Here is a truly unique company run by a couple of young entrepreneurs: Happy Worker.

As co-creators and co-founders of Happy Worker and The Toy Agency, Shirley Yee and Kris Schantz create fun for big kids… and try their hardest to turn all working stiffs into happy workers.

The duo first came up with the idea for a geek action figure in early 2002 while working in the IT industry after the dotcom collapse. Shirley was working as a web developer, and Kris was creating products and managing marketing for entrepreneurial Internet companies. Through some persistence and an abundance of nerdy love, the pair joined forces with other toy-minded people and turned a little napkin drawing into a real live toy – the GeekMan Action Figure hit retail shelves and office cubicles in mid 2004. (More about the making of GeekMan at http://www.happyworker.com/geekman/makingof.html)

Since their firstborn toy Happy Worker has added other original action figures, including BossMan – mighty manager, SuperMom – mini mommy heroine, and MoneyMan – your friendly neighborhood financial hero. Happy Worker’s toys are now available in 6 countries and have made over 250 media appearances.

“We had to try our hand at inventing toys… we had all these crazy toy ideas burning holes in our heads, and we needed to let them out. But like most things, with toys coming up with crazy ideas is the easy part. Turning them into reality… takes real passion and business sanity.”

One of the challenges they faced was that neither had any real experience in the toy industry. They invested all the free time they could find on evenings and weekends towards researching the toy business… first via books and online, then by attending Toy Fair in New York, and finally by making contacts in the industry. “The learning process was a lot of fun… and a lot of homework. But after about a year of research we’d learned as much as we could about the industry without actually making a toy.”

After seeing their retail toys, in early 2005 Yahoo! asked Happy Worker for creative toy ideas to add excitement to their upcoming marketing campaigns. Together they launched a line of exclusive HR related action figures for Yahoo!’s HotJobs division. “The action figures were introduced at the world’s largest HR trade show, and Yahoo!’s booth was crazy busy with people clamoring for the toys. Before the show was over they’d run out of action figures, and more importantly recorded a huge increase in booth traffic and show sales over previous years.” The companies have worked together for the last 3 years.

Since then Happy Worker has completed a number of successful custom toy projects for other brands, and created a separate division, “The Toy Agency by Happy Worker”, focused on designing and producing tailor-made toys and gifts from scratch for companies and marketing agencies.

Evan Carmichael

When Louis Trahan decided he wanted to transition from employee to entrepreneur he wanted to make sure that he ended up with more than just another job.   With that in mind he took three ideas he had,  wrote mini ‘business briefs’ and cash flow projections for each.  Then using these briefs he compared them to a list of criteria he felt was important in a business and made a decision to start Last Minute Training.

Surprisingly enough, most of the criteria had nothing to do with business but rather with the lifestyle he wanted.   

“I didn’t believe that owning my own business had to preclude having a family and social life.  I wanted to make sure that the business I started wouldn’t take all my time away from my family and friends,” says Louis.  Very often entrepreneurs end up working incredible hours and end up finding themselves in their own little bubble.   Taking steps early to prevent that from happening is important.  “You need to be able to rely on your friends and family to help you along the way, sometimes simply as a distraction for an evening, other times for more significant help.”Lifestyle issues were not the only criteria Louis used to make his decision.  He also looked at factors such as scalability, the ability to be active in an international market, innovation and market size.  “It was important for me that whatever business I started wasn’t going to rely on a single economy,  the ability to grow internationally was a necessity.  Second to that was that I knew I wanted a technology based business.”  

And Last Minute Training is all that and more.   Based on the popular “last minute” travel discount model Louis’ company has applied that same last minute discount concept to the world of public training seminars.   Using his service, people and companies can purchase seats in popular training seminars for up to 50% off regular prices.  This is great news for small companies and entrepreneurs who often find it difficult to invest in the training they need to succeed.

The company, originally launched selling training in Toronto, Canada has grown to include training in 6 different markets and is expecting to launch into the USA before the end of this year.

Louis has this to say to young and aspiring entrepreneurs, “Of course there are sacrifices you’ll have to make, and you’ll be working longer hours than most of your friends.  But don’t let your new business take over your life,  instead make it a part of your life and keep it in balance. Business success shouldn’t come at the cost of being able to curl up on the couch with the person you love and watch a movie together.”

Evan Carmichael

Here is a great story about a young entrepreneur out of Scotland named Fraser Doherty. Fraser is an 18 year old student at Strathclyde University and his company, SuperJams, is already a million dollar business. With his recent success, Fraser is looking to make his studies a part time endeavor while he focuses on building his company. “It’s done a lot better than I expected. It’s growing really fast. The difficult thing is producing enough.”

Fraser sells jams and preserves that target a new, younger audience. They stay true to his grandmother’s original recipe but attract more health-conscious consumers. For example, instead of using sweetener like the other, big name jams, Fraser uses grape juice. He also focuses on the “superfoods” like blackcurrants, blueberries and ginger which are attracting buyers looking for a healthier diet. “I think people are looking for something a bit healthier, and it’s more fun and modern. It appeals to people who might not normally buy jam.”

Despite the growing revenues, Fraser has not taken any money out of the company, preferring to pump it back into the business. “For me, it’s not really about making lots of money. You have to create something you enjoy and have a passion for. I genuinely do love jam. When I read that sales had been falling for a couple of decades, I was horrified by the idea of it becoming extinct.”

Fraser started the company four years ago at the age of 14, selling his jam door to door as a way to earn extra spending money. He expanded by setting up shop at a local farmer’s market and soon found that he could not keep up with the demand for his jams. “I think I’ve still got a lot to learn. It’s not easy to set up a business and you have to really believe in it. There were points when I thought it would never be ready to go on the shelves.”

With his recent success, Fraser is about to release a book that discusses his story called “How to be a Teenage Millionaire.” It just goes to show that if you have enough passion for your business and a product that is in genuine demand, you can create a real business no matter how old you are.

Evan Carmichael

Here’s a great success story about a young Torontonian entrepreneur.  Sharon Galor, President of Toronto Dance Salsa, is the owner of Canada’s largest salsa dance school.  With over 3,000 students attending salsa classes at her school annually, this young entrepreneur is busy with her thriving business.

What is interesting to note is that Sharon gets all of her business through two main avenues:  referrals and online leads.  She has brought in 3,000 students and has spent a grand total of $0 on marketing. How does she do it?

“Really the secret is Search Engine Optimization.  Create a website that fully markets the key words you are looking to rank for and focus on obtaining quality links for the website and quality content.”

Sharon has also worked on creating an online community through an active discussion forum and two blogs.  This increases the popularity of the website as well creates additional content for the search engines to find.

In just a little over a year, her website has gone from ranking 20th-40^th for Toronto salsa lessons and Toronto salsa classes to being in the top 1-3 spots.  This increase translates to hundreds of additional leads and students and has doubled her student base in a short period.

The moral of the story?  Invest time and energy in creating a high ranking website and reap the benefits of an increased online presence. It goes to show that you do not have to have a product or sell ad space to make money online. An effective online campaign can help support and promote your existing services that are delivered offline.

Evan Carmichael

I learned about 23 year old Lindsay Terry from JuneauEmpire. In October of last year Lindsay thought about creating his own company to haul away the recyclables of the local businesses in his area. There were other companies that took trash away but not one that focused only on recyclables.

“I didn’t think much of it. (My wife) came up with the idea of starting a recycle pickup service. I didn’t think there was much money in recycling.”

Like any smart entrepreneur he did his market research before getting started. He made a flier promoting his idea and handed it out to local business owners. 15 clients expressed an interest in using his services and Lindsay was in business! He got so busy that he quit his job and brought on a friend to join him as a partner in the company.

“It is growing and growing. The interest and support from the community is phenomenal. We are signing on more customers every week. It is growing faster than I ever thought it would have.”

Lindsay’s success just goes to show you that if you do your market research and listen to your customer base you can succeed. Lindsay did not even believe in the idea himself before talking with potential clients. It was their enthusiasm that got the business off the ground.

Instead of starting with an idea that you think will work, talk with people who will actually pay for your product or service. See what their challenges are and make sure you are solving a real need.

Building around a customer who will pay you is the smartest way to start a business and make sure you can get through the early, often cash-strapped days of your company.

Evan Carmichael

I learned about Sylvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers from the Northwest County Journal. Friends since grade seven they came up with the idea for Showroom Shine Express Detailing while working together at a car wash company. “We noticed that people wanted more quality, more detail, more customer service.”

As with many young entrepreneurs, they started small and built their company slowly.  They first started out while in high school as a way to make extra money. “We washed our first car in the back of Sylvester’s mom’s salon. We took the car, washed it and vacuumed it.”

They slowly grew as word got around about their new service. “One day someone at the salon asked if we could come to their house and wash their car because they would not be coming to the salon. So we said, ‘Why not?’ That’s where the idea of a mobile car wash service came from.”

They continued washing cars as a part time job while they attended college. “In between going to school, we noticed every year that our clients were broken up about us going back to school.”

When they both graduated they looked at their options and decided to give the car washing business a try full time. “We were young. We had time. We knew if this didn’t work, we still had time to do something else. I originally wanted to work for the FBI, and Sylvester wanted to be a dentist. A lot of people didn’t see the vision. They questioned us and would ask when we were going to get ‘real’ jobs. They said we couldn’t wash cars forever.”

The company has since grown with the help of their mentors and loyal clients. They have two vans, a ten person staff and are looking at expansion opportunities. “We want Showroom Shine to become a household name. Maybe we can open a Showroom Shine self-service car wash. When people think of hamburgers, they think of McDonald’s. We want people to think of us when they think of car washes.”

It just goes to show you that when you start small, follow your passion, and listen to your customers, you can build a profitable company and have fun in the process.

Evan Carmichael

This is a great story I found in the Reader-Post about a Canadian entrepreneur named Mary Ready Weimer. When Mary Ready Weimer was  22 years old she started her own business by buying an art gallery. Regina’s Assiniboia Art Gallery has since been relocated, put online, and has won Mary a number of young entrepreneurship recognitions and awards.

When Mary graduated from university with a degree in political science her plan was teach swimming at a local YMCA before going out to get a “real job” in the fall. When Mary’s mother saw an ad in the paper that the gallery was looking for a new manager, Mary eagerly applied as she had long admired the work they were doing.

She was selected out of 70 candidates for the position and later on in the year as the owners joked about selling the business Mary joked about buying it. A year and a half later, she worked out a 6 year financing deal with the owners and she took over the gallery. Without even having a credit card to her name, Mary was the proud owner of her own business. “It was really good of them to offer the financing. I didn’t have a credit card, I didn’t want to go to the bank, and they were willing to take that chance.”

The first two years as a business owner were “overwhelming” for Mary as she worked 15 hour days. “In the beginning it was hard, really hard, just because it was only me. But eventually it started to slow down.” Mary convinced her husband to leave his job at Sears to help her out and she credits her website for helping her manage and market the gallery. “If we didn’t have the Web site, if we didn’t send pieces all over the world, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

“I never thought I’d own a gallery, my Web site was an accident. I guess you never know what’s coming next.”

Evan Carmichael

At the age of 24, Johnny “Cupcakes” Earl is running one of the most unique marketing initiatives that I have ever seen.

He named his company Johnny Cupcakes, has his retail store set up like a bakery, and dresses his staff like they are ready to sell cupcakes to hungry patrons. The only problem is Johnny Cupcakes does not sell cupcakes at all - he sells T-shirts.

Johnny started the company as a joke when his friend gave him the nickname of Johnny “Cupcake”. Johnny made a T-shirt with the name and people started asking where they could find a shirt like his. He began selling them out of his car and then on the Internet. When he toured with his band he gave a few of his shirts to the other bands he played alongside and when one of them showed up on MTV wearing his T-shirt, Johnny Cupcake was officially a sought after brand.

His T-shirts, each of which show a cupcake in a unique position (ex. Statue of Liberty holding a cupcake) are now selling for up to $70 each. When Johnny opened up his Boston retail store there was a lineup of over 500 people waiting to get in on launch day. “It’s just got this really big cult following that keeps growing and growing. They’ll buy one of everything. And every time I’m here, people will ask to get their picture taken with me. They’ll ask for my autograph. It’s just word of mouth. It’s unbelievable.”

In an interview, Johnny gave his keys to success for young entrepreneurs:

• Don’t rush.
• Don’t get bummed out if you go broke.
• Travel, travel, travel.
• Get a catchy domain name.
• Try to limit/not mass produce anything.
• Be prepared to toss out any relationships or hobbies.
• Focus, focus!
• Personalize your online orders.

Visit Johnny’s site at http://www.johnnycupcakes.com/ 

Evan Carmichael

What would you do if you were 20 years old and just received one million dollars? If you are Jake Lapin, you buy a hunting and fishing shop and become an entrepreneur.

Jake used to work at the Sargento cheese factory when he entered a lottery pool with 99 of his fellow coworkers. They won the $208.6 million dollar Powerball jackpot on August 5th and Jake received $1 million of that total - before taxes.

Jake had always been an avid outdoors man and decided to use this opportunity to follow his passion and become an entrepreneur. In December he purchased Dutch’s Trading Post from its longtime owners and Jake was in business. “It’s always been a dream of mine, and now it’s reality.”

Jake quickly found out what life was like as a young entrepreneur. “At 20, most people don’t think about the 10 or 11 employees they have or who they’re going to schedule next week.”

Because of the long hours Jake has to put in to run the company he had to drop out of university and hopes to return to finish his business degree when he has more time. Jake’s sister helps him with the accounting and the former owners, who have had the shop for 25 years, have been mentoring him on how to run the business.

What would you do if you won a million dollars in the lottery?

Evan Carmichael

Corey Kossack is the 23 year old founder of profitbuildersoftware.com has sold over $1 million in eBay products in less than two years and now has written a book to help others do the same.

Corey’s book, “eBay Millionaire or Bust: Hidden Strategies That Maximize Profits and Create Wealth,” looks at the $4 billion a year eBay marketplace that has 1.3 million sellers and gives practical advice to succeed online.

It all started when Corey was in university and was looking for a memory disk for his girlfriend’s digital camera. “I had always thought of eBay as the online yard sale, a place where people got rid of their junk. Then, I spotted someone selling hundreds of memory cards and I suddenly realized eBay was a perfect place to conduct a business.”

Corey decided to get in on the game by selling DVDs online through eBay. He took $1,000 from his bank account in January 2005 to get started and sold over 500,000 DVDs by the end of the year. His title list began at 1,000 then moved to 10,000 and now he has incorporated video games and iPod accessories into his product mix.  “Some of our most popular TV shows were ‘M.A.S.H.’, ‘Sex and the City, and “Schoolhouse Rock”.”

His advice for would-be eBay entrepreneurs? “Focus on profits, not the number of sales. I don’t want to become the biggest seller on eBay. But I want to continue increasing our profit margin. That’s the secret.”

Evan Carmichael