It’s never too early to start learning about how to run a small business. Smart parents will help their kids learn some small business lessons from a very young age. They can do this by encouraging kids to turn their interests into profits.

The first thing that a parent must do is to identify what a child’s interests are and how they might be marketable. Sometimes this is easy. If you’re daughter likes jewelry then she can make jewelry and sell it. Children and jewelry naturally lead into a business. However, sometimes it’s a bit tougher. If your kid’s favorite toy is play food then you might need to get more creative to think of a money-making scheme that involves this stuff.

Once you have the idea in mind, you should suggest it to your child. However, you shouldn’t push it on him. If he seems interested, let him know how you can help him to get started. Let him do as much of the work on his own as he can. That’s how he will really learn what business is all about. The goal here isn’t to make a mint are launch a career; it’s to have fun while getting educated about making money.