The Fudge Fairy

The Fudge Fairy is a small business that started with an educational purpose. 
Our true story, which we call our Fudge Fairy Tale, began ten years ago. 
We hope it will be an inspiration for parents and children involved in homeschooling.

HOMESCHOOLING - Real Life Education by Starting A Business

No one's ever too young to start a business. My eleven year old daughter and I started a small business as a homeschooling project in 1999. Ten years later, she has an established online candy and gift store. Homeschooling made this possible.

The very nature of homeschooling offers the opportunity to use real life as a classroom. Homeschooling and starting a business work well together because they require the same things:

• Vision based on your interests, passions and abilities
• Belief in yourself
• Self-discipline to work independently
• Courage, commitment and determination to succeed

The Power of Parents
For a child's successful homeschooling and business start-up, a close relationship with a parent is essential. Under consistent guidance, children learn to apply essential skills such as self-motivation and business planning while learning to work in the real world and earn money. It's also important to choose a business your child can do. Choose something they will enjoy because their participation is the reason for the business.

The Internet
Technology has changed the way young people see their potential. The Internet offers them new choices including homeschooling resources and services for starting a small business. Some successful teenagers have become millionaires through developing their own websites and games. There are no limits on what young people can do online if they are nurtured for success.

Public School Realities
As a former teacher in a public unified school district for five years, I made several observations:

• Many of the children in public school weren't happy there. The main complaint was boredom.

• 20% of students belonged in the system and performed very well, while the remaining 80% didn't.

• On an average day in the classroom each student received ten to fifteen minutes of individual, one-on-one time with their teacher. The rest of the day was devoted to group teaching of twenty-five to thirty students, transitioning from one activity to another, class disruptions, recesses, lunch and crowd control.

• Classes are mixed with 10% high and 10% low achievers with the majority of students somewhere in the middle. A gifted child might read 200 books a year while a slow child can't make it through one.

• Classrooms move at the pace of the slowest students. Often advanced students tune out due to boredom and slow students turn off because they can't keep up.

• Most students become restless and join cliques trying to find their place academically and socially.

• Public education is a one-size-fits-all approach to education and conformity is expected within the system.

A man must consider what rich realm he
abdicates when he becomes a conformist.
                             --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Leap of Faith
My daughter attended public school in grades K-4. She dreaded going to school and disliked the long, dull days in classrooms. At the start of 5th grade I pulled her out, quit teaching and we began homeschooling when she was ten years old. I was a single mother and our sole support, so I found a full-time job with a flexible time schedule and restructured our life around my daughter's needs.

Homeschooling is a big commitment. Getting started was difficult and our first year was scary. I wondered if I'd done the right thing, especially when there were so many critics: family, friends, teachers and other parents. I forged ahead because I truly believed there was a better way for her to learn through real life experience.

Starting A Business
After a year of homeschooling, we decided to start a real business. My daughter loved making and serving fudge every Christmas, so we formed a candy company, created a website and served fresh fudge at local business events. Soon people wanted to place orders and we put our candy into three local stores. The company made a small profit and my daughter was encouraged to continue.

Education While Growing the Business
As business grew my daughter finished her high school portfolio and graduated at age thirteen. At age fourteen, she enrolled in UC Berkeley online and completed English Composition 101. She then earned her A.S. Degree online in Business Administration at age 18, while traveling Europe for several months to see the world. Now at age 21, she completed her B.A. in Business while expanding the company. Next, she plans to earn an MBA.

Results of Real Life Education
Homeschooling by starting a business gives children a head start in the real world and flexibility to customize and pursue their education.