Compassion Candies Vending Service is open for business!

My baby girls cut the ribbon at their first location! (Sorry, can’t help with the mom talk…it’s weird to see my babies doing things like this!)

The Backstory!

This is the story of how this ‘small’ business came to be! At home, they want to earn money doing ‘grown up’ jobs that don’t make a whole lot of sense. (Like selling art, working on a car, or, in Isla’s imagination: “I’ll just find money laying around!”)

Looking back, teaching our kids the principles of money, (spending, saving, giving, and later: investing) has been on our minds since day 1. With that, we took this opportunity to come up with business ideas. Ones that were as ‘grown up’ as you could get at 5 and 4 years old (at the time).

A short time of brainstorming later, the idea for a candy machine came to be. The girls were immediately sold!

In order to bring the vision to life, they earn money from household chores. With investments from their parents and little brother Levi, they buy their first machine & candy stock. Side note: Levi is a shareholder. He’ll take an active role in the business when he’s officially out of pull-ups.

The girls knew they wanted to share their profits with charity. We discuss some options, and their favorite one has to do with our sponsor child, Novitri. We write to her in Indonesia through Compassion International, which connects people to children across the world through sponsorships.

Together, we decided that 25% of profits from their business would be donated directly to Compassion. (Hence the name…Compassion Candies!). Help us help kids in need.

A Minor (Major) Setback

Everything is moving along smoothly. The girls are ready to cut the ribbon on their first location–our office in the Creamery Building. But, the pandemic happens. It halts production as businesses across the world shut down and people stay home. The candy machine sits at our office mostly untouched (except by the girls–who were their own best customers in 2020.)

Now, as things reopen and we have a new, hopeful year ahead of us. The time has come for their first true location: Anytime Fitness in Fort Atkinson!

Now It REALLY Begins!

Isla and Esme, miniature entrepreneurs, give their first sales pitch to the amazingly graceful managers & trainer: Paxton, Chris, & Nikki. It is honestly so amazing to see how kind & graceful they are to the girls, and listen patiently as they find their answers.

Their nervousness quickly wears off, and the girls excitedly chatter with their new friends about where their machine should go. Nikki gives the girls a tour of the gym, and Chris shows them the perfect spot.

After Nick brings in the machine, the girls cut the ribbon, and Esme is her own first customer!

All in all, what a sweet day this is. Thank you soooo much to our amazing friends at Anytime for letting our little girls start Compassion Candies Vending Service in the gym! Nick and I are so thankful. We’ll continue to teach these little ones the principles of business and using our resources to help those in need around the world.

Looking Ahead

The girls are getting ready to purchase their second candy machine, and are considering other local business to contact. If you own a Fort Atkinson business and would like to meet these little ladies, send us an email via our contact page! 🙂

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CHARITY: Compassion International | FACEBOOK: Compassion Candies | INSTAGRAM: Compassion_Candies | LOCATION: Anytime Fitness Fort Atkinson | PHOTOGRAPHY: Mama