8-year-old Chidubem on love for robotics

Introduction

Hi, my name is Ezegolo Chidubem (“God, lead me”). I am eight years old, a student of Pampers Private School (Lower Grade 3).

My parents believe I have to be led by God (as my name implies) as I go through life. I believe that every child is a learner, a true knowledge seeker.

As a young learner who likes to solve problems, I find it great to be part of ‘kidentrepreneurs’ movement with strong personal interest and enthusiasm.

I have developed great passion for this program because of the support I have received from my teachers and most especially my parents who enrolled me into it.

My father has never ceased to ask me what I desire to become when I grow up. I really have not been consistent in my answers probably due to interest in anything that fascinates my mind.

I would want to become an astronaut, an electronics engineer, a computer scientist, a car racer, and even just a scientist that can make many things. I always want to impact my environment and society positively.

I believe that kidentrepreneurs was articulated in design to help the ambitious young learners and future leaders like me to find the right part early in life, to be properly guided to actualize their dreams and aspirations.

My Business Concept

Speaking business concept, I have been having several business thoughts flowing through my mind since I joined the kidentrepreneurs club in my school. I got an idea from what my dad used to talk about- artificial intelligence.

He talks about it with amazement; about how inanimate objects have been infused with technological mechanisms that enable them react to stimuli; how they respond to commands and so on. These objects, I learnt are ROBOTS.

This strange exploit got me interested. Ever since, with the help of what I have learnt so far in this club, I decided to build a business along this line.

With the basic skills I learnt from the club, it is enough for me to apply it to my area of interest and any other interest as regards business. I would like to produce robotic gadgets that will carry out functions that humans are not disposed to do at certain points in their lives.

Let’s check this out: I am privileged to have siblings that play with me. The privilege of having playmates around could be nonexistent in many homes.

It could be as a result of many factors that prevented couples from having children or more than one child. It is certain that a child that is born alone in any home would likely be lonely irrespective of any adult relatives around or even parents.

The child could play all he or she likes at school or in the neighbourhood, but the child would always desire to have a sibling to play or relate with at home.

My desire is to build robots that will fill in this gap in every home that a child has this challenge.

Many parents buy dolls and other toys to solve the problems of loneliness but I observed that unintelligent toys could not fully fill the gap.

Those that move are too mechanical and usually require manual manipulations by the child, and even if they do, they show no emotions towards their “supposed partners”. They need something that looks more animate. I am so passionate about meeting this peculiar need of lonely kids in many homes.

My Sources

My ultimate goal is to have a manufacturing firm that will produce a lot of robots that would perform various tasks. My plan is to request my dad to set up for me an outfit that will market and sell good quality robots from other manufacturers.

My company would be registered with the government agency in charge of business registration. I will come up with how my company logo would be, I will print business cards, invoices and other materials that will help my business.

After this, I will seek for a company that will buy into my idea of making lonely-child-companion-robots. If I was able to find any way, I would go into partnership with the company or purchase their franchise. Once I have secured the source of my supply, I will go into marketing the product.

My Marketing Strategy

From the club, I learnt that marketing involves creating attention for one’s products. It also involves projecting to the prospective buyers the benefits of using the products.

Being skilled in marketing through the club, I will set out to firstly make out how to locate my market (my target audience, who are those that need my products). In this case, my target is the parents and guardians of young lonely children.

The strategy I will adopt is to promote my product to these parents and guardians of young lonely children. I believe they would be willing to buy any product that bridges the gap for their children if they are made aware of it.

Two channels to go about it are: Mouth-to-mouth marketing and online marketing. As I will be reaching my audience directly with informative flyers and brochures, my parents will be helping with the online marketing which includes setting up an interactive website where visitors can find useful information. Other social media like facebook, instagram, pinterest, etc will also be helpful.

My Sales
My sales will be done mainly online through the internet. I may stock up my product at home if I could not get a warehouse for them.

All I need do is to deliver to the buyer from home. My interactive website should be able to receive online payments through online payment platforms.

I can start using my parents’ account to run the business until I become eligible to own a business account. All my sales will go through this account for proper accounting and record keeping.

Some of the profits I made from my business will be used to reward those children that referred others to buy. It’s a system to get more clients.

My Distribution Channel
I will have my parents and my older siblings help me deliver the products to the buyers that are nearby while I use courier services for the farther ones for which the buyers will pay in advance.

Conclusion
My business idea, as I have mentioned it above, is a function of a mind that is exposed to the skills of entrepreneurship. The club and my parents helped me articulate these ideas, as expressed above.

I am so passionate about this and cannot wait to get off the mark for I know that with the leadership of God, as my name describes, the coaching of kidentrepreneurs club and with the support of my parents, success is almost certain.