What To Do When Your Kid Wants To Start a Paper Route Business

A paper route business is not an easy task but undoubtedly has a lot of benefits when you venture into it. So if your kid comes to you for your assistance or show interest in starting a paper route delivery service, then encourage them and help them start one. This is because there are so many benefits that they will gain from the activity such as being able to handle money that isn’t theirs. If your child’s newspaper company policy includes that your child make collections, then they will be great with money. Through this, they will learn to be responsible with money that isn’t theirs and be more assertive when dealing with others.

Did you ever know that getting into the paper route business is a great form of exercise for your kid? Riding a bicycle almost every morning will be giving him a great workout while he earns money. Furthermore, if he or she does very well, they are sure to receive praises and this can boost self-confidence because of the appreciation they receive. The job demands punctuality, and so your kid will develop the habit of being punctual and respecting time as the success of his job depends on it. Another great advantage of the paper route business is that your kid gets freedom. He or she does not have to dress up to do it, they can also do their routes as quickly and in the manner they want.

There are lots of successful people today that started with delivering newspapers. Billionaire John C. Bogle was founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Corp and creator of Index Fund. He was born in 1929 and started delivering newspapers at the age of nine. It is at a young age that we teach our kids lessons and principles in life and help shape the view of the world. Allowing your kid to start a paper route business will instill in him or her value of hard work and responsibility. These are lessons you just don’t teach by word of mouth. Disney’s father owned a newspaper distributorship in Kansas City and Disney was one of the boys who delivered the paper. He received no pay, as his father saw it as an opportunity to help him learn responsibility.

Sometimes, kids learn skills that broaden their mindset and help them to be innovative. Small business are the backbone of most economies. For example, in the U.S almost half of its private sector workforce is 49.2% and these are employed by small business. Some of these important innovations have come from scrappy entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs who started Apple from his basement or Mark Zurkerberg who started Facebook while at school. You never know what your kid’s paper routing job might be preparing him for but it sure is going to be something good. So inspire them by playing the role of a supportive parent and instead of teaching them just how to do a chore which of cause is good, you can also teach them how to start a business or find a job. You could tell them to find a job in the house worth doing and come to you with an offer to do it.

Now that you know of how the paper delivery business can impact your kid positively, you can help him or her to start one.

Here is how:

1. Plan

Planning is very important in whatever one wants to do. This planning will include what it will cost you to start your kids business and the type of equipment or tools they will need to carry out their duties. You can do this with your kid by telling him to write out the information you need to help plan out your action plan. This could you asking them why they want to do this particular type of business and their long-term goals.

2. Find the number of the circulation department

Since everything these days can be mostly found online, you can search for the contact of your local Circulation Department. If not, search Newspapers or call customer service to aid you with their number. Call them to ask if there are any delivery jobs available for a kid in your area. State that it is your kid that wants the job and depending on their policy on age limit, you might want to confirm if your kid is capable of working for them. Do not omit this information as this may lead them to think that you are the one seeking the job and also mention that your kid will be using a bicycle.

3. Let them Attend Interviews

At times some circulation companies ask for an interview but this is not something your kid should be scared of. All you need to do is prep them on how interviews are conducted and that they should always be honest when answering questions. Help them to be calm and professional, all of these help them in the nearest future.

4. Ask questions

Ask your own questions in the interview too. It is an opportunity for your kid to find out more details about the job. This would include how much your kid gets paid, the type of delivery schedule etc.

5. Attend training sessions

If your kid gets the job, it is important that they attend the training session conducted by the newspaper company, if there is any. Each newspaper has different requirements and so it is important that your kid learns their policies and procedures so that he delivers well.

6. Decide on a delivery route

Despite the fact that the delivery is within a community, you need to protect your kid from being taken advantage of most especially. Make sure to find the minimum age for kids to deliver paper in your state or check with your local government just to be sure. Teach your kid to be very conscious of routes and to always have a GPS tracker on their bike or on their phone. You kid should not take on a route that is meant for car delivery because they have a higher age minimum and cover more square miles.

7. Getting a bike

If you already gave your kid a bike, then you will only need to get it a basket if it does not have one. If your kid does not have a bike, then you will have to get him one because that is going to be his mode of transportation. Getting the right bike is very important for safety and effective delivery. You will need a container on your bicycle to hold the newspaper before delivering them. This basket could be at the back or in front depending on whichever way is most suitable for him. Don’t forget to get your kid a helmet too and other gears if need be for a start, it is never too bad to be safe.

How to prep their bicycle to deliver papers

Here are some tips on how to outfit your kid’s bicycle before he or she begins their route.

1. Attach a basket to your kid’s bike if there isn’t one before.
2. Add bike safety equipment to make their bicycle more visible to cars. You could get these types of equipment online or from your local store and get help from bike shop representatives if you need help attaching these equipment. Some of these, could be colored flags, active lights placed on the front and back, headlight placed on the handlebars and reflective that can be placed on the tires and body of the bike.
3. Finally, help your kid to keep his bike in good condition, by checking for rust on the body of the bike. Making sure that the chain clean and oiled, checking the handlebars and seat for fitness and making sure to check the tires for punctures and wearing out.

Safety

Teach your kid about safety. They should always wear a safety gear when riding a bike and especially when delivering papers. You could also get them a knee and elbow pad, leather gloves to protect their hands, a reflector vest and a reflective poncho to wear in the rain.

Riding a bicycle on a free street is way different from a road on which cars drive on. Find out where your local laws permit a cyclist to pass through. Perhaps the law permits your kid to ride on the sidewalk which would be safer, if not, he or she must be attentive and careful when riding.

He or she must be careful of cars and not expect that everyone sees you. Thus, they should look both ways before crossing the street and they should be careful when they turn right or left as they cross the street.

In conclusion, help your kid to start a business which will help him or her to develop skills that will last for a lifetime and be very beneficial to them in the future. Let your bond grow stronger and make sure to be part of their business because as a parent your help your kids grow.