new entrepenuer.. where to start?

[Vladdy]

I am 19 and I want to be an entrepenuer and want to get an early start with it. I know what an entrepenuer is and the risks that come with it, so i know what i want.. except theres one little problem. WHERE DO I START? what do i have to do to be an entrepenuer? is there books or anyone with experience that could just point me in the right direction

[Vladdy]

wait wait wait... this is supposedly a site for entrepenuers.. and 73 "entrepenuers" looked at this n dont know wat to say.. u must be some broke ass entrepenuers

[Mega B]

So what type of interest or hobbies do you have this may be the 1st step to take as you will then have the knowledge to move forward,have you ever had a website or blog or anything of that nature.Once you have answered a few basics the rest of the jigsaw seens to fit into place.

And no i aint no 'broke ass entrepenue' thanks.

[soccerprodigy777]

MegaB, you're nice for even answering. Kids need to learn how to figure certain s*** out before mouthing off

[Vladdy]

thanks mega b

[PhillM]

That's such a vague question. An entrepreneur, a person that starts their own business, can be anyone. Attempting your first entrepreneurial venture at 19 isn't an 'early start' these days, there was a 12(?) year old girl that made millions selling painted bottle caps. The way you phrased 'I want an early start' almost sounds like you view entrepreneurship as a step-by-step process; it's not.

You need to have a passion for business AND your hobby you plan to expand it into a business. If you're focusing on the money then you're setting yourself up for failure, most entrepreneurs don't see any sort of income for years. Chances are you will fail even if you have a passion and the know-how to run a business, competition is fierce out there.

You said you understand the risks of being an entrepreneur. Do you understand that you may have to file bankruptcy, risk being sued or risk losing intangible items like friendships? Of course losing a friendship over a business is a bit extreme it does happen, you could even lose your significant other because your business failed.

What type of business did you plan to start? Or were you just focusing on the benefits of being a successful entrepreneur, which accounts for a very small percentage of entrepreneurs.

[Mega B]

@PhillM a good reply.

[borisfowler]

You can ask this question and get a different answer from everyone. Entrepreneurism isn't something that you do, it's a lifestyle you lead. I do not think you understand what it really is. You want to run a business; great! I'm sure youll do fantastic, but you don't need to be an entrepreneur to do that. The first thing I would suggest is determining what you are passionate about.

The best things in life come from passion.

Also, don't be an entrepreneur for the money or the "freedom" because you will soon learn that there is little of both except for a select few great innovators.

When you come across a venture you want to start, read The Art of The Start by Guy Kawasaki. This will show you how to get started.

Also, entrepreneurs and many of the networking contacts you will make from being a part of this culture expect the utmost class and respect. You might consider deleting your second post from this forum. It sounds very rude and disrespectful. You will be amazed at the things and people you will meet because you are nice.

We did not respond to this post because you "called people out". We responded because we wanted to help a fellow entrepreneur.

Good Luck!

[my_misyel]

One good recommendation I can give is to think first what do you really want to do. If you are really decided on becoming an entrepreneur, I suggest you conduct a study on how you are going to start. Like, what business you would like to get into or how much you would like to invest. Browse different threads from this forum and you'll learn a lot as a starter.

[grnthmb55]

Find a niche or a void, and try to fill that void with the product or service that is lacking. The most important thing is, you have to go into business doing something you are passionate about. Don't just go after just money... if you go into something you are passionate about, the money will come if you have any sense of business. And by sense of business, basically you just have to exercise some common sense. Put yourself in your customer's shoes, and ask yourself... why would someone want to buy from me? Set yourself apart from your competitors. Look professional. Get a logo, and good signage. Make sure people know what it is your are selling. Sell a quality product or service. The most important thing about growing a business is making sure that your customers will want to come back. A happy customer may tell one person, but an angry customer will tell ten. Treat your customers well, even when they deserve to get yelled at, because in the end, if you can make a few dollars off of them in the future, it's usually worth sucking it up.

[jobslacker]

@ Vladdy... lol well put. How can you claim to be an entrepreneur and not reply to this post. To me being an entrepreneur is a life style. You have to absolutely love being a self employed by selling a product or providing a service. Honestly no book can provide you with the experience you will get from trial and error. I believe you already know the risks involved so prepare yourself to take losses, just make sure they're at a minimum and you learn from them so you don't make the same mistake twice. Whatever you develop try to think outside the box and do something different that will set yourself apart from the competition and make sure it's set up in a way you can turn a profit. (this is the only information investors care about). I still go back and look at my work and say, "I could've done this different and saved time and money."

[greathermit]

if you want to start, and want to explore areas of distribution, pm me for details as my products are going worldwide and looking for partners around the world