Young Businessman Testing National Waters
At 4, Greg Ehrlich earned money helping his mother, Mary, at birthday parties. At 6, he earned up to $40 a day selling lemonade and homemade cookies from his driveway.
At 11 and 12, he watered lawns, fed pets, baby-sat and clowned at parties. His pockets sagged with money.
“I am an entrepreneur at heart,” says Greg, who’s now a mature 13-year-old in Hayden Lake.
This year, Greg threw his entrepreneurial skills into the national market. He produced a six-page newsletter, “Young Entrepreneur,” about money-making ideas for kids, mailed 75 to friends and relatives across the nation and waited for the response.
He wasn’t disappointed. More than 30 subscriptions at $6 each filled his mailbox.
“One person bought five for his godchildren,” Mary says. “There was a lot of interest from parents.”
Greg’s polished, computer-generated publication features kid-owned businesses, job ideas, jokes and ads.
“I want it to be fun, not all hard stuff,” he says.
A newsletter Mary received last fall inspired Greg to marry two of his strong interests - business and journalism. He edited his school newspaper in Spokane last year.
This year he’s home-schooling and had to sell Mary on the newsletter as a project. It wasn’t hard.
“It’s a great idea,” she says. “It’s him.”
Greg’s so interested in life that Mary just sat back and watched. He interviewed two friends who opened a bike business and a friend who’s a champion saver.
In the newsletter, Greg shared tried-and-true ways he’s earned money because “I don’t want to mislead anyone,” he says. “I want to know these things work.”
He figures he spent 50 hours collecting information and laying out his newsletter on computer. It cost him $70 to print and mail. He plans to print three issues a year.
“After I pay back Mom, I’ll put some money into my aquarium,” he says.
The aspiring publisher won’t divulge his bank balance but says “I’m making a lot of money. I’m really surprised I could go this far. I thought I’d give up. This definitely gives me confidence.”
Open wide
Dentists aren’t the world’s most popular professionals, but Dr. Kenneth Lynn at Post Falls Family Dental Center deserves a good-guy award. Other dentists, take notice.
Kenneth and his staff donated a Saturday a few weeks ago to examine more than 85 children in desperate need of dental care. He and his crew cleaned teeth, treated kids with fluoride and filled cavities for no charge.
Here are the businesses that helped Kenneth get the work done: Target, Tidyman’s, Super One and Godfather’s Pizza in Post Falls, Patterson Dental Supply and Burkhart Dental Supply.
I like to know the places I shop contribute to my community. How about you?
Key player
Coeur d’Alene’s Mary Lou Wilson says one of the best music teachers in town is Verda Siebenthaler. When Verda taught piano in the 1970s, she held her recitals at nursing homes to cheer up the residents. As if that wasn’t enough, she also somehow made her students want to practice. Sounds like she’s a magician …
Uh-tennn-shun
Women, your time has come. The Women in Military Service for America Memorial will be unveiled next October and North Idaho women should be part of it. The memorial will include a database featuring records of women in military service from the American Revolution through Desert Storm.
If you’re one of those women, call (800) 222-2294 to enter your name on the memorial.
Who are the women veterans in your family and what are their stories? Be a military correspondent for Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814; send a fax to 765-7149; call 765-7128; or e-mail to cynthiat@spokesman.com.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo