an entrepreneur at any age

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 08-20-2007, 02:13 PM

Just wanted to share a few thoughts about becoming an entrepreneur. First of all, it is a shame that some people just do not take young people (or old people for that matter) seriously when it comes to starting a real business. Sort of reminds me of 65 year old who took a simple family recipe for making fried chicken and turned it into one of the most successful fast food franchises in the world. Makes you wonder how many people questioned his ability to start his own business, especially at his age.

The same questioning goes on when a young person aspires to start their own business, especially someone 14 years old or younger. Actually, I guess it is human nature. In most cases it comes down to one person thinking they know what is best where the other person is concerned. They go on and on arguing about how something, like starting a business cannot be done. And they only give up when they have convinced themselves that it cannot be done.

That leads me to the fact that I will never pass by a lemonade stand. I always stop and I always give those young people a bigger tip than they actually charge for a cup of lemonade. You see, I appreciate their efforts to get out there and do something positive to earn a little extra money. And I can clearly recognize their spirit of becoming an entrepreneur. Even if they cannot spell the word.

The point of all of this is that each and every one of us has an obligation to offer our positive feedback, especially when someone asks for our advice. The focus of our replies should not be on the age of the person asking the questions, but rather on the questions themselves. Ask any successful business person about their childhood and you will probably find out about their early entrepreneur experiences.

And remember to stop at that next lemonade stand. After all, those little people are actually in the process of experiencing what it is like to operate a real life small business.

ps- I was going to post this in the thread about a 14 year with a real detailing business, however, it was recently closed.

**baseballlover1** · 08-20-2007, 03:58 PM

Yes, I am sorry i closed it. I just thought that people had heard quite enouph bickering (as i did). Thank you and it seems like you are trully a very nice person! I especially thank you for your support!

**imported_truzoom** · 08-20-2007, 04:41 PM

Some great points, mirrorfinishman.

It is indeed very brave and motivating to become an entrepreneur at a young age, but selling lemonade in the neighborhood and doing paint correction on multi-thousand dollar vehicles are two different worlds.

A lemonade stand run by a 8 year old is a good way for a child to learn some basic principles of running a business and to get a grasp on economics, but it doesn`t necessarily segue into a full-fledged cafe at the end of the street, nor do you ever see neighborhood kids obtaining business permits to operate a full-time drink stand. What`s being taken isn`t always the hard-earned cash from giving people glasses of lemonade, but the valuable chance to learn how business works at a basic level.

I think what a lot of people seem to not realize (including me) is that running a professional detailing business is NOT easy, even if you are from a fortunate background. Self-run businesses comprise a great portion of the small businesses in the US, but they are also very vulnerable to failure within the first 5 years. The paperwork required to keep a business solid and legitimate is surely not written with the anticipation that a teenager would attempt to start a business of his own. One reason I figure is that until someone is 18 years of age, it is assumed that school is their primary focus.

A lot of good points were stated in the closed thread that come from forum members who are professional detailers. Some of the posts in that thread were probably borderline-rude, but I`m sure none of the members here ever intended to kill someone`s spirit and enthusiasm for becoming an entrepreneur.

The idea I think most people seem to be getting is that a 14 year old needs to act like a 14 year old. What other time in your life can you live without paying bills and rent, having meals ready for you 3 times a day, and being able to live your life without the stress of deadlines, traffic jams, and career dilemmas?

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 08-20-2007, 07:39 PM

Some very basic business principles can be experienced in running a lemonade stand. Hey, you get to be face to face with your customers. You get to understand first hand what it is like to see so many people pass you by before someone finally stops and patronizes your business. Actually, being able to get past that feeling of rejection early in life can be a key to operating a successful business at some point in the future.

And about the idea of a 14 year old acting like a 14 year old. That is like saying that all 14 year olds should follow the lead of the masses of their age. Well for most aspiring young people desitined to become entrepreneurs, that is usually not the case. Most true entrepreneurs are usually born leaders, not followers.

Of course, at the age of 14, furthering your education should be your primary focus. Like anything else you do in life, entertaining thoughts of someday operating your own successful business should be looked at as an ongoing learning process.

**Brian_Brice** · 08-20-2007, 08:48 PM

As i respect your opinion on the matter, it is every adults responsibility on this site that oprerates professionally to explain the ins and outs/difficulties of this business. Let me ask you this...Why do you think this is a business very often persued by adolesence? Why you ask? Because they think it is something any moron can do that`s why. It is every adults responsibility to alert any CHILD looking to get into the business that if they like what they see at a pro garage, It WILL take them YEARS AND YEARS. It`s also important to show them some pictures of local wash n wax shops where the owners live car wash to car wash, that`s the reality and outright outcome of many who think they can survive in this uindustry knowing very little about the profession.

that`s all i gotta say right now.

**baseballlover1** · 08-20-2007, 09:39 PM

VAsupershine, i completely 100% agree with you. I know that owning and operating a business is more then just putting a sign up and getting business cards. There is sooo much work that needs to be put in any kindof business. That is without it being succesful. For a business to truly be succesful the management has to be on top of there game. The need to know everything about the industry. They need to eat sleep and breeth there trade, and even then the business might not be succesful. My father is a great example of this, he knows the ins and outs of selling clothing (as i am tought everytime i walk into his store and say "what do you need me to do"). I am not going to pretend for a second that i know everything there is to know about this trade (becasue i know very little). All i know is that, if i do want to become a proffesional detailer there is no point in waiting years to only realize that i could be a pro at this if i started trying to learn everything there is to know about it. There for i am trying to learn and develop my skills.

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 08-21-2007, 05:17 AM

Not really sure why someone would ask a question and then answer it themselves. Of course, this is an easy business to get into. Then again, anyone can go out in the world and start any business they like. We all know that alone is not going to make them successful. What is going to help make them successful is their drive and determination. Their passion that comes from within. Not everyone has that passion. And it is up to us to encourage young people to persue their passions. Sure it may take some time, however there is really no good reason why that person cannot get started at an early age. It is the same drive and determination that causes an 8 year old to open up a lemonade stand.

ps- `a smart person knows what they do not know`

**BlackElantraGT** · 08-21-2007, 07:09 AM

I`ve never considered kids opening up a lemonade stand to be anything entrepreneurial. It just gives them a VERY basic understanding of how a business operates. Yet the public always buys into the innocence and labels these kids as young entrepreneurs.

How long do these kids run these stands for? One or two weekends maybe to earn enough cash to buy a Barbie doll? You can learn more about being an entrepreneur by playing Lemonade Tycoon than you would actually opening up a small lemonade stand. At least with the game they have to take into consideration many factors, such as the weather, the recipe, the location, stock, pricing, equipment, marketing, etc. Do you think these little kids opening up lemonade stands actually think about all this? Most of the time Mommy and Daddy just buys them Country Time lemonade mix, they put up a little stand with a price, sit there and wait for customers.

You know who the real entrepreneurs are? The little kids buying candy from Walmart, then selling right outside their doors for "charity" or "school" at more than 300% mark up. Maybe it`s not as innocent or cute as opening up a lemonade stand, but that sounds more like an entrepreneur to me. Heck, even girl scouts are better entrepreneurs than the kids who open up lemonade stands. At least they walk door to door trying to sell as much as possible to complete strangers whom they have no idea if they`re interested in cookies or not, instead of sitting there and doing nothing but taking money from people and pouring them a small drink. Now THAT is dealing with rejection. You know who these lemonade stand kids remind me of? Homeless bums that just sit there with a sign asking for money.

Personally, as shady as I find some of the kids to be that sell the marked up candy, I`d rather support them than some cutesy little lemonade stand in my neighborhood. With the candy sellers, most of the time I walk by and tell them I`m not interested, but every now and then you`ll find a really good one that puts on his/her charm or is just really nice and friendly. I know I overpaid, but it`s my reward to them for going out of their way to being different than the other kids who`s tried to sell me candy before.

Anyway, back to the 14 year old running a detailing business. I think it`s great that he has the ambition and the drive to want to run his own business and I don`t think he should stop doing that as hobby or a paying side-job, but I do believe he`s in over his head about everything that would be involved to own and operate this type of business at his age. I am no lawyer, but there`s got to be so many legal issues at hand here. If he had acted intelligent and professional, I think the thread might have gone a different way but it`s pretty clear that either that whole thread was pure BS, or he really is a naive 14 year old who clearly needs to focus more on his education than making money.

**Brian_Brice** · 08-21-2007, 07:27 AM

this thread reminds me of a michael moore movie. The main reason 14 year olds should focus on being kids is they are not mentally mature enough to take on such adult responsibility not to mention thier likes and wants change day to day maybe it`s puberty.

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 08-21-2007, 08:55 AM

There are plenty of adults out there who are not mentally mature and probably never will be. Just look around. These people are everywhere. The only difference is, these are not the same adults who usually run small businesses. Age has very little to do with becoming a responsible person.

Whether young people are going door to door selling candy or setting up a lemonade stand, you at least have to give them credit for being responsible. That is more than you can say for some adults.

**kapinnn** · 08-21-2007, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by BlackElantraGT

I`ve never considered kids opening up a lemonade stand to be anything entrepreneurial. It just gives them a VERY basic understanding of how a business operates. Yet the public always buys into the innocence and labels these kids as young entrepreneurs.

How long do these kids run these stands for? One or two weekends maybe to earn enough cash to buy a Barbie doll? You can learn more about being an entrepreneur by playing Lemonade Tycoon than you would actually opening up a small lemonade stand. At least with the game they have to take into consideration many factors, such as the weather, the recipe, the location, stock, pricing, equipment, marketing, etc. Do you think these little kids opening up lemonade stands actually think about all this? Most of the time Mommy and Daddy just buys them Country Time lemonade mix, they put up a little stand with a price, sit there and wait for customers.

You know who the real entrepreneurs are? The little kids buying candy from Walmart, then selling right outside their doors for "charity" or "school" at more than 300% mark up. Maybe it`s not as innocent or cute as opening up a lemonade stand, but that sounds more like an entrepreneur to me. Heck, even girl scouts are better entrepreneurs than the kids who open up lemonade stands. At least they walk door to door trying to sell as much as possible to complete strangers whom they have no idea if they`re interested in cookies or not, instead of sitting there and doing nothing but taking money from people and pouring them a small drink. Now THAT is dealing with rejection. You know who these lemonade stand kids remind me of? Homeless bums that just sit there with a sign asking for money.

Personally, as shady as I find some of the kids to be that sell the marked up candy, I`d rather support them than some cutesy little lemonade stand in my neighborhood. With the candy sellers, most of the time I walk by and tell them I`m not interested, but every now and then you`ll find a really good one that puts on his/her charm or is just really nice and friendly. I know I overpaid, but it`s my reward to them for going out of their way to being different than the other kids who`s tried to sell me candy before.

Anyway, back to the 14 year old running a detailing business. I think it`s great that he has the ambition and the drive to want to run his own business and I don`t think he should stop doing that as hobby or a paying side-job, but I do believe he`s in over his head about everything that would be involved to own and operate this type of business at his age. I am no lawyer, but there`s got to be so many legal issues at hand here. If he had acted intelligent and professional, I think the thread might have gone a different way but it`s pretty clear that either that whole thread was pure BS, or he really is a naive 14 year old who clearly needs to focus more on his education than making money.

Wow... that`s scary. We think 100% alike.

**brwill2005** · 08-21-2007, 06:26 PM

In the standard sense of the definition, kids with lemonade stands are not REAL entrepreneurs. I understand the point that Mirrorfinishman is making though. Entrepreneurs are usually born with the characteristics that it takes to be one. Many successful entrepreneurs had business ventures early in life, whether it be a lawn mowing venture or selling candy. I think his point is; that we not discourage young people who have an interest in starting their own business. Entrepreneurs create production and jobs which is very helpful to our economy. There is no greater feeling than creating something from nothing.