Billy Sure Kid Entrepreneur vs. Manny Reyes Kid Entrepreneur

by Luke Sharpe

  How will I feel if Manny can invent what I couldn’t?

  “What do you think, Billy?” Manny asks. “I like the Candy Toothbrush because it’s a simple idea that kids will want to use and parents will be happy about. Makes your CFO job a bit easier, since it’s an EASY SELL!”

  Hmm . . . Manny does have a point. And it would be really nice for my first invention idea to actually see the light of day, even if I’m not the one inventing it.

  “I think it’s great, Manny!” I say, a little too enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”

  I pick up my phone and am about to resume playing Sandbox XXL when Manny shoots me a puzzled glance.

  “What are you doing?” he asks.

  “I’m going to play some more Sandbox XXL while you invent the Candy Toothbrush,” I reply. “Why? Should I be doing something else?”

  “Have I ever waited until you were completely finished inventing something before I started selling it?” Manny asks.

  Eek . . . aaaaagh.

  Manny’s right. I should have known that. In fact, there have been many times that Manny’s habit of selling something I haven’t invented yet has made me pretty nervous.

  “Hmm,” I say, putting down my phone. “So how are we going to make this role-switching thing work?”

  “Well, I figure I’ll sit at your workbench and try to figure out how to make the Candy Toothbrush,” Manny explains. “I think you should start calling stores to check out interest in this new invention.”

  “Sounds okay to me,” I say.

  After all, how hard could this be?

  Manny walks across the office and settles in at my workbench. I sit down at his desk and notice a line of files. They are sitting neatly in a file holder and each one has a colored-coded label: NEW INVENTIONS, INVENTIONS IN PROGRESS, MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR ALMOST-INVENTED IDEAS, and SALES RESULTS BY ZIP CODE.

  Wow, Manny is one organized dude. But, then again, so am I—in my own special way.

  I smile to myself, thinking what Manny says whenever he sees the, um, “organization” at my workbench.

  Then I start to think about what kind of stores might be interested in carrying the Candy Toothbrush.

  Let’s see. I could call candy stores—that’s a no-brainer. Also, convenience stores. I think that’s where most people buy toothbrushes. Dentist offices. My dentist is always giving me a new toothbrush after a checkup.

  Hmm. But what about stores that sell candy but aren’t just candy stores? Would they be interested? Like supermarkets?

  Maybe this sales thing isn’t as straightforward as I thought. Manny always just jumps right into this part, like he has plans fully formed the minute I mention a new invention idea. I always like to joke about Manny selling things I haven’t invented yet. But now that the tables are turned, it’s no joke at all.

  I always thought that the pressure was all on the inventor to create something that didn’t exist. But I can see now that there’s pressure on both sides.

  I turn around just as Manny does the same.

  “Getting started is tough,” we both say in unison.

  We laugh. At least I’m not the only one having trouble.

  Philo looks up from his bed. He glances over at Manny sitting at my workbench. Then he looks over at me sitting at Manny’s computer. Then he looks back at Manny, then me, then Manny.

  Poor Philo must be really confused. He’s so used to seeing us in our own workspaces. He whines, then decides that the best course of action is to put his head back down and continue his nap.

  I wonder what it would be like to switch places with Philo, I think.

  But since I haven’t switched places with Philo, and I have with Manny, I start searching for candy stores. The first one that comes up is Sweet Tooth. Of course! I used to go there all the time when I was younger.

  I dial the number and wait. Time to start my new career as a salesperson!

  After two rings a woman answers.

  “Hello! This is Sweet Tooth, where we satisfy your . . . sweet tooth! May I help you?” she says.

  “Hi,” I begin, trying not to let my nerves come through. “My name is Billy and I’m calling about a product I have coming out soon called the Candy Toothbrush. I think it would be perfect for your store.”

  Ooh, I like that last part. Maybe I do have a flair for this.

  “Hold on a second,” says the woman on the other end of the line.

  I hear a click, followed by a really sappy version of a song that I think Mom likes.

  Well, I think, this isn’t so hard. In fact, the hardest part so far has been having to listen to this horrible music! All I have to do now is wait for the person who answered the phone to get the right person for me to talk to. I may be making my first sale on my very first call.

  A minute goes by. Then two. Then five.

  After what feels like an hour, I realize that the terrible music isn’t playing anymore. In fact, there is nothing happening on the other end of the phone.

  Wait, did she hang up on me?

  SHE TOTALLY HUNG UP ON ME! Before I even got to tell her why the Candy Toothbrush is so great!

  Okay, so maybe I’m not the best salesperson after all.

  Maybe just calling someone out of the blue isn’t the best idea. Maybe I need to go to the store and talk to someone in person. Hmm. I can do that!

  “Manny, I’ve got a sales meeting to make,” I say, trying to sound as official and professional as possible. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  As I head to the door, Philo gets up from his bed and stretches. He thinks we’re going home.

  “Stay, boy!” I say, pointing at his bed. “Stay here with Manny.”

  Philo lies back down.

  As I pass my workbench on the way out, I see that Manny has glued half an old toothbrush to a small flashlight, both of which are covered in sticky blue goo.

  I shake my head and leave. I hope I’m better at selling than Manny is at inventing.

  I bike over to Sweet Tooth, where I discover, to my surprise, the place has been remodeled! The store looks like the inside of someone’s mouth!

  The walls are painted pinkish-red, and a giant gummy tongue runs down the middle of the floor. Some of the customers step onto the squishy tongue. They say things like, “ooh, gross,” and step right off. Others tromp around and laugh.

  Jars filled with marshmallows hang down from the ceiling and pop up from the floor. They look like upper and lower teeth.

  This is awesome! Not to mention, a store with marshmallows that look like teeth is the perfect place to sell the Candy Toothbrush. This should be a no-brainer (literally, since I don’t see any candy brains in this store).

  I head toward the main counter and pass a display featuring the FUNNY GUMMY. The Funny Gummy is the product that Dad designed the packaging for—the one released by Sure Things, Inc.’s rival company, Definite Devices. The Funny Gummy makes you crack jokes for nine minutes straight. Clearly this store likes inventive products.

  I walk up to the counter and smile at the woman behind it.

  “Hi there,” I say. “I tried calling earlier. My name is Billy. I . . .”

  As I’m talking, I notice that the woman is glaring at me, like I just insulted her.

  Then it dawns on me. This must be the woman who hung up on me. She seems annoyed that I decided to follow up by actually coming in.

  Got to press on, I tell myself. What would Manny say? Trust the product.

  “I . . . um, well, actually, me—no, my company has a great new product coming out soon,” I mumble, but keep going. “I think . . . we think, that it would be a great fit here in your store.”

  The woman says nothing and continues to stare at me like I just told her that I hate PUPPIES and RAINBOWS and SUMMER VACATION.

  “Our new product fits right in with the theme you have here in your store. It’s called the Candy Toothbrush.”

  I wait for some reaction. I’m not expect
ing her to give me a hug and instantly write me a big fat check, but I’m expecting some response to my sales pitch . . . you know, any response!

  But nope. She remains silent and continues to stare at me.

  “Let me explain exactly what the Candy Toothbrush will do,” I continue, pretending she’s responded as warmly as Philo does when I say anything that rhymes with “treat.” “First, it—”

  “BILLY SURE?!” squeals a high-pitched voice, cutting through the air.

  Oh no. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Why now? I think.

  The voice belongs to Samantha Jenkins, a girl at my school. She’s been one of my biggest fans ever since the All Ball. She was one of the first kids at school to join the Fillmore Inventors Club back when I started it. At first I thought she was kind of annoying, but I’ve grown to like her—when she’s not yelling at me in candy shops, I mean!

  As if to make matters worse, Samantha comes up next to me, and I see someone else walking next to her. It’s her mother, Kathy Jenkins, a reporter for the Right Next Door website. Kathy has published some unflattering and even untrue articles about me, Manny, and Sure Things, Inc.

  “So, Billy,” Kathy Jenkins says, taking her pen out of her pocket. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Sure Things, Inc. has a new product that you think will do well at Sweet Tooth?”

  Billy Sure, Kid Salesperson?

  I START TO ANSWER, BUT this time it’s someone else’s turn to interrupt me—the woman at the candy counter. The same woman who previously stared at me silently!

  “Sure Things, Inc.?” she says.

  I look over at her and see that her entire expression has changed. Instead of contempt and annoyance, it almost looks like she’s interested!

  What alternate universe am I living in?!

  I nod and smile back at her.

  “Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place? You must be the new Manny. My name is Claudia. Come on, let’s talk business!” she says, and gestures for me to follow her.

  I take a step to follow Claudia into her office, but Kathy Jenkins motions to me first. She leans in close, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me, like a sand dragon that has just spotted its prey—okay, okay, I’m super obsessed with Sandbox XXL, I know.

  “The new Manny?” Kathy whispers.

  I gulp. This kind of thing could be all kinds of bad depending how Kathy Jenkins spins the news story.

  “It’s no big deal,” I say. “Manny and I are just doing a kind of switcheroo thing for a while. Just an experiment. Anyway, I gotta go. See ya! Bye, Samantha!”

  As I hurry toward Claudia’s office, I can feel Kathy’s eyes burn a hole in the back of my head.

  I settle into a chair in Claudia’s office.

  “I’m the owner of Sweet Tooth,” she begins. “So, tell me all about the newest Sure Thing!” She smiles and raises her eyebrows, like she’s the first person to ever make this joke.

  I am amazed at the complete turnaround Claudia has done, from wishing I would just VANISH INTO THE FLOORBOARDS to inviting me into her office the second that Sure Things, Inc. was mentioned.

  So, lesson learned. The power of the Sure Things, Inc. brand puts me in a whole different category than if I was just some kid who walked in off the street to try to sell something.

  All right. Now this is going to be easy! For real!

  “Our newest idea is called the Candy Toothbrush,” I begin. I feel confident.

  “Basically, the Candy Toothbrush is a special toothbrush that takes any kind of toothpaste and makes it taste like candy. It makes kids want to brush their teeth, which makes it both a parent and kid buy,” I say, remembering what Manny told me. “So naturally, it will fit right in here at Sweet Tooth.”

  Claudia nods. This is good. This is good.

  “Every kid is going to want one,” I continue. “And it’s Manny’s own invention! He’s never invented before, so it’s special. He’s doing all the work himself, and then, of course, I’ll take a look and see if what he’s come up with is any good.”

  And that’s when “nice” Claudia disappears, and “I wish I had never seen you” Claudia returns.

  “What do you mean, ‘see if it’s any good’?” she asks, her expression even a little more stern than when I first arrived. “Haven’t you tested it? Don’t you already know if it’s any good before you come into a store and waste someone’s time?”

  “Well, I—”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Sure, but I’m going to pass,” she says standing up.

  “Manny has no inventing track record. You have no sample to show me. So, I really can’t justify my store placing an order for it, especially since it’s unproven. You might as well be a whole new company. I’m sorry.”

  Claudia gestures to the door. Uh-oh. I guess I know what means . . .

  I hop from my seat and walk out of the office, feeling pretty bad.

  Kathy Jenkins, of course, is waiting there. “Billy, can I have a couple of words with—”

  I walk right past her and out the front door.

  Once I’m out on the street I realize that ignoring Kathy might not have been the smartest thing to do. I can only imagine what she’ll write now—maybe that I’m a MEAN GUY?

  But I’m really disappointed. And a little embarrassed. I’m really in no mood to speak to Kathy right now.

  How could I have been so naive? I thought this sales thing was going to be easy. Especially once I saw how people react to the name Sure Things, Inc. As soon as I saw Claudia’s expression change, I thought I had a guaranteed sale. But I guess that goes to show, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to selling. I sigh. I’m just going to have to work harder.

  As I wander down the street, I search on my phone for directions to all the nearby stores.

  Might as well try again!

  I see that just a block away from here is a store called All Stuff Pharmacy. Sounds like a store that sells both toothbrushes and candy. Perfect!

  A few minutes later I arrive. I comb my hair with my hands, straighten out my shirt, take a deep breath, and walk in.

  You can do this! I tell myself.

  This store is about four times bigger than Sweet Tooth. Aisle after aisle of stuff stretches out in front of me. I see toys, hair products, food, and even an aisle of pet goldfish! Hmm.

  I step up to one of the eleven check-out counters.

  “Excuse me, but I’d like to see the store manager,” I say.

  “Why? Is something wrong?” asks the teenager at the counter. “Are we out of something? Did you have trouble finding what you need? Did those kids switch the vitamins and the jelly beans again?”

  “No, no,” I say quickly. “I’m a salesperson with a new product.”

  The teenager raises an eyebrow, as if to ask, You?

  “Okay,” he says, then punches in a number on his intercom. “Someone would like to speak with you, sir,” he says into it, and a man responds that he will be out shortly.

  A few seconds later an older man with thick white hair approaches me.

  “Hello, I’m Bert,” the man says. “I’m the manager here at All Stuff Pharmacy. How can I help you?”

  Thankfully, this time I know exactly how to begin.

  “My name is Billy Sure. I represent Sure Things, Inc.,” I say.

  Bert smiles. “Sure Things, Inc.!” he repeats gleefully, and leads me through the door behind the counter, down a hall, and into his office. This time I take a seat in a soft, cushy chair. He sits down behind a big wooden desk.

  “What have you got, Billy Sure of Sure Things, Inc.?” he asks.

  I tell Bert all about the Candy Toothbrush.

  “And think of all the additional toothpaste you’ll sell once every kid with a Candy Toothbrush wants to brush their teeth three, even four times a day!” I say.

  Bert smiles and starts nodding more vigorously. He’s going to place an order. I can just feel it. My first sale! I did it right this time. I did it! Here . . . it . . . comes. . . .
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br />   “Of course, all we have to do now is invent it!” I say, laughing.

  I raise my hand to my mouth. Oh no. Did I just say that?!

  Bert’s whole expression instantly changes. His smile vanishes. His eyes narrow, and he leans over his desk toward me.

  “The Candy Toothbrush hasn’t been invented yet?” he asks, but doesn’t wait for my response. “Look, I love this idea, I think it’s going to be great, and my store will most likely place an order. But we can’t order something unless we know it works.”

  He stands up and makes the now all-too-familiar gesture toward the door.

  “Come back when you have a finished, working model,” he says.

  I can see that this meeting is over.

  I walk out of the store, defeated again. This whole sales, marketing, business thing is way harder than I thought.

  Will I EVER get the hang of it?

  Works in Progress

  MY MIND RACES AS I walk back to the office.

  How come it’s always so easy for Manny to start selling a new invention, but so hard for me? I don’t think I can remember even one time that Manny came back from a sales run for a new invention dejected, failing to get at least some interest.

  What if this whole switcheroo thing isn’t such a great idea after all?

  I arrive back at headquarters, take a deep breath, and walk in. As I come through the door, Philo lifts his head, narrows his eyes, and looks over at Manny, who is still sitting at my workbench. I can just see him thinking, What is going on?

  Manny is hunched over, hard at work, moving parts around and sticking pieces together.

  He is focused so intensely that it takes him a minute to realize that I’m back. Then he breaks out into a smile.

  “Any luck?” Manny asks.

  I shake my head. “Nah. You?”

  “Take a look,” he replies.

  I see a toothbrush sitting on the workbench without any bristles on it. Instead, Manny has carved out tiny slivers of gummy candy and stuck each sliver into one of the little holes where the bristles usually go.