses in the community.

So what is an entrepreneur, anyway? An entrepreneur is a person who comes up with an innovative idea and turns it into a business. Some entrepreneurs work together to create large businesses, while some work alone to create smaller ones. Either way, an entrepreneur becomes her own boss with the hope of creating a successful business. Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee is lucky to be surrounded by many female entrepreneurs in our communities. Their hard work and entrepreneurial spirits result in amazing businesses that make our communities better.

Have you ever met an entrepreneur? Reach out to some local businesses in your area and find out who the founders or owners are. Ask if you can visit the business and meet with the entrepreneurs to get to know them. As you get to know these local entrepreneurs, ask them about their creative process and innovative ideas. Who knows, you might start thinking of some entrepreneurial ideas yourself!

Interested in learning more about entrepreneurship with Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee? Check out some of our programs, including the Entrepreneur Center for Girls patch program and the Financial Literacy Badge Blast on July 25!