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The young — very young — entrepreneurs behind an egg business

Erika Soderstrom and Marissa Cabrera Aug 19, 2022
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Kiel, right, and Fredde, with his hands raised, stand next to the chicken coop with their mom, Brittney, and siblings. Courtesy Brittney

The young — very young — entrepreneurs behind an egg business

Erika Soderstrom and Marissa Cabrera Aug 19, 2022
Heard on:
Kiel, right, and Fredde, with his hands raised, stand next to the chicken coop with their mom, Brittney, and siblings. Courtesy Brittney
HTML EMBED:
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What did you do with the money you saved as a kid? Maybe you bought a cool toy? Or maybe you stashed away your savings in a piggy bank? Brothers Kiel, 6, and Fredde, 5, opted for a different route. 

A young boy (Fredde) is crouched down, feeding his favorite chicken while a few other chickens gather around him.
Fredde feeds his favorite chicken, Lucy, a treat. (Courtesy Brittney)

Kiel and Fredde invested their money in chickens and started a business selling the eggs around their Wisconsin town. Kiel came up with the idea after learning how much he could buy with his savings. 

Their mom, Brittney, explained that Kiel had about enough money saved up for an ice cream cone, or he could save his money for something bigger down the road. Kiel decided to save his money. Then he concocted a plan to buy chickens and sell the eggs, and Fredde joined in. Now they could make even more money. “Like, piles of money,” Fredde said.

A young boy (Kiel) is holding a brown chicken in his hands while smiling.
Kiel holds one of his chickens. Around the coop, the boys wear “chicken coop shoes” — clogs that are easy to clean. (Courtesy Brittney)

Their parents were on board, but they had terms: They would build the chicken coop and provide the feed, but buying the chickens (they have eight), that was on Kiel and Fredde. 

“It’s just been a lot of fun, really watching them develop this plan and have it grow. And seeing really the follow-through that they have with this,” Brittney said.

Want to know how Kiel and Fredde manage their flock, handle egg delivery and how much they’ve earned? Click the audio button above.

Want to learn more about kids and money? Listen to Marketplace’s podcast “Million Bazillion.”

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