Secrets Of A Teenage Entrepreneur

By Lydia Quinn

While many entrepreneurs happen to be work at home moms and dads, former corporate slaves or just someone with a driving ambition and the desire to be their own boss, there is also another category of entrepreneur that has had a significant impact on e-commerce. I'm talking about the teenage entrepreneur. You'd be surprised how many websites and online businesses were actually started by or are run by teenagers with a little motivation, free time and willingness to try anything.

20 years ago, before the ubiquitousness of the Internet, it was much harder for a teen to start their own business. They may have been relegated to the typical teen jobs like paper boy or lawn mower. However, with the Internet and the World Wide Web as we now know it, the playing field was leveled and age was no longer such a limiting factor in the world of business. Today, entrepreneurs are limited only by their own skills and imagination.

What can we learn from a teenage entrepreneur that we can apply to our own business? Maybe alot. I talked to Brandon Anderson, who started his own online business in the 9th grade. Today, he runs one of the top sites on the Internet for traffic safety supplies including barricade lights and accessories.

Brandon said he started the company due to the easy availability of his product due to a relative's business connections. Brandon says, "He suggested I try and set up a site to get sales and see what happens. I decided, what the hell, it's not a big investment, so I might as well just try." And so Brandon purchased a domain name, appropriately BrandonSafetyLights.com and set up a simple website that included pictures of the lights and supplies, descriptions and Paypal ordering buttons for each product. To minimize costs, Brandon used Paypal as his merchant services provider. While the site started out slow, traffic steadily grew and so did customers and sales. With outside promotion help including the services of a search engine optimization firm, the site is now ranked very well for the majority of its targeted search terms on the most popular search engines including Google. The site and business has grown steadily and continues to grow with it now attracting a loyal customer following.

Advantages

The advantages of the business are many. With it being a solely online business, the maintenance of the site is minimal. It basically runs itself. Though there are costs related to hosting, merchant fees and advertising costs, the site is profitable and makes for a tidy income for Brandon, now a freshman at Syracuse University. In addition, the site can basically be run from anywhere.

Drawbacks

Being a teenage entrepreneur isn't without its drawbacks though. Brandon says, "Dealing with school and owning a business can be tough at times. Talking about barricade lights to a customer outside a classroom or in a lunch room can be embarrassing. Also, I usually get my calls during class time, so I can't respond right away. I have to wait until after school and can lose sales this way. Or if a customer just needs some info and I can't get that back to them until after the school day, it hurts my relationship with that company. But, I learn to deal with it."

For Brandon and the many other teenage entrepreneurs, the Internet continues to challenge the old school mentality and rules of business, as teenage entrepreneurs have changed the landscape of e-commerce.

Lydia Quinn writes for Brandon Safety Lights, a leading provider of barricade lights and traffic safety supplies. Visit us at: http://www.brandonsafetylights.com/

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How to Become a Successful Online Entrepreneur

By Mike Fordham

There is no doubt that many people would like to know exactly how to become a successful online entrepreneur.

For a start let us take a look at the dictionary definition of entrepreneur. I think we need to be clear about what exactly an entrepreneur is before going any further.

Cambridge dictionaries online define an entrepreneur as

Someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks

So there is no confusion here. It is very clear. If you start your own business you are an entrepreneur but it does seem to have to also include an element of risk.

You could argue that any new business involves risk and that is certainly true, but successful entrepreneurs are willing to take much greater risks than your average new business starter

How exactly do you become a successful entrepreneur?
Well that has to be the million dollar question. If there were a prescribed and reliable formula, we would all be multi millionaires. There would be no risk and so paradoxically, perhaps no more entrepreneurs!

There are certain characteristics that successful entrepreneurs seem to possess, such as absolute dedication.

So what drives an entrepreneur and what makes them different to most other people? What is their vision compared to mere mortals?

For certain there are a number of qualities they all share and without them, they would probably not be entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial qualities
You could say that any person willing to work hard at their own business is an entrepreneur but it has to be more than that. Many people try unsuccessfully to make it on their own, and many, in fact most fail, often just giving up because their efforts do not produce the hoped for results quickly enough

The true entrepreneur is remorseless in the pursuit of their goal. It is as much about achievement as it is about money but the money, as you might guess, is the real sign of success.

Entrepreneurial ism has making money at its heart and the means to this is almost incidental.

You could sum up the major qualities of a successful entrepreneur as follows

A successful entrepreneur thinks outside the box and is never satisfied with mediocrity in any part of their life.

A successful entrepreneur is not necessarily obsessive, but is extremely highly motivated and committed to achieving their goal.

The journey will be determined by its likelihood of success, not because it is enjoyable or laudable (although it might be either or both). Ultimately the enjoyment is in the success.

All successful entrepreneurs leverage the efforts of others. This is a good and beneficial thing as long as it does not involve exploitation.

No obstacle (short of death maybe) is too difficult to overcome. Where there is a will, there is a way. It is all in the mindset!

There is no giving up even when the way is fraught with setbacks. Expect them.

The successful entrepreneur will do whatever it takes to reach the goal even if it means starting again.

The successful entrepreneur must be able to handle both risk and stress. If not, burn out is extremely likely.

So where does that leave you?
It seems clear that the entrepreneur is a special breed
Is it your intention to become one or are you already an entrepreneur?

Do you think you have at least some of the above qualities? You will probably need them all unless you just happen to get lucky in some way.

Are you or have you already been successful? This will help.

The new Entrepreneur
I believe a new breed of entrepreneur is emerging. They have all the necessary qualities of determination but are of a different mindset and they want success quickly. Most of their business is conducted online often utilising powerful software and the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 (at least at the time of writing)

But it is not just about making money for many of them. Many are also dedicated to helping others and often set up and fund special projects to achieve this. This is not a show of wealth but a genuine act of benevolence.

With this in mind, perhaps there is a further quality we should be adding to our list of what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.

Sharing success with others, and especially with those whose lives are deprived or impoverished in comparison to our own.

The new successful entrepreneur is most likely an online operator because it is more than possible to have a great deal of success, even just working from home.

The risks are much smaller working online and it is a relatively inexpensive start-up compared to most traditional businesses.

The secret of how to become a successful online entrepreneur is quite simple. You need a proven system that can easily and quickly be tapped into where all the hard work has already been done for you. You just buy into the ride.

There are many offers available but the best solution has to be a top tier, high ticket, business in a box, with a minimum commission of around $1000 (one thousand dollars).

I would not involve myself in any other kind of business. Why bother when it takes no more effort to make a thousand dollars than it does to make a hundred.

Article related website: TheMillionDollarGamePlan [http://www.mikefordham.com]

About the Author: Mike Fordham is a freelance writer, Internet marketer and musician/song writer.

Based in the uk his interests are Business and Abundance, Music and the pursuit of 'The Truth' in all things.

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Entrepreneurs: It's time to get moving as the economy picks up

Chancellor George Osborne today declared that the UK economy was “out of intensive care” after GDP grew by 0.3% in the last quarter, and the outlook for growth is improving.

Now, one of the special skills of entrepreneurs is the ability to recognise an opportunity when it comes along; react quickly to it; and take advantage of it. And the big opportunity that’s here for entrepreneurs is to get your business ideas launched Right Now! This way, you will have things in position, up and running just at the time that people and businesses start buying again later this year.

So get prepared; get going; and get the rewards as the economy grows out of recession. Take action today!

How To Become A Successful Home Business Entrepreneur

By Ian C Ghidella

If you are looking for a business opportunity, or perhaps you are already a successful person looking for a new direction to challenge yourself, then there are some outstanding home business concepts that are definitely worth a look. You may already be a successful entrepreneur, in which case you understand that recognising opportunities means everything when it comes to being successful.

For the less experienced, all you need is to be willing to learn and stay focused and you will be rewarded with the same success as the experienced and established business men and women around the world. Learn to follow their lead.

There is a misconception that you have to be born an entrepreneur. It was thought that the ability, skill and desires were a trait you either did or didn't have. The truth is entrepreneurs learn to do what they do plus they learn to be who they are. So in fact they are made not born.

Everyone is different, however there are some common characteristics successful entrepreneurs tend to posses:

• A strong passion to achieve their goals
• A spirit for adventure
• A desire to achieve personal accomplishment
• Self confident and self reliant
• Persistence and motivation
• Hard working
• Positive mental attitude
• Strong sense of commitment
• Innovative, creative and versatile

If this describes you, then you need to take action. Put your skills and talent to work building a successful business and home based business concepts are the models of the 21st century. A home business will increase your income and improve your personal success, and success will come from taking risks and working hard.

If you are looking for more in your life, either professionally, socially or personally, you need to consider a home business. The doors of opportunity that can open for you are endless. And once you learn to recognise opportunity your success will continue to grow, endlessly. Imagine the benefits to not only you, but your family friends and even people you don't know. Entrepreneurs help people all over the world in many ways, and may never meet them.

Financial freedom allows you to leverage your time to other opportunities. This may be in the form of another business, or perhaps your favourite charity, an around the world trip perhaps to write a book. Whatever your dream is, you can have it, once you have the financial success which allows you to leverage your time and channel your abilities in other directions. This is what being an entrepreneur is all about, and you can get is from working your own home business.

If you're up to the challenge you should investigate the home based businesses that are available, find one that appeals to you and get started today. To the already successful, knowledge and experience will motivate that sixth sense. And to the novice ready to start their journey to success - accept the challenge. Go for it and success will be yours.

I discovered the perfect home business to begin my entrepreneurial journey. Financially and personally my life has changed for good, success is now something I strive for not wish for. I've learnt to recognize opportunity and embrace it. I no longer fear the unknown and I am sharing my knowledge and personal growth to help others achieve their own success. You can do what I do, find out how today. For more information on how to become a successful home business entrepreneur and to receive a free report, click the link.

http://www.superchargedlife.com/become-a-successful-entrepreneur.html

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The 3 Biggest Reasons for Entrepreneurship

By Elaine Lockard

Most of us at one time or another have dreamed of owning our own business and being our own boss. We love the thought of working on our schedule, not someone else's. We can take vacations when we want or spend time with the family in the middle of the day. We want the satisfaction of creating something that is ours and succeeding at it.

But the one thing we don't often fully understand and think through is that it takes a lot of time, investment, and hard work to get to the point of being able to do these things. It can take years of working seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours or more a day, spending less time with the family and going on less vacations just to make a sustainable business and living.

So why do we do it? Why do we want to be an entrepreneur so badly?

Well I already touched on a couple of reasons. One is money. We hope and dream that we will become so successful that we can afford to have whatever we want. Money is so seductive, it draws us in to pursue as much of it as we can or as much of it as we need. The world runs on money and we have been led to feel it gives you more power and control over and in your life and business.

Our society instills in us that one goal for success and a happy life is money and plenty of it. We are brainwashed to an extent and will pursue it whenever and wherever we can.

Secondly, the independence and flexibility factor is so enticing. We all want to work our own hours and not account to anyone else. If we want to get up in the middle of the night and work and go to the beach during the day, we can make that choice. If you have a family with young kids, you can choose to spend more time with them and not have to pay for daycare or a babysitter. Whatever you wish to do, at whatever time, fully becomes under your control.

Lastly, and this is a very big one, probably the single biggest reason for entrepreneurship is passion. You have an interest or hobby that you so love, you want to immerse yourself in it and make a living from it.

Just think, if you don't love what you are doing, then how are you going to spend long days, weeks, months and years working your business? How are you going to succeed if you start slowing down or putting off work because you're not liking what you're doing or it has become boring?

Whatever your passion is, from an interest or hobby to just loving the fact of running a business whatever the business is, passion is your motivator, you're driving force to succeed and have the previous two goals happen for you in your life.

There are other reasons to work for yourself but these three are the biggest. So, what's your passion? Who knows, you may decide to become an entrepreneur yourself.

What are your tips on staying motivated in your business!

Are you unknowingly sacrificing your success? Have you tried other Executive coaching and mentoring services but didn't get the results you wanted?

I am Elaine Lockard, an Executive, Leadership and Business Coach and Intuitive Business Mentor. I help you transform your pain to profit by putting your higher self in charge of your income!

Visit http://elainelockard.com to find out how I can be of service to YOU so YOU can have the profitability and fulfillment you deserve.

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Email Marketing Campaigns: How to set one up and what software to use...

                                                       


In this article Dawn Marchant is going to provide you with an example of how to construct an effective marketing campaign. You can use it as a template to start creating your own.

It's important to start with the big picture to have a clear overview of what you want to accomplish with your email campaign......

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON SETTING UP AN EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN.....

Become an Entrepreneur Through the Power of Your Customer List

By Joshua Black

Your customer list is the most powerful audience for developing a new business. If you're ready to start your next entrepreneurial venture, look to your list to help you build a successful business before you create a single product.

As an entrepreneur, you can't create a business first, then try to convince people to buy what you're pitching. Most of the time you're wrong. The best way to start and grow a new business idea is to grow straight to your customers.

You don't want to ask your customer demographic what they're looking for. This will lead you to the wrong place. Your customers don't know what they want until you deliver it.

However, your customer list will help you indirectly. You can look at their buying habits, the questions they email you, and even the surveys they answer. The secret to your list, is using it to hone in on their biggest problem, the golden issue that keeps these customers awake at night.

Once you use your list to discover the problem, you can use it to laser focus the product, find out how much they'll spend, and test the specific words that will get their attention.

Using this technique, your odds of success will swing higher in your favor. As an entrepreneur, it's your job to create the new product, but you can't do it in a vacuum. Allowing your targeted list to help guide your way towards your next business venture, will position your business successfully from day one.

...and if you're serious about your next entrepreneurial venture you may want to check out this site:

Visit Joshua Black's flagship resource site for small business entrepreneurs at www.UnderdogMillionaire.com for the free Underdog Millionaire Wealth Pack: including 5 FREE e-books and weekly wealth building tips for the bootstrapping small business owner- in the areas of sales, marketing, and more.Get your FREE Wealth Pack here.

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