Loading...
Answers
MenuHow to start entrepreneurship at just 17
Hy i am 17 years old and have always aspired and wished to be a succesful entrepreneur like Jeff Bezos, Elon musk and Bill Gates oneday but i dont know how to start with little or no financial support from anyone and i am also from a middle class family so please i need your advice
Answers
We all love Jeff Bezos but most of us won't be him. You must be the most successful version of you that you can be.
All small business owners are entrepreneurs. Find a need in your area and find a way to fulfill it. Perhaps there is a shortage of lawn care, brush clearing, or painting professionals. Buy the tools needed and fill the gap. Use profits you earn to hire workers and expand.
If you are an active small business owner you will see opportunities all around you. Hard work will help you succeed no matter where you fit in the market.
It's great that you're already thinking along those lines.
My advice would be start by buying and selling something that you're interested in. Whether that's sneakers, Pokémon cards, video games, whatever. Start flipping something - that's the essence of most business.
If you find you really love that, then strap in. Entrepreneurship is a long, sometimes lonely journey.
In the age of the internet, you can start something with no money. Find something you're passionate about and find a way to package that into something people can buy.
The most important thing is to start - find something you like then just start buying and selling. If you love the game enough to still be around in 3-5 years, you'll achieve things that surprise you.
As a teenager, there are many options and opportunities for you to enter the business world and be an entrepreneur. For instance, you can make an instagram page for any product you want to sell and work on it, make sure that your page grows as a result of which your business will be up and running in no time, you just have to put in some efforts. Than you can work with Amazon or if not Amazon than any national online shopping store. You can also advertise about the product you want to sell around your locality and produce products on demand and sell. You can become as successful as anyone it's just about the time and effort, you are putting in.
There is no age for starting entrepreneurship. You can start whenever you feel ready. In fact, your youth will give you more energy, and "ignorance" to get started since you may not know everything, but you'll still keep going. More importantly if you start young, you have an advantage compared to those who start late, because even if your venture failed (which it might), you still have more chances to give it a shot since you'd still be young! So my advice would be to just begin!
We are expanding the Guardian CEO invite only program. Regardless of your financial means, We are looking for new or experienced entrepreneurs & business coaches that would benefit from the process, contacts and technologies that led to me building 2 of the fastest growing companies in the US. (2 INC 500s 2 100 mill Cos )
This is a new mentorship program that was guided by former NFL franchise owner and billionaire Red McCombs
We created The Guardian CEO for serious people that may have the deepest pocket and don't want to take on serious debt.
You will get zoom calls, access to our rolodex of contacts and the Trade Secrets that make millionaires. .
Due to this hands on approach, we have limited spots available.
What you get here would normally cost 10s on thousands of dollars.
We are offering this program to a select few at a price that is less than your cell phone bill.
If you are interested send me a note
when we talk about entrepreneurship there are a lot of things you should consider, and those things are not that much hard but consistency is very hard to maintain. I have divided these into points.
1. Put your idea on paper.
I remember having the best idea in the world thing about it and buff that's gone now because someone calls me and I had to explain to him I don't do a party(being entrepreneurs party just wasting your time where you could have work on next big idea). when we talk about the paper method we can actually see how the business ideas will work out, add some extra information, and boom you know that idea will not work. yes, a lot of time this will happen but that the beauty of this your not wasting a single sec on not so good idea. you just have it and after analysis, you have realized it will not work.
2.Build A Global Product And Let The Markets Confirm
i remember when the signal came everyone in the world wanted to be part of it. but it was exclusive because one tweet, yes that has happened one of the entrepreneurs said when a product is globally accepted that when you realize you are successful. always test your product 1st when you enter the global market sometimes its important for you to realize where you lacking before stepping into the market
3.The team can make (or break) a deal
when you work in a team you realize sometimes people fail and sometimes people save a big chunk of money for the team. the team is sometimes like tug war you being leader standing in front of the market and team support you, there will be a time when team member will fail and let go rope but you will always have someone to support you and help you reach that one place everyone wants.
You need a good idea that is properly executed, and then get really lucky... you are using the top 0.0001% of entrepreneurs as examples. Forget the money, you need to learn how to grow a business, and at 17 I'm sure you have no clue. Start networking, get a job, learn how business works in the first place before worrying about how to become the next Bill Gates (or just do what he did and steal someone else's software code to peddle as your own...).
I would also encourage you to look for better role models - yeah, these guys are rich, but by most accounts are horrible human beings. I can point you to a lot of successful entrepreneurs who are also good people. They might not be billionaires, but they are still starting and selling businesses worth millions.
Read Entrepreneur magazine - the September 2019 edition. The issue "Young Millionaires" was all about young business owners all under age 20. They were not all from wealthy families either. Most had an idea or solved a problem and started selling or promoting.
Feel free to reach out to me.
Hi,
I am the Managing Director of a $100m Technology company and I have recently written a blog which you may find useful:
https://www.mrgrowthmentor.com/post/20-years-of-business-growth-here-are-my-most-valuable-lessons
Happy to discuss your needs further at your convenience.
Related Questions
-
How has Uber grown so fast?
Obviously, they do the fundamentals well. Good brand. Good experience. Good word of mouth. Good PR. Etc. Etc. But after my interview with Ryan Graves, the head of Global Operations at Uber (https://www.growthhacker.tv/ryan-graves), it became clear that they are operationally advanced and this is a huge part of their success. I'll explain. Uber isn't just a single startup, it's essentially dozens of startups rolled into one because every time they enter a new city they have to establish themselves from essentially nothing (except whatever brand equity has reached the city ahead of them). This means finding/training drivers, marketing to consumers, and building out local staff to manage operations for that city. This is where Ryan Graves comes in. He has a protocol of everything that must be done, and in what order, and by who, to ensure the best chance of success in a new city. So how has Uber grown so fast? Essentially, they figured out how to grow in one locale and were relentless about refining their launch process to recreate that initial success over and over in new cities. No plan works for every city, and they've had to adapt in many situations, but it is still a driving factor for their success.BT
-
How much equity should I ask as a CMO in a startup?
Greater risk = greater equity. How likely is this to fail or just break even? If you aren't receiving salary yet are among 4-6 non-founders with equivalent sweat investment, all of whom are lower on the totem pole than the two founders, figure out: 1) Taking into account all likely outcomes, what is the most likely outcome in terms of exit? (ex: $10MM.) Keep in mind that 90%+ of all tech startups fail (Allmand Law study), and of those that succeed 88% of M&A deals are under $100MM. Startups that exit at $1B+ are so rare they are called "unicorns"... so don't count on that, no matter how exciting it feels right now. 2) Figure out what 1% equity would give you in terms of payout for the most likely exit. For example, a $10MM exit would give you $100k for every 1% you own. 3) Decide what the chance is that the startup will fail / go bankrupt / get stuck at a $1MM business with no exit in sight. (According to Allman Law's study, 10% stay in business - and far fewer than that actually exit). 4) Multiply the % chance of success by the likely outcome if successful. Now each 1% of equity is worth $10k. You could get lucky and have it be worth millions, or it could be worth nothing. (With the hypothetical numbers I'm giving here, including the odds, you are working for $10k per 1% equity received if the most likely exit is $10MM and the % chance of failure is 90%.) 5) Come up with a vesting path. Commit to one year, get X equity at the end. If you were salaried, the path would be more like 4 years, but since it's free you deserve instant equity as long as you follow through for a reasonable period of time. 6) Assuming you get agreement in writing from the founders, what amount of $ would you take in exchange for 12 months of free work? Now multiply that by 2 to factor in the fact that the payout would be far down the road, and that there is risk. 7) What percentage share of equity would you need in order to equal that payout on exit? 8) Multiply that number by 2-3x to account for likely dilution over time. 9) If the founders aren't willing to give you that much equity in writing, then it's time to move on! If they are, then decide whether you're willing to take the risk in exchange for potentially big rewards (and of course, potentially empty pockets). It's a fascinating topic with a lot of speculation involved, so if you want to discuss in depth, set up a call with me on Clarity. Hope that helps!RD
-
I have this social media idea,but no coding skills. How do I get someone to do the coding (cant afford to pay them) and not give away half of my idea?
Dilip was very kind in his response. My answer might be a bit on the "tough love" side. But that's for you to decide. My intention, just for the record, is to help you (and those like you) on your path to success. And that starts with having a viable philosophy about entrepreneurial-ism and business. And I'm going to answer this because I get asked some form / version of this question very frequently from newcomers to entrepreneurial-ism. The scenario goes something like this: "I have a great idea. It's amazing, I love it, and I just KNOW it's gonna make me a ton of money. But I have no money right now so I can't afford to (fill in the blank with things like "to build it / create it / market it / etc" or "to hire the required staff needed to work in my business to sell it / develop it / etc"). And I don't want to tell anyone about my great idea because I'm worried someone will steal it and make MY million / billion dollars. But I can't afford to legally protect it either... So how do I launch without the skills to personally create the product AND no money to hire anyone else to do that either??" The answer is ... You don't. Look - let's be honest. All you have is an idea. Big deal. Really. I'm not saying it's not a good idea. I'm not saying that if properly executed it couldn't make you a million / billion dollars... But an idea is NOT a business. Nor is it an asset. Until you do some (very important) initial work - like creating a business model, doing customer development, creating a MVP, etc - all you really have is a dream. Right now your choices are: 1. Find someone with the skills or the money to develop your idea and sell them on WHY they should invest in you. And yes, this will mean giving up either a portion of the "ownership" or of future income or equity. And the more risk they have to take - the more equity they will want (and quite frankly be entitled to). 2. Learn how to code and build it yourself. MANY entrepreneurs without financial resources are still resourceful. They develop the skills needed to create what they don't have the money to pay someone else to do. 3. Get some cash so you can pay someone to do the coding. You'll probably have to have some knowledge of coding to direct the architecture of your idea. So you will likely still have to become knowledgeable even if its not you personally doing the coding. (This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of options... And I'm sure some of the other experts here on Clarity have others to add - and I hope they do) To wrap up - Here's my final tip to you that I hope you "get"... It's FAR more valuable to have an idea that a very specific hungry crowd is clamoring for right now - One that THEY would love and pay you for right now - Maybe even one they'd pre-order because they just have to have it - Versus YOU being in love with your own idea. [Notice I didn't say "an idea that some as-of-yet-undetermined market would probably love"] I wish you the best of luck moving forward.DB
-
How was SnapChat able to grow so quickly?
I'm answering your question assuming that you hope to be able to replicate it's own success in your own mobile app. There are a couple of factors responsible for it's growth that are instructive to anyone building a mobile app. "Leveraging the intimacy and privacy of the mobile phone." We now have an *intimate* relationship with our phone like no other device in the history of technology. Every internet company that started before around 2010 has built their core interactions around "the old web" one which was accessed primarily via a browser on a computer. Companies that start with a clean slate, should be building their interactions around how to do whatever the app is supposed to do while leveraging what is unique to people's relationship to their mobile devices. Photo-sharing has become a core part of the way we communicate now. Snapchat built something that provided an experience that leveraged the feeling of privacy and intimacy that is unique to mobile. "Provided an escape from the "maturity" of other online services." Too many parents, aunts, uncles and other "old people" have encroached into the social networks of teens and young people. As a result, they've had a desire to find places to express themselves in places inaccessible by older generations. An important distinction is that it's not just parents and relatives that young people are trying to avoid, but also employers & colleges who are increasingly using "mature" social networks to review applicants. "Leveraged PR even bad PR" The fact that the app got so much press about it being used to sext was perfect PR for the company, as it essentially reinforced the brand experience that it has today. Essentially, "if it's safe enough to send a sext, it's safe for any kind of communication I want to have." And although the safety and security of Snapchat is actually not as advertised, it still enjoys the reputation of having less impact than any primarily web-based service. Building a successful mobile application is one of the hardest challenges to face designers, programmers and entrepreneurs in the history of writing software. Happy to talk to you if you're considering building a mobile app, about what I've learned about the "table stakes" for success.TW
-
What advice do you give to a 16 year old entrepreneur with a start up idea?
First, hat tip to you for being a young entrepreneur. Keep it up! If you have the funds to build out your MVP, hire a developer and possibly a mentor. If your idea is marketable, you don't need to give up equity by bringing in a co-founder. If this is your entrepreneurial venture, I would recommend you do retain a coach to help you see all the things you may not know. Have you already done your SWOT analysis? Have you identified your target market? What is your marketing plan? What will be your operating expenses? There are lots of questions to ask. If you would a free call, I'd be happy to help you in more detail. Just use this link to schedule your free call... https://clarity.fm/kevinmccarthy/FreeConsult Best regards, Kevin McCarthy Www.kevinmccarthy.comKM
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.