Elizabeth Davis grew up with the curiosity of a child who wanted to figure out how things work. She dreamed of someday owning her own business.

“I was that kind of kid,” she said.

It takes imagination and ambition to start and maintain a successful business. Davis would add other qualities are essential as well.

“Tenacity, solving problems and being open-minded to options,’’ said Davis, who owns and runs Mi Cocina By The Hour and Nuts and Cows. Both businesses are based in McAllen.

Honors for Davis include those from the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration for her entrepreneurship skills and business successes. She is also a recent finalist for H.E.B.’s prestigious Primo Picks Quest For Texas Best competition.

The McAllen businesswoman is taking her experiences and applying them to the Little Entrepreneurs Business Series. The trio of workshops for kids teaches them the basics of business. They encourage youngsters to pursue their dreams of someday having their own business. The workshops are broken up into three pieces – baking, crafts, and story telling and the arts – and are held at Davis’ Mi Cocina business in downtown McAllen.

The last of this summer’s workshops take place this Friday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for children ages 7-14. The session carries a $20 registration fee and includes lunch. Some of the children’s creations will be for sale on June 29 at the McAllen Farmer’s Market or at La Cocina.

“We teach some of the basics of business,” said Davis, who also invites other successful business owners to speak with the children. “How to take an idea, develop it, study if there’s a market for it, and then look at pricing, costs and how to get to a profit.”

Beyond business sensibilities, Davis wants to help her students develop life skills as well. 

“How to ask for help, communication, networking and negotiating, they’re all important,” she said. “If you think about it, entrepreneurs are very resilient people because things don’t always go as planned so you have to adjust and refocus.”

Beginning in September, Davis will take her Little Entrepreneurs program to Idea Mission as one of its after-school programs.