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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WWYD - teen running their own tuck shop in school

504 replies

PinkPansies · 08/02/2022 16:06

We've realised recently that ds1 aged 14 has become quite flush with cash (more so than his pocket money would allow anyway!).

On questioning we've discovered that he's quite the entrepreneur and has set up his own tuck shop in school on breaks and lunches. In short, he's been stopping at the local Coop on the way to school and buying sweets and chocolates then selling them to the kids in his year for double the price. Who are more than willing to pay.

From making the odd quid here and there his 'business' has expanded rapidly in the last 3 weeks and he's got quite a following in school - and he's currently making about ten quid A DAY in profit. I can't quite believe the amounts.

He's taking specific requests from kids that get the bus to school so don't have the opportunity to visit a shop and has a price/order list to show his customers and a book with a record of his sales and profits each day 🙈

He's taking it very seriously and is incredibly organised. He's explained to his parents that his profit is limited only by how much stuff he can physically fit in his bag - so he's currently looking at smaller, higher value sweets and sounding our his customers for interest levels.

Parent A and Parent B have different opinions.

Parent A is thrilled, has congratulated their son for his driven, entrepreneurial spirit and told him to crack on...but that he needs to be aware the school will probably give him a detention if he's caught. It's a risk ds is happy to take.

Parent B is amused and a bit impressed but thinks he should stop as obviously the school would frown on this. Haven't seen any specific school rules about this but obviously the school would probably want it stopped!

WWYD?

OP posts:
britneyisfree · 09/02/2022 01:12

@MaggieMooh

If he’s serious about it he’ll have to register and pay tax etc. You can’t just run a business illegally.
🙄
PinkSyCo · 09/02/2022 01:31

I’d be quite impressed and wouldn’t worry too much about him getting a detention for it, but I am shocked that kids are prepared to pay DOUBLE the retail price instead of having the foresight to stock up on goodies for themselves, and be a bit disappointed if my child was silly/lazy enough to be ripped off so easily.

marthasGinyard · 09/02/2022 01:59

Parent
A Amstrad

NumberTheory · 09/02/2022 02:07

I'm much more parent A but I'd be sitting them down to have a conversation about potential risks/downsides and how to mitigate/handle them as well as congratulating them on their entrepreneurship and suggesting putting some cash into savings ready for bigger and better things.

Kennykenkencat · 09/02/2022 02:32

@Mirw

Pay the tax, donate 10% to the school. Great. Not willing to do this, detention and possible kicking out of school. He should be selling fruit, not crap.
What tax? He would have to be making more than £65 profit each day he was at school around even start to pay tax. He makes about £10

Just because you profit from something doesn’t automatically mean you have to pay tax

SnappedAndFarted18 · 09/02/2022 02:55

Haha let him carry on OP especially as he seems to be doing so well for himself as long as he’s careful & doesn’t get caught he should be fine Smile - one of mine used to do this in secondary too & then a few of his friends started doing it aswell they all made a really good profit & although there were some mean teachers who decided to take the sweets drinks etc off them there was also some nice teachers who actually shook their heads, laughed at them & ended up buying from them too 🤦‍♀️😄

WiddlinDiddlin · 09/02/2022 02:59

@Lampshading

That kid’s going to make money throughout his life, regardless of his GCSE results.

Yeah true, making a profit off of those who don't have the same resources as him- ie can't get to the shop before school. The glorious cornerstone of capitalism.

Surely that's how life works.

There are things I can do that most people cannot do - they pay me well to do them.

This kid can get sweets each morning, others cannot. They have a choice, they can wait until they can, or they can buy from him.

Likely, they're all able to go to a supermarket and buy even cheaper than he does, some of them may have parents who have cash and carry cards and could undercut him further. They are not doing that - why, probably they didn't think of it or don't want to.

As for the comedian who suggested he sell fruit instead - boy you REALLY don't understand demand and supply do you!

Blossom64265 · 09/02/2022 03:01

I would request that the child go through the school rule book very carefully and look for any existing rules that could be used as the basis for punishing the student for this business. These need to be explicit or anything the administration might try to stretch. If there is nothing explicit, then I would ask the child to lay out the reasonable arguments as to why the school can’t punish the activity under current rules. If this can’t be done, it should stop. If it can, then If the school tries to overstep, the child will be ready with a defense. Then the child can enjoy the business until the rules get updated.

Hawkins001 · 09/02/2022 05:31

@crazyjinglist

Parent B. I'm a teacher. This will be more than a detention, I'd guess.
How ? Especially if school does not have specific rules in place to prevent the enterprise. Then the devil is in the detail so to speak.
phishy · 09/02/2022 05:47

In a world of multipacks of sweets and chocolate being available for a £1, it doesn’t sound likely.

lololololollll · 09/02/2022 06:30

I did this at school too and got bollocked for it, that was 25 years ago tho and I think teachers would think it's good now

lololololollll · 09/02/2022 06:31

Register as self employed comments are lols 😂😂😂😂😂

Beautiful3 · 09/02/2022 06:58

It's brilliant. Well done to the lad.

Elsielouise13 · 09/02/2022 06:59

There’s a thriving market at my son’s school for sweets. Certain brands commandeering higher prices. I’m pretty sure the school knows, all the parents know. No one cares.

Wallywobbles · 09/02/2022 07:00

It turns out I'm parent B. Dd15 was selling vape refills and vapes to her class mates because she had a credit card.

I felt it would get her into trouble at school. V serious school that gets rid of anyone that might impact their reputation.

She does worry me. Overly strong entrepreneurial skills, not sure about her ethical boundaries.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 09/02/2022 07:04

@wallywobbles selling an illegal product with serious health implications is a bit different to selling a Mars bar!

Toanewstart23 · 09/02/2022 07:05

@Wallywobbles

It turns out I'm parent B. Dd15 was selling vape refills and vapes to her class mates because she had a credit card.

I felt it would get her into trouble at school. V serious school that gets rid of anyone that might impact their reputation.

She does worry me. Overly strong entrepreneurial skills, not sure about her ethical boundaries.

Bit different Confused
Wallywobbles · 09/02/2022 07:06

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime like I said dodgy ethical boundaries. To be honest she's always had them. Shoplifting at 2 yo. She used to hide things in her turn ups.

Toanewstart23 · 09/02/2022 07:10

* dodgy ethical boundaries*

To describe your young teen as having the above is concerning

Cherrysoup · 09/02/2022 07:12

We’d give isolation for rule breaking. Healthy schools, no fizzy drinks allowed and if a child is seen with a huge amount of sweets, they’d be confiscated and the parent asked to collect. I think it’s extremely inappropriate.

Cherrysoup · 09/02/2022 07:13

Just to add, there is an explicit rule about this in my school.

Toanewstart23 · 09/02/2022 07:25

@Cherrysoup

Just to add, there is an explicit rule about this in my school.
How worded?
erinaceus · 09/02/2022 07:27

Vape situation is pretty different. Also, she could get into trouble for having a credit card at that age, I would have thought.

phishy · 09/02/2022 07:29

OP never came back to her thread. Hmm.

mugoftea456 · 09/02/2022 07:29

Every school has a kid that does this!

We had one who parents would take him to Costco and he would sell bags of sweets.

He runs a hugely successful catering company now !

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