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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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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"THE APPRENTICE": new series is nearly here!

"The Apprentice" new series starts soon

Entrepreneurs Get Ready!


Our favourite TV show is back very soon now.


Read more HERE about the new series of "The Apprentice"

The World's Most Successful Teenage Entrepreneurs

By Annie Whitney

         Successful teenage entrepreneurs are among the most inspirational people in the world. Given their creativity and the ability to see things in new perspectives, it is no wonder that many teenagers-individuals ageing from 13 to 19 years old-have become some of the world's most successful and richest people.

Experts say that in the world of business, age doesn't always have to matter, since some of the freshest ideas may come from teenagers who are still in school. If you are one of those teenagers who are trying to find your niche in the world of business, then what you might need is some inspiration to push you to take that leap which could change the course of your life forever.

For teenagers who are thinking of starting a business, but who might be afraid to fail, take time to read some of the inspiring stories behind the world's most successful teenage entrepreneurs.

The first teenage entrepreneur who would probably inspire you is Cameron Johnson. At the age of nine, Cameron kicked off his business career with greeting cards, stationery, and invitations that he personally made. Given his creativity, Cameron's cards became so popular not only to his family and friends, but also in the entire neighborhood. As his products increased in popularity, he decided to name his company "Cheers and Tears."

When he reached the age of 12, Cameron ventured into another business by taking advantage of the Internet. He used his Internet marketing skills through eBay, which earned him $50,000 a year. He also took time to research the stock market, where his investments made his company grow to sales in excess of $15,000 per day; he accomplished this by the age of 15. Now 27, Cameron has been featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines around the globe; Newsweek, Business Week, USA Today, The New York Times and Time Magazine, to name a few. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, MSNBC, ABC, and dozens of Japanese television programs as well.

Next on the list would be a girl named Ashley Qualls. At the age of 14, Ashley showed the world that there could be more to girls her age than just partying and dating. She began her very own website called "whateverlife.com". The inspiration for her business stemmed from the idea of providing free MySpace layouts and tutorials, using advanced and creative HTML for her fellow teenagers.

Her starting income was $2,790, but then Ashley's business grossed more than $1 million in less than four years. At age 20, Ashley continues to bask in the success she has achieved as an entrepreneur. She continues to endeavor in incorporating innovations in her business through many new ventures.

Then there's the brother/sister act, Catherine and David Cook. They were ages 15 and 17, respectively, when they started their business called "My Year Book." These two teenagers proved that new opportunities can be derived from existing elements. Their business started by recreating an old year book, then made it more applicable to modern times by creating an online version. By making it interactive, their Internet business grew in popularity, with 950,000 members joining during its initial launch in 2005. To date, the business continues to be extremely successful, with a total net worth of $10 million.

There are many recognized teenager entrepreneurs across the globe, and in a vast variety of fields. If you want to be one of them, now is the time to discover your interests, and use your ingenuity to create and re-create something of lasting value. Who knows, your story might be the inspiration for future generations of young people.

Annie Whitney is a Relationship and Internet Sponsoring Expert, specializing in helping others generate Leads & Cash Flow. For the exact step by step strategies, using honest & proven methods for quick success, and proven health, you can learn more by clicking here => annieoklie.org

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