Let’s talk about entrepreneurs, more specifically teenage entrepreneurs. A lot people have already stopped reading. A common belief is that teenagers are still children and couldn’t possible create anything worth a moment's time, and the thought that a teenager could create a high quality business or even just an idea for one is laughable to many people.
We’ve all heard of a single story; a stereotype; an idea that all people of a certain group are exactly the same. All Americans are lazy; all nerds wear thick glasses; all young girls play with dolls; and on, and on, and on. All of these ideas are wrong because groups of individuals are all different and cannot be classified in one certain manner. Sure some Americans are lazy, some nerds wear glasses, some girls play with dolls but not all of them. Some Americans are very into fitness and exercise, some nerds can see perfectly well without assistance as one does not dictate the other, and some girls would rather play with trucks or video games or mud or whatever pleases them. Teenagers are viewed as lazy, irresponsible, careless, naive, and don’t care about our future and this maybe true for some teenagers but not all of them and not usually those that are aiming to be entrepreneurs. This teenager stereotype fills the minds of many adults when they meet young businessman, and it’s still in their minds as they cast them off as nothing more than children dreaming impossible dreams.
And maybe we are just dreaming. Maybe we aren’t quite prepared for our own business. Maybe we need experiences that we haven’t had yet. But if this were the case, if experience was all you needed to become a successful entrepreneur, why doesn’t everyone with experience own their own business? The answer is that it takes so much more. It takes skills and ambitions that some older people don’t have and some younger people do. Twitter, Amazon, Apple and other famous businesses were founded by individuals who wanted to bring their ideas to life. Just like 36% of young entrepreneurs questioned in 2010 poll done by Quibly. And I’m sure the creators of the "30 under 30 competition" would agree that wisdom doesn’t always come with age. This competition is done each year to pick out 30 individuals, under 30 years of age, that have done remarkable things and will most likely continue to impress. Inc.com says that this year there is “more than one honoree who started a business in middle school.” Among these 30 people, the youngest on the list were 12-year-olds, Emerson and Gaby Spartz.
Of the many young entrepreneurs in the world, the ones who have had the most success have had parental support. Carter Kostler is a 15-year-old who invented a fruit-infused water bottle, his company is called Define Bottle. He brought his invention to the Sharks on season five of Shark Tank in 2013, and although he did not seal a deal, he was still able to get his bottle sold with the help of his parents. When questioned by a representative from entrepreneur.com, Carter said that his main advice to other young inventors is to have “family support.” His parents helped him start his own business because they knew he didn’t fit into the teenage stereotype.
Sadly, not every hopeful young businessman has a adult figure that is so supportive. And that leaves them with many additional problems. The first being money. Like all those starting out, start up is necessary. Those who are older can talk to investors or get loans. However, for those of us under the age of 20 neither is an option. Banks won't loan us money and investors won’t listen. However, if somehow the money is found, it’s impossible to sell products without being face to face because many companies, such as paypal, have an age limit of 18.
Young businessman are faced with another issue. A lack of respect. Lachlan Teale is a 15-year-old entrepreneur with a business called Squared Programmers. He has a blog in which he talks about his industry. One article he wrote was about the hardships of young entrepreneurs. He said “gaining respect [is] one of the hardest things to do especially when you’re a teenager.” But this does not discourage the young people who want to start their own business. The group of entrepreneurs under the age of 25 is growing fast. Despite all the hardships 68% of teenagers interviewed by Junior Achievement in 2005 said they wanted to become entrepreneurs before they were 30 years-old. And that number has risen more recently. It's obvious that teenagers can become businessmen by the fact that 165 million entrepreneurs are younger than 30. Dol.gov quoted that 80% of entrepreneurs in the US are under the age of 24.
This article is not to advertise, but to make it aware. I want to bring it to your attention that teenagers can become entrepreneurs. And despite what some people believe, teenagers are responsible and have created many jobs in recent years. With the rising unemployment rates, one would think creating more jobs would be everyone’s top thought. But instead they think of children. Sure, some teenagers are irresponsible, but they aren’t the ones that want to create their own businesses. So I’d just like to make one plea with you before I finish. If you ever have the opportunity to hear a young adult tell you about their business idea, please listen and support them. Because, for all you know, they could create the next big thing. All we know now, is that they have the potential and may need a little encouragement.
