Written By: Anna B
Anyone, no matter their age, can start a business. For real.
When I started my handmade greeting card shop, I had no idea what I was doing. Entrepreneurship seemed like a foreign language to me. My parents aren’t business owners, and the only selling experience I’d had was running a lemonade stand with my best friend in 3rd grade.
But that didn’t stop me, and it doesn’t need to stop you either. There are so many free resources available online to help you start your own business. Got a question? Google it. Can’t figure out how to do something? Watch a YouTube video. And with organizations like EntrepreYOUership to support you along the way, you can problem-solve any roadblock you encounter.
Just take a minute to be inspired. Open Instagram, and scroll through the teen business owner hashtag – I can guarantee you’ll find someone new to follow. If other teens have done it, it is absolutely possible for you too. Find encouragement in their success!
If you want to open a handmade shop, Etsy is an amazing place to start. If you’re starting a service-based business, offer to provide the service for free (for a limited time) to the people you know. You’ll gain experience, valuable feedback, and maybe even a couple of referrals. Want to create products? Research which website hosting platform is best for you. Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace are all great options.
What about school, sports, and other activities? The amazing thing about starting a business is that you can build it to fit your schedule – not the other way around. You might be surprised at how little time it takes to get your business up and running. And after that? If you’re doing something you’re passionate about, most of the time, it won’t even feel like “work”.
Now, all you need is an idea. How can you help people with the talents you have? Imagine where this could go in the next year if you started today. As Richard Branson put it, “A big business starts small”.