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My Cookie VentureIt takes a lot of planning to run your Girl ScoutCookie business. Start by expanding yourknowledge of your business resources andcustomers. Think about how much time you candevote to your sales goals. When you’re ready,create a business plan that will guide you toyour most successful cookie season ever!girl photoSteps1. Get prepared for your cookie business2. Set goals and a budget3. Create a mission statement4. Plan to reach your customers5. Write a team business planPurposeWhen I’ve earned this badge, I will know how tocreate a business plan for my cookie business.Cadette
Before you explore,review the “SupplementalSafety Tips for Online Marketing”and “Digital Marketing Tips forCookie Entrepreneurs and Families”at girlscouts.org.Step 1: Get prepared foryour cookie businessBefore starting this year’s cookie season, research everything you canabout it. Learn what’s new this year. What are the cookie costs andvarieties? What are the rewards? Find out how to sell and track yourdigital sales progress on the Digital Cookie /Smart Cookies site.Choices—do one:Earn yourCadette CookieEntrepreneurFamily pin!Go togirlscouts.org/cadettecookiepinto find the requirements.Get to know your order card. Write your name and goals on yourcard and read through it. Look over sections designed for you, likethe rewards. Get familiar with sections helpful to customers, like thetypes of cookies and nutrition facts. Think about how you’ll use theorder card to help your customers choose what to buy. For more fun: Decorate a clipboard for your order card. Youmight paint it, put stickers on it, or write motivational statements.Create a cookie sales tip sheet. Hold an information session withyour sales team to research everything you need to know aboutyour business. Go to the “Girl Scout Cookie Program FAQs” atgirlscouts.org/cookieprogramfaqs to find product information, howto buy and sell cookies, and more. Create a cookie sales tip sheet foryour group with the facts and ideas you want to use and remember.PMS74122 CadettePMS726PMS731Play a team cookie game. Print cards with images of the cookies.Have two of your troop members hold up a cloth or sheet, creatinga wall. Another member will hold the cards on one side of the sheetwhile two competing members stand on the other side. When thesheet is dropped, the first person to name the cookie and two mainingredients of the cookie wins. Have fun adding other cookie facts toPMS PMS PMSPMSPMSPMS PMSPMS your own!thecardsand makingthe game497573146474127267412726725
Words to KnowBrand: The name, symbol, mark, or logo a company uses to identify their product. A brand is also the way acustomer feels about and experiences the product.Cookie entrepreneur: When you sell Girl Scout Cookies, you set goals, talk to customers, make decisions,make mistakes, and try again. This is all part of being an entrepreneur!Digital Cookie/Smart Cookies: A way for customers to buy cookies online. Depending on where you live, youwill either use Digital Cookie (for Little Brownie Bakers councils) or Smart Cookies (for ABC Bakers councils)to manage digital sales.Digital marketing: Using technology, such as computers, smartphones, and social media, to reachyour customers.Entrepreneur: Someone who creates something or finds a way to help people and solve problems.Entrepreneurs often use their ideas to create a business.Feedback: What someone thinks about your ideas or how you run your business.Iterate: Repeatedly changing something to end up with a result you want. Entrepreneurs go through theentrepreneurial process, a cycle that creates changes and makes improvements. You iterate your cookiebusiness each year as you grow new skills!Mission statement: This explains the purpose, values, and goals for your business.Order card: Where you’ll find the names of the cookies, what they cost, your customer’s information, andthe number of packages you sell.Package goal: How many packages of cookies you and your troop plan to sell.Pitch: What you tell your customers to get them excited about buying cookies from you.Troop goal: What you plan to do with the money your troop earns selling cookies.Troop proceeds: The portion of cookie sales kept by troops.Venture: A task or an act in which there is risk or the result is not certain. When you run your cookiebusiness, you are starting a business venture with your friends!Safety FirstFind out how to keep your cookie business safe. Go to girlscouts.org to find safetyguidelines for selling digitally, door-to-door, or at a cookie booth.My Cookie Venture 3
Step 2: Set goals and a budgetEvery business venture needs goals and a budget! Do one of the three choices and follow these steps:1. Set a goal based on what you want to do with your troop proceeds. Some examples: meeting supplies, fieldtrips, Take Action projects, or your Girl Scout Silver Award.2. Vote on your choices.3. Determine how much each goal will cost, then calculate the total cost. Use the “Cookie Goal and BudgetPlanner” on page 5.4. Find out how much your troop will get for each package sold, based on your council and budget.5. Divide your goal cost by the per package amount to find out how many packages you need to sell to reachyour goals.6. Set your individual sales goal to support your troop goal.7. Make adjustments to your plans or budget, if needed.Choices—do one:Divide it up. Hang three posters around your meeting room that say: Take Action and Awards, Field Trips andAdventures, and Troop Meeting Activities. (If you’re not meeting in person, you can do this online.) Do your ownresearch on each topic—be sure to check your council website. As you find ideas, use sticky notes to post them undereach category. After everyone’s posted, discuss as a team and vote for the ideas you like best.Use teamwork. Have each team research a goal topic: Take Action and Awards, Field Trips and Adventures, andTroop Meeting Activities. Include ideas and the cost for each goal. Have each team present their findings to the groupfor discussion and a vote.Get feedback. Find out what other Girl Scouts have done with their cookie money. Get ideas from cookie businessadvisors like troop leaders or Girl Scout alums too. Write a set of goals that you and your team like the best, then getfeedback from your cookie business advisors about your list. Make changes to your plan based on their feedback. Arethere some goals you can defer to next year or do you need to adjust your plans or goals in any way?4 Cadette
Cookie Goal and Budget PlannerGoals:This goal will cost:#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Goal total cost (how much money you need to earn): Troop proceeds per package: Total goal cost divided by troop proceeds per package Cookie package goalSample troop budget:Goal cost: 1,000Troop proceeds per package: .65 (proceeds vary by council) 1,000 divided by .65 1,538 packages troop needs to sellMy Cookie Venture 5
Step 3: Create amission statementA mission statement defines your business’s reason for existing. Itcommunicates what you stand for and your goals. As you work onyour statement, think about what your cookie business does, howit does it, and why. A mission statement is an important internalguiding document for all members of a business.Choices—do one:Research mission statements from inspiring companies. Lookup the mission statements for several brands. What are their values?How do they practice those values? How do they create a connectionwith customers? Did learning about the company’s mission impactyour feelings about their products? Use what you find to create yourmission statement.Talk to a businessperson. Look for someone who sells online or hasa location where people shop in person (also known as a brick-andmortar business). Find out what their mission statement is and howit applies to their everyday business. Write your mission statementand ask them to give you feedback.MY ISEOMPR MY HITFA6 CadetteGet inspired by the Girl Scout mission statement. Take a lookat the Girl Scout mission statement: “Girl Scouting builds girls ofcourage, confidence, and character, who make the world a betterplace.” How does this fit with your mission statement? Researchother powerful mission statements. Then write your own: What isyour common goal for your cookie business? How does your businessstand out and what is your public image?
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Get creative with digital marketing. With your team, come upwith new ways to reach customers. Create a fun video to show themhow you’ll use your cookie money, or make an entertaining socialmedia and email campaign to send updates to customers. With yourcustomers’ permission, capture and share the supportive things theysay about your business. This shows potential customers that buyingfrom you is a great investment! Ask your loyal customersto share your Digital Cookie/Smart Cookies link or sales pitchvideo online.ges 5. TeshantacgaekiaChoices—do one:et feedback 1. G2.AThink Likea CookieEntrepreneurGetting feedback can helpimprove your ideas andthe decisions you make asa cookie entrepreneur.o makeges t an4.MchctHow can you reach your customers and build your network ofsupport? Check out “Digital Marketing Tips for Cookie Entrepreneursand Families” at girlscouts.org/cookiedigitalmarketing for ideas.Make sure to create a sales pitch for selling cookies. Do one of thesechoices and come up with a marketing plan.n edback 3e fe.SellyzenaStep 4: Plan to reachyour customersResearch your favorite brands. Check out their websites andsocial media accounts. How do they build a relationship withtheir customers? What can you do to safely connect with onlinecustomers? Think about your target customers and where they’remost active online. Use what you find to create a marketing plan foryour business.Ask an expert to help take your plan up a notch. Share yoursales pitch and marketing ideas with a businessperson and ask foradvice about developing a new customer base. Find out how youcan tell your story in a powerful way. Consider how you might reachcustomers online and in person. Use what you learn to come up witha marketing plan.My Cookie Venture 9
Cookie Business PlanKey areas to include: Mission Statement: From Step 3. Our Team: Who is on your cookie business team and what are their roles? Calendar: Think about dates relevant to the cookie season, such as when tostart planning, hold events, have team updates, and communicate with yourcustomers. How often will you send emails and post on social media? Goals: From Step 2: What are your goals for spending your cookie money? Howwill you make sure you’re on track to meet your goals? Sales Goals: How many packages do you plan to sell? Where and how will yousell? Digital? Door-to-door? Cookie booths? How will you track your sales? Budget: From Step 2. Marketing Plan: From Step 4: Who are your customers and how will you marketyour business? How many videos will you make to promote your business? Areyou hosting cookie booths or promoting the cookie donation program? Includeany digital marketing strategies you came up with in Step 4.Cookie Business PlanKey areas to include: Mission Statement: From Step 3. Our Team: Who is on your cookie business team and what are their roles? Calendar: Think about dates relevant to the cookie season, such as when tostart planning, hold events, have team updates, and communicate with yourcustomers. How often will you send emails and post on social media? Goals: From Step 2: What are your goals for using your cookie money? How willyou make sure you’re on track to meet your goals? Sales Goals: How many packages do you plan to sell? Where and how will yousell? Digital? Door-to-door? Cookie booths? How will you track your sales? Budget: From Step 2. Marketing Plan: From Step 4: Who are your customers and how will you marketyour business? How many videos will you make to promote your business? Areyou hosting cookie booths or promoting the cookie donation program? Includeany digital marketing strategies you came up with in Step 4.10 Cadette
Step 5: Write a teambusiness planCreate a team business plan to help guide your efforts. Make sure toget into the details. See “Cookie Business Plan” on page 10. The morespecific your plan is, the more likely you are to complete each step.Choices—do one:Add a risk management plan. Expect the unexpected in yourcookie business. What can go wrong? How can you be prepared?On a white board or large paper (or online), create three columns:High Risk, Medium Risk, and Low Risk. With your team, come upwith things that might affect your business, such as: not enoughpeople buying cookies, not enough girls to sell cookies, internetproblems for Digital Cookie/Smart Cookie sales, bad weather, orother impactful factors. If possible, talk to an entrepreneur to findout what problems they have faced. Make a list of things that couldgo wrong. Place each problem in the column you think it belongs,then come up with a solution or backup plan for each. Include thisin your cookie business plan.Earning your BusinessCreator badge will give youeven more tools to writea business plan and makeyour ideas better.Check out other cookie products. Compare packaging, price, andingredients of one kind of Girl Scout Cookie with another brandof cookies. Note the way other cookies are displayed in storesand advertised. Find out how other companies sell cookies online.What are the benefits to buying Girl Scout Cookies online?What makes your cookies stand out? Find quick answers andproduct information in the “Girl Scout Cookie Program FAQs” atgirlscouts.org/cookieprogramfaqs. Use what you learn to informyour business plan.Ask a businessperson for feedback. Write up your business plan andfind someone in a related business (or with a business background) tohelp refine your plan. Use this feedback to make changes.My Cookie Venture 11
TM & 2021 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or byany means, electronic or mechanical methods, including photocopying, recording, or by anyinformation storage or retrieval system, now known or hereinafter invented, without the priorwritten permission of Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), except in the case ofbrief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permittedby copyright law. For permissions requests, write to GSUSA at the address below or visit thewww.girlscouts.org website to access permission request forms.First published in 2021 by Girl Scouts of the United States of America420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798www.girlscouts.org12 Cadette
Volunteer’s Guide to theMy Cookie Venture Badge*Find tips and ideas to help you guide your troop through this badge.Step 1: Get prepared for your cookiebusiness 30–40 minutesAsk: What do you know about your cookie business?Share: Before starting this year’s cookie season, researcheverything you can about it. Learn what’s new. What arethe cookie costs and varieties? What are the rewards? Findout how to sell, send emails, and track your digital salesprogress on the Digital Cookie /Smart Cookies site.Choices—do one: Get to know your order card. Instruct Cadettes toread through their order cards. Provide highlighters andsuggest color coding information like cookies and costs forcustomers and goals and rewards for themselves. Provideclipboards and supplies for personalization.Materials: order cards, pencils, highlighters, clipboards,decorative items (stickers and the like) Create a cookie sales tip sheet. Break up Cadettes intoteams and direct them to the “Girl Scout Cookie ProgramFAQs” at girlscouts.org/cookieprogramfaqs. InstructCadettes to create a cookie sales tip sheet on a shareddocument where they can add cookie facts and ideas fortheir cookie business.Materials: computers or tablets Play a team cookie game. Divide Cadettes into groups offour or five. Share a description of the game from the badgebooklet. After a few rounds, encourage players to createtheir own cookie game using the same cards or adding newones. Have groups share their game with the troop!Materials: sets of cookie image cards or computers,smartphones, or tablets; cloths/sheets, index cards, pencilsStep 2: Set goals and a budget 30–40 minutesAsk: What are your goals for your cookie business this year?Share: Every business venture needs goals and a budget!First, you need to decide on your goals, and then you canfigure out your budget.Choices—do one: Divide it up. Have Cadettes follow the directions in thebadge booklet to decide on troop goals. Help facilitatevoting by proposing an online poll. As a troop, determinethe costs of individual goals, total cost, and how manypackages they’ll sell to reach their goals. Together, use the“Cookie Goal and Budget Planner” worksheet and steps onpage 5 of the badge booklet to complete the troop’s budget.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets; posters,sticky notes, pencils, “Cookie Goal and Budget Planner” Use teamwork. Divide the troop into three teams(utilize breakout rooms for virtual meetings). Eachteam picks one goal topic to research: Take Action andAwards, Field Trips and Adventures, and Troop MeetingActivities. Each group reports ideas and costs for theirtopic to the troop. Together, use the “Cookie Goal andBudget Planner” worksheet and steps on page 5 of thebadge booklet to complete the troop’s budget.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets; “Cookie Goaland Budget Planner” Get feedback. Use the “Communication Manager” in theVolunteer Toolkit to reach out to your network of Cadettefamilies. Ask for help connecting with Girl Scout alumswho can help the troop set goals and plan their budget.Invite them to the meeting and share the “Cookie Goaland Budget Planner” worksheet on page 5 ahead of time.Follow the steps in the badge booklet to complete thetroop’s budget.Materials: “Cookie Goal and Budget Planner,” paper,pencils, or pensStep 3: Create a mission statement 20–30 minutesAsk: Why is your cookie business important to you? To thetroop? Share: A mission statement defines your business’sreason for existing. Create a mission statement that shareswhat you stand for and what your goals are. Think aboutwhat your cookie business does, how it does it, and why.*Detailed choice activities, meeting tools, and additional resources and materials can be found within the Volunteer Toolkit on my.girlscouts.org.CADETTE My Cookie Venture 1
Choices—do one: Research mission statements from inspiringcompanies. Have Cadettes write down three brands theylike or know. Divide the troop into teams and have themlook up and discuss the company mission statements. Guideconversations by using questions in the badge booklet.Have the young entrepreneurs reflect on their business andmission, then write their own mission statement. Suggestthat they design a sign (on paper or digitally) for their cookiebooth that tells customers about their mission.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets; plain paper,drawing and coloring supplies Talk to a businessperson. Invite a shop owner to the nextmeeting. Share the purpose of the step and activity aheadof time. After discussing the guest’s business experience,Cadettes can reflect on their own business and writemission statements. Encourage them to ask for feedback,then design a sign to share their mission with customers.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets; plain paper,drawing and coloring supplies Get inspired by the Girl Scout mission statement.Ask, “How does the Girl Scout mission statement fit withyour Girl Scout experience?” Have Cadettes researchmore mission statements or prepare a short list ofmission statements for them to guess the companies.Have these cookie bosses reflect on their own businessand mission, then write their own mission statement.Suggest that they create a sign (on paper or digitally) toadd to their cookie display.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets; plain paper,drawing and coloring suppliesStep 4: Plan to reach your customers 20–30 minutesAsk: How can you reach your customers and buildyour network of support? Share: Check out “DigitalMarketing Tips for Cookie Entrepreneurs and Families”at girlscouts.org/cookiedigitalmarketing and otherresources on girlscouts.org for ideas. In this step, you willcreate a sales pitch and come up with a marketing plan.Choices—do one: Get creative with digital marketing. Use the“Communication Manager” in the Volunteer Toolkit toshare the purpose of this step and activity directionswith families ahead of time. With support from families,Cadettes can get creative with online marketing.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets Research your favorite brands. Have Cadettesresearch their favorite brands and find out how they usesocial media and online marketing to build customerrelationships. Ask, “How can you connect with yourcustomers online?” Direct Cadettes to “Digital MarketingTips for Cookie Entrepreneurs and Families” atgirlscouts.org/cookiedigitalmarketing.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets Ask an expert to help take your plan up a notch.Consider utilizing an online council forum for Cadettes toshare their ideas. With an adult, they can record and sharesales pitches and ask for feedback.Materials: computers, smartphones, or tabletsStep 5: Write a team business plan 20–30 minutesAsk: What steps do you take to run a successful cookiebusiness? Share: Create a team business plan to help guideyour efforts. Make sure to get into the details. See “CookieBusiness Plan” on page 10. The more specific your plan is, themore likely you are to complete each step.Choices—do one: Add a risk management plan. Divide Cadettes into smallgroups. Provide each group with paper and pencils to createa three-column organizer for high, medium, and low risk(or create it digitally). Cadettes brainstorm things that couldgo wrong or problems they could face with their cookiebusiness. Have them categorize each as high, medium, orlow risk, then come up with a solution or back-up plan.Before groups start, go over one example together.Materials: paper, pencils Check out other cookie products. Create small teams,one for each kind of Girl Scout Cookie. Each group selects acookie, then researches the brand. Cadettes will comparepackaging, price, ingredients, and how another brandsells their cookies. Ask, “What makes Girl Scout Cookiesstand out?”Materials: computers, smartphones, or tablets Ask a businessperson for feedback. Discuss the “CookieBusiness Plan” on page 10 with Cadettes and have themwrite up their own. (They can work independently or inteams.) Use the “Communication Manager” in the VolunteerToolkit to reach out to Cadette families—ask if anyone withbusiness experience can help refine cookie business plans.Materials: “Cookie Business Plan”; paper and pencils orcomputers, smartphones, or tabletsTM & 2021 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic or mechanical methods, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, now knownor hereinafter invented, without the prior written permission of Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), except in the case of brief quotationsembodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permissions requests, write to GSUSA at the address belowor visit the www.girlscouts.org website to access permission request forms.First published in 2021 by Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798, www.girlscouts.orgCADETTE My Cookie Venture 2
Cookie business. Start by expanding your knowledge of your business resources and customers. Think about how much time you can devote to your sales goals. When you’re ready, create a business plan that will guide you to your most successful cookie season ever! Steps 1. Get prepared for your cookie
