Starting a Micro Business can help you to millions

A recent review of  Starting a Micro Business:


When my son started his teen business—which he eventually sold in a million dollar deal—he had little knowledge about how to structure it and handle the tax side.

It was Carol Topp who helped him learn how to set up his business, keep records, plan for future growth, and put money away for retirement. Starting a Micro Business is thorough and easy to understand.

It should be required reading for all high school entrepreneur and business classes, as well as for young adults thinking about starting their own business.

Chris Santoro
Madeira, Ohio

Chris’s son, Phil, was one of my inspirations to write the Micro Business for Teens book series. While you may never get a million dollar offer for your business like Phil did, you can still call yourself an entrepreneur!

See what Chris is talking about. Order the book Starting a Micro Business today.

Print $9.95

Ebook (immediate download as a pdf) $9.95

Fear of failure stopping many teenagers

A recent study by Junior Achievement on teenage entrepreneurs found that mant teenagers are afraid to start their own businesses because they are afraid of risk and have a fear of failure.

Of those polled, 74 percent identified risk (39 percent) and failure (35 percent) as the biggest discouragements from starting their own business, compared to 56 percent who cited lack of money to fund their ideas. The Junior Achievement 2010 Teens and Entrepreneurship Survey was sponsored by Sam’s Club.

But starting a micro business is different!

Micro businesses can be started with little or no risk and rarely fail!

It is not necessary to be a risk taker to start a micro business. Teenage micro business owners do not want to take risks; they are in business to learn something and to earn money. Starting a business does not need to be risky. Micro business owners have a purpose—to learn—and usually have a set financial goal for their micro. They can start with what they have on hand and need little or no money.

Starting a micro business does not need to be risky.

There is a misconception that teenagers starting a business must be on the road to greatness and have Microsoft founder Bill Gates as their idol. This emphasis on super-success can be intimidating to a teenager just trying to learn the ropes. Instead, micro businesses can be quite simple. It can offer a tried-and-true method for teenagers to earn cash, such as mowing lawns and babysitting.

Find out how to start a micro business without risk or fear of failure by ordering my book (or ebook) Starting a Micro Business today

Paperback $9.95 Order Here

Ebook $9.95 Order here

50 Interviews: Young Entrepreneurs review

Review of 50 Interviews: Young Entrepreneurs by Carol Topp, CPA

Nick Tart & Nick Scheidies did interviews with 50 young entrepreneurs for their new book 50 Interviews: Young Entrepreneurs that will inspire and encourage every teenager who wants to “make more money than your parents.”

The teenagers featured in the book have all been successful, but come across as normal kids. They share their experiences and advice freely. They are not bragging, although most have plenty to brag about! They also don’t intimidate the reader.

Many times a book about young entrepreneurs can make a normal kid feel inadequate or incompetent, but the teenagers featured in 50 Interviews: Young Entrepreneurs come across as genuine, warm and approachable.

They are generous with their advice, sharing wisdom learned from experience such as

“You are going to use a lot of the things that you learn now as an entrepreneur when you’re an adult. Just try it. If you don’t like it, then you can stop – but at least you will be able to say that you tried.”-Savannah Britt

“We want instant results. But nothing is instant. Don’t give up so easily. Some blogs only last one or two weeks before [the writer quits] because the blog’s not making millions of dollars. Come on! You’ve just got to give it time.” -Alex Fraiser Blogussion.com

“I don’t really pay myself. To me, it’s really more of learning experience. It’s more about finding the next step, how to get there, and what it’s going to cost.” -Emil Motycka motyckalawns.com

I am impressed by the common-sense advice these young entrepreneurs share. The book 50 Interviews: Young Entrepreneurs may start off as an inspiration, but it will quickly become a textbook on business success. I highly recommend it and may make it required reading in my micro business classes!

Buy your copy today!

Really Cool Business Cards

Most teenage micro businesses need a business card to hand out to potential customers.

One of the best sources for cheap (or even free if you use of of their stock designs and don’t mind their ad on the back of the card) business cards is Vistaprint.com. They are an on-line printer and can put your name and logo on anything. I’ve used them for my business cards, letterhead, banners and more. I’ve been 100% satisfied with Vistaprint.com

I also found a designer that has some gorgeous designs for business cards. She designed a really cool card for babysitters.

She has an entire teen entrepreneur series of business cards.

Go to the Greek Cookie’s website to see her other  business card designs.

How to make a website for your business

My friend Nick Tart over at JuniorBiz.com can tell you how to make your own website. He’s offering a free 10 step guide.

With simple strategies and step-by-step videos, we’ll show you how to build your website into a place where you can launch a product, strengthen your service, share your ideas, or even start an online business from the ground up.

Have an Idea1. Have an Idea

Small, big, or kooky.

Purchase Domain and Hosting2. Purchase Domain and Hosting

Where, how, and with coupons.

Get WordPress for Free3. Get WordPress for Free

Set it up right.

Grab a Design4. Grab a Design

Cool site – no coding necessary.

Organize your Site5. Organize your Site

A checklist for settings and structure.

Optimize your Site6. Optimize your Site

With plugins and analytics.

Think Strategy7. Think Strategy

Create the content that your visitors want.

Strike it Big8. Strike it Big

With social media and search engines.

Keep your Visitors9. Keep your Visitors

Capture their info and keep them coming back.

Strike it Rich10. Strike it Rich

The four fool-proof ways to make money online.

I learned how to build my own website, just like Nick did, but rather than tell you how to do it, I’ll just send you to Nick’s site JuniorBiz.com and you can learn from him!

Mobile Dance Academy

What a great idea and a great teenage micro business!

Amiya Alexander was only 10 years old when she started a dance studio in a pink school bus!

The Amiya Mobile Dance Academy’s (AMDA) mission is to further the art of dance in an extended cultural community which will provide dance training and community programs for all youth.

Watch her story:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

http://www.amiyasdancebus.com/newsandevents.htm

If she can do this, you could so something like it too! Offer dance lessons from your house or go to a neighbors house and teach what you know!

My book Starting an Micro Business will get you started!

Ten Tech Teenagers & Their Micro Businesses

Need some inspiration? Here are ten teenagers that had brilliant ideas for their micro businesses:

Ten Teen Entrepreneurs To Watch

Kids these days. It seems like they’re writing HTML before they learn how to talk. And a lot of them are starting companies before they graduate from high school.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite teen entrepreneurs.

Jessica Mah, 19, is currently the CEO and Co-Founder behind Indinero, a Mint.com for small businesses. Mah started her first startup at 13. Last year, she founded internshipIN.com, a site to help high school and college kids find internships in their area. Now, at 19, Mah is finishing up her Computer Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as being the CEO of Indinero.

Ashley Qualls, 19, started WhateverLife when she was 14, a site designed to give MySpace users free Myspace layouts and HTML tutorials. She employs both her mom, and her friends who do graphics for her. Qualls started WhateverLife in 2004 as a hobby, and now has turned into a business, with her site getting anywhere from 150,000 to 360,000 daily page views.

(more…)

Don’t feel intimidated by their stories. Remember, you don’t have to invent something new or even launch a website to have a successful micro business.  All you need is to see a need and meet it. That can be as simple as caring for children or as complex as the micro businesses mentioned in the story.

Micro Tips for Micro Businesses:Smile!

Micro Tips for Micro Businesses

Today’s tip: Service with a smile

There are hundreds of books written about customer service and many of them offer tips and “secrets” to serving customers. The only secret is to treat your customers with respect and give them what they paid for. That’s pretty simple, so why are their hundreds of books written about customer service? Because there are hundreds of ways to show respect and to serve a customer.

  • Smile! A smile can really make you seem friendly, warm and caring. Friendly people attract people.
  • Shake hands. Offer your hand when first meeting a potential customer. This might make you feel uncomfortable because teenagers don’t usually shake hands, but watch adults in the business world. They frequently offer their hand when being introduced. Practice on friends or your family if you need to get comfortable shaking hands.
  • Look them in the eye. Making eye contact shows confidence if even you don’t feel confident! Looking directly at someone also is a sign of respect (if you’re not staring!).

I was giving a workshop on teenagers and micro businesses at a homeschool convention when a 12 year old boy came up to me after the program, extended his hand and said, “Hello, I’m Jack. I really liked your presentation.” I was immediately impressed by Jack because he offered his hand to me.  Although he was young and very small in stature, I knew in an instant that this young man would be good at whatever he set his mind.  Adults are very impressed by a handshake and a smile.

Carol Topp, CPA

http://MicroBusinessForTeens.com

Find Micro Business for Teens on Facebook!

Volunteer to learn about business

Internet Based Kids had a great blog post about how volunteering can lead you into business or a future career.

If you are between the ages of 16-25 and looking for a way to gain work experience you might want to think about signing up to be a volunteer. Many businesses allow volunteers to help out to give them the opportunity to see if they might be interested in having a career in that particular field.

Among those businesses you may want to consider charity work in are hospitals, some long term care facilities, grocery stores, charity groups, and many other establishments as well. This can also allow people to gain new relationships and earn a good reputation for when they are ready to go out into the working world in the future.

Volunteers are a great help to businesses. For instance, those who work as volunteers in hospitals help patients to have a more tolerable stay while they are ill. Nursing home patients may enjoy having a volunteer come visit them from time to time just to keep them company. Volunteers in grocery stores can be helpful by carrying bags out for customers or helping them locate certain items in the store.

Volunteering your time to help charity groups can also be an enjoyable thing to do. Knowing you are helping those in need can be a rewarding experience that you can be proud of. Many elderly people who are shut-ins need volunteers to run occasional errands for them. Having trustworthy people who can go pay their bills or make trips to the store for them when needed can be a tremendous help.

Another benefit of being a volunteer is how you are perceived by the public eye. Most likely if you do well at job volunteering, you will be considered strongly should you ever want a permanent job at that particular business. When business managers see they can depend on you as a volunteer your reputation as a good worker will be set in stone. It is also a nice addition to have volunteer work listed on a resume as experience working with others in your community.

Volunteer opportunities are also a great way for college students to gain on the job training. You can check here – http://www.vinspired.com/opportunities for more information. Once you have an idea of which career you want to go into, find out if there is a business in that field that has a need for volunteers. This can help you be better prepared for the job and give you a sense of pride while doing it.

About The Author

Steve Volman – writer, thinker and general muser. Interests include charity and volunteering, football and the odd spot of golf. Any feedback on my articles in more than welcome.

Love horses? Turn your love into a micro business!

I have met a lot of teenage horse lovers that have created a micro business related to their horse passion:

Libby offers riding lessons to children on her family farm (Check with your parents and an insurance agent before starting this)

Abby sells custom made saddle pads to horse lovers at horse shows and to people she knows from 4-H.  She leaves a sample fabric swatches at her local stables, so customers can pick a favorite design.

Victoria Kasten was only eight when she started writing novels that featured horses. She has now written more than 9 books.  The books covers above are Victoria’s books. See her books at http://www.epicscrolls.com/

Heather gave my 10-year old, horse-loving daughter six riding lessons one the summer. Sarah learned how to groom a horse and muck out a stall too!

Jessica set up a website devoted to horses, Learn About Horses, and gathers income from the ads placed there. See her work at: http://www.learn-about-horses.com/index.html

Let your interest in horses make you some cash!  Start a micro bsuiness related to horses.