Want to Become a Teenpreneur? Here’s how!

We got a lot of comments on last week’s post on Teenpreneurship, with some readers asking for more information. And being a responsive person, here’s the Part 2.

According to profitableventure.com, “entrepreneurship is not all fun and laughter; it comes with its ups and downs and business failure is not uncommon...” You must understand that establishing a business is a full time undertaking, requiring a lot of commitment, time and effort. As a teenager engaged in running your own business, you will probably, forgo a lot of the fun things that your contemporaries get to enjoy doing. You will be so occupied in handling multiple responsibilities as the chief marketing officer, chief sales person, book-keeper, customer service officer, delivery officer, etc, of your business. This is because you want your business to succeed.

Looks scary, doesn’t it? But recall we shared some examples last week of some successful entrepreneurs who started off when they were in their teens, some of whom are global celebs we admire a whole lot. If they can make it, then so can you. Let me share below a few tips that will help you get started.

1.   Make an ‘ideas’ list: A budding entrepreneur has a mind-full of ideas on what to develop into a commercial venture. It could be something you love to do – like you love to sew and thinking of setting up a tailoring outfit making clothes for children. It could also be something you’ve done before which you enjoyed – like having worked in a restaurant after school hours and thinking you can set up your own. You could also be motivated to start a business as a result of the missing gaps somewhere – like being an avid reader but there’s no bookshop in the neighbourhood you just moved into. And you could be inspired by nature – like establishing a fish farm using an abandoned pond in your community. All these and more can throw up all kinds of ideas for entrepreneurship. What’s on your list?

2.   Get more information: Okay, so I said to make an ideas list. With some ‘reality teevee’ selection, you should be toying with about 2-3 business ideas. That done, you will need to get to know a lot about these business areas. I know the internet will be your first port of call…brilliant! But you may also visit your local business agency, talk to business people especially those in your prospective line of business. This will help your preparedness for the journey ahead…and what a journey!

3.   Get a mentor: A mentor is an experienced individual that you can lean on as you start and navigate the business terrain. Mentors come with experience, knowledge and resources that you can learn from and help you to develop your business. A mentor does not necessarily need to be in the same line as business you but they can advise you, help you to take difficult decisions, constructively criticize you, give you helpful contacts and connections etc. Their personal stories will also help to motivate you and help you guard against wastage of time and resources.

4.   Be passionate about your venture: Remember how you made the entire family love your best friend just by inundating them with lots of good stories about your friendship? Well, now is the time to rev up that excitement about the business you intend to establish. You must realize that you will have more ‘nay-sayers’ than supporters but your enthusiasm and your level of preparedness can sway more people to your side. As a teenager, you will need all kinds of support to succeed but the chief supporter you will need is… You. When you are passionate about the business you want to engage in, you become receptive to positive vibes and thoughts which continues to guide and inspire you towards what you want to do.

5.   Start/Increase your Piggy Bank: You will need capital to start and run your business venture and it isn’t advisable to expect to lay hands on other people’s money without having any of your own. Do you have a Piggy Bank? If no, you now have a reason to start one. If yes, you can begin to increase it. Meaning, frugal use of pocket money, no more frivolous spending, saving is the watchword! Build a cash and goodwill chest that will be capital for your business.

6.   Seek some practical experience: For your business to start well and grow, you will need some kind of practical experience. So go get some experience whether in a part-time job, as an intern or volunteer. You get to learn about business strategies, business models, customer service, accounting, supplier relationship, marketing and sales, office decorum, regulatory bodies, etc.

7.   Identify your value proposition: What needs will your business meet? What gaps will your business fill? These questions should occupy you and your answers will go a long way to put your business on a success or failure path. For a commercial venture to be sustainable, it must be the ‘answer’ to a ‘question’; the solution to a problem; the value added to a life and that of the society.

8.   Surround yourself with the right people: In order to start and grow your business, you will hang out with people who can help you bring your dreams to fruition. It will be a good idea to join a business/trade association in the industry you intend to start your business. Don’t discourage yourself with thoughts that people will look down on you because you are young, but try to get into the industry and build a reputation for yourself. At the same time, you will have to grow up much quicker than you envisaged. Teenagers are notorious for being rude, have a smart-mouth and generally, obnoxious. You can’t build any good relationship wearing such toga.

9.   Take a personal inventory. As you prepare towards becoming an entrepreneur, you'll have to determine whether you have what it takes to succeed. Take a realistic view of your strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, look at areas of capability (knowledge and experience), aptitude (skills and likes), and personality (persistence, resilience). Do you have the knowledge and experience required to succeed within your chosen industry? Can you deal with failure and hardships along your path to success? Finally, assess whether or not you have the financial standing required to start a business. (www.wikihow.com)

10.        Set Kingdom Principles: As a Christian teenager, you must bear in mind that everything you are, have and do must find expression to glorify your Father in heaven. Your business will not be an exception. Let the core values of your business be a reflection of godly character. Your products and/or services must be produced legally and wholesomely. Your stakeholders must be treated with courtesy and respect. Integrity and the fear of God must be evident in your business. The environment of your business must be the abode of positive knowledge impartation and societal impact. So you can start and set the course of your business towards success (Joshua 1:8).

Thinking Teenpreneurship?

Two days ago, precisely on Tuesday 21^st August, was the global celebration of the World Entrepreneurship Day and teenpreneurs, yes teen-entrepreneurs, were a huge part of the commemoration. A teenpreneur is a young entrepreneur under the age of 20 and businesses established by this age bracket (13-19) is rapidly increasing all over the world.

According to the Entrepreneur Handbook, a digital publication with an engaged audience of small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals, “entrepreneurship refers to the concept of developing and managing a business venture in order to gain profit by taking several risks in the corporate world. Simply put, entrepreneurship is the willingness to start a new business”. Many successful entrepreneurs today began their businesses as teenagers.

Ø  Mark Zuckerberg, as a teenage students at Harvard, created the software that became the popular social networking site, Facebook. Today, he is worth more than a billion dollars with Facebook recording over 400 million users and being one of the most successful Web sites.

Ø  Farrah Gray was a successful businessman even before he reached his teens. At age 10, he’d formed a club that raised $15,000 for financing a lemonade stand. By age 12, he had started a venture capital firm that raised $1 million from investors to help teenagers start their own business. Before he was 16, he had started business ventures that include pre-paid phone cards, One Stop Mailboxes & More franchises and The Teenscope "Youth AM/FM" interactive talk show. He became executive producer of a comedy show on the Las Vegas Strip, and was the owner of a food company that had orders exceeding $1.5 million. He is also a best-selling author and has established his own non-profit, Farrah Gray Foundation, which gives grants and scholarships to inner-city and students with at-risk backgrounds… All these before his thirtieth birthday!

Ø  Jason O'Neill who started making Pencil Bugs at the age of 9. These are colourful pencil toppers made in the shape of bugs.

Ø  Fraser Doherty started making jams at the age of 14 in Scotland. By age 16, Fraser left school to work full-time on his jam business SuperJam. Today, SuperJam sells around 500,000 jars a year.

Is there a particular or right age to start a business venture? Usually, people start when they have a great business idea. But teenagers? Well, more and more of them are manifesting and expressing their entrepreneurial capabilities all over the world today and that’s due to a number of factors, among which are;

Technology is increasing and changing fast and today’s teenagers are so technologically savvy. As such, they can easily and more quickly spot opportunities to add value/provide solutions to people’s needs and that of the society. With their natural curiousity, teenagers can and would test and push their boundaries in order to articulate their potential to impact the world using vehicles like entrepreneurship. They are also open-minded and not afraid to take risks, including dreaming really big dreams.

They may not have a whole lot of resources, especially in skills and finance, but then, many businesses can start small and require a little money. The important focus is to add value or solve a problem out there. With this settled, teenagers can acquire education on entrepreneurship such as technical skills, business management skills, plug into networks and linkages, and work with mentors who can help them with advice from knowledge and experience.

Society needs to sustain the development of this new generation with education, guidance, and community support as the best way to nurture and cultivate the startups of the future. Who knows, the next multinational could be your own teenager… or You, the teenager. Any business ideas running around your head right now? Meditate on it!!!

(Excerpts from www.americanexpress.com)

My Sibling is Driving Me Nuts!

Having a sibling does give one a good feeling and has its advantages. Whether it is to borrow something from them or to gossip about some nerd at school, all you need to do is head to their room or the next bed space. And if it is to moan about the recent flak from parents, you can be sure to find an understanding ear. Come to think of it, no one else in this world knows you better than your sibling.

But sometimes, having a sibling may just be bigger than what you think you can handle. It gets worse if they are straight-A students while you barely escape with Cs, or star athletes while you only excel in the ‘clapping event’, or are often eulogized as ‘the good child’ while your own testimonial is full of disaffection. You cannot help but feel some resentment at such moments.

Well, that is totally normal. That is what is known as sibling rivalry. If you have a sibling, then you are either trying to deal with it or already there. Sibling rivalry does not last forever and while we may not like it, it is just a normal part of having a sister or brother. Sibling rivalry can range from petty spats to reaching for each other’s throats in anger and fury. As a teenager, sibling rivalry puts a lot of mental and emotional pressure on your relationship.

Why Do Siblings Drive Each Other Crazy?

1)   Unhealthy comparison: Having to watch a sibling hauling home sports trophies, which are prominently displayed by your proud parents for all to see while you feel invisible; or watching your sibling hugging the spotlight while you disappear into the darkness of their shadow; or having to hear your parents constantly praise your sibling while your praise frequency is in deficit, can bring about sibling rivalry.

2)   Unhealthy competition: Sometimes, you may not get along you’re your sibling because of your profound differences, as in age and temperament. As an older sibling, you may feel burdened with the responsibility of looking out for your younger one; meanwhile, the younger sibling may be trying too hard to catch up with you. There is the pressure to be the best in school, in sports, in behaviour, conduct and relationships. Our society teaches that to win is to be better. So, you feel compelled to compete with your sibling.

3)   Battle for attention and control: As siblings, you are inevitably forced to share the one person, or the two people, that you want the most for yourselves - their parents. You want your parents’ attention, and they have just that much time and attention to offer. You also fight because you are jealous of each other and perceive that your parent prefers one sibling to the other. So, when siblings fight, it may be a way for them to get their parents’ attention which they crave but are too embarrassed to express verbally.

Benefits of Sibling Rivalry?

According to middleearthnj.wordpress.com, there are actually, some benefits to sibling rivalry. For one, it offers teens the opportunity to learn how to handle conflicts. Through sibling rivalry, teens learn:

·         sympathy and respect of others

·         how to deal with other personalities

·         how to negotiate

·         conflict resolution

·         why ‘being fair’ isn’t always what happens

·         how to deal with not getting their way

·         how to win

How to Manage Sibling Rivalry

Be guided by set rules:

In many homes, there are set rules against domestic violence. This is to guard against siblings hurting each other badly. As a check on your temper and in order not to worsen your relationship with your sibling, it may be wise to be checked by the set rules as you engage your sibling in disagreements especially, where there are consequences for non-compliance.

Before you act, take deep breaths:

Psychologists often advise that we should take ten deep breaths in order to regain our temper and keep from saying or doing something regretful. Staying composed might be very useful to resolve the argument peacefully.

Walk away:

No matter how nasty your sibling is treating you, be sure to remain the mature one and refuse to respond in kind to their provocation. Instead of fighting back with more insults, just walk away. Most fights between siblings are not even worth the trouble, so save your breath.

Tell your parents:

If it becomes a serious problem that you cannot solve by yourself, then it may be time to involve your parents. Watch out for the right time so you can sit down with them and tell them what’s going on. Try to make your point in a mature, even tone – no shouting and with no embellishment.

Manage your expectations:

There is no perfect relationship between siblings. They just don’t exist. So, it is quite normal to feel jealous, annoyed or frustrated with your sibling every once in a while. But cherish the happy times you spend with them, no matter how rare because those moments will really stick with you when you are living on your own. So, for whatever it is worth, go for dialogue – sit down with your sibling to resolve those issues that bring about quarrels and fights between you.

WALKING IN THE POWER OF DOMINION

WALKING IN THE POWER OF DOMINION

PASTOR BANKOLE OLUBAMISE

The world is expecting something from you, earnestly waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. When the world is looking to you to manifest as a son of God, may you not be found wanting. When Joseph was looked upon to interpret dreams, he was not caught napping. When Daniel was looked upon at a time when the whole nation was in confusion, only Daniel delivered on demand. When the world calls you, answer must come from you!

“Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.” (Judges 5:13 KJV)

Walking in the power of dominion! When the world makes a demand of you, there is something in you that must respond to the world. May the power of God rest upon you, in such a way that you will have dominion over the nobles in the land, and the mighty, in Jesus name! Take a look at that same scripture in the New King James Version of the bible.

"Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty”. (Judges 5:13 NKJV)

The LORD will come down for you against the mighty.

When God created man, let’s look at what he said:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”. (Genesis 1:26-28 KJV)

You and I were created to have dominion. God wants us to occupy a position where we dominate our environment. Now man has gone to the moon, man has conquered virtually everything inside the sea. There is no animal that is in the sea now that man does not have a means of controlling, through different inventions. Man has been made to operate under the simple command of dominating and you need to recognize this and operate in the dominion that God has commanded. You will discover that life takes a different meaning when you begin to operate in those things that God has said concerning you.

God blessed man and commanded him to have dominion. It is an instruction from God. He has created a position called DOMINION for you and I to occupy. But many believers don’t either understand this or have not fully come to the knowledge of it. Joseph is somebody who had recognition of this command to have dominion. In Genesis 37, we understand that he had a dream, he saw twelve sheaves , his own was in the middle and the other eleven bowed down to his sheaf . He felt elated and he decided to share that story with his brethren; he did not mention anybody’s name. Look at what his brethren said to him,

“And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.” (Genesis 37:8 KJV)

When you begin to occupy, and begin to operate in the level where you are supposed to occupy, it does not matter what the world does, the world can envy you, hate you, disapprove of you, but the point is that no matter what they do, they will eventually submit to whatever you do as a person operating in the power of dominion. Assuming, you are the managing director of a conglomerate, do you know that whether you are in the office sitting on your seat or not, you are still the executive director? Whoever comes into that office must submit to that position that you occupy, whether you are physically present there or not. So if you recognize your position as somebody who is supposed to walk in dominion, situations and circumstances will recognize that you are different.

Jesus operated in a realm of dominion and the bible records concerning him, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15 KJV)

It was easy for him to make an open show of the enemy. Remember when He sent the seventy out, when they returned to him with testimonies, here is his reply, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:18 KJV)

Well, how could he see satan fall as lightening? It is because he was already in a position that is far above, principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. When you occupy the position that is meant for you in the spirit realm, the enemies around will submit themselves unto you.

To have dominion means to overcome, to control, to subdue, to subjugate. Most of the nations that are currently free, had to remove the dominion of some other people over them: - they had to fight for their independence. That is because when something is under dominion, it means that it is not independent, it under the subjugation of somebody else. You are not supposed to be in a position where somebody is ruling or controlling you. You are supposed to be the one in charge. You are going to be in charge in the mighty name of Jesus.

To be in dominion means to lead. You are to be the head and not the tail according to the promises of God, not for some time but as a life style. Afflictions may come, but the bible says “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10 KJV) Any suffering that is above a while is not for any child of God. You are meant to be above always. That is the standard that God has set for you in the spirit realm. Whenever you find yourself under the oppression of situations and circumstances, you need to lift up your head and ask your self - what exactly is happening? To have dominion is to be the head, to be supreme, you are the commander in chief when you are walking in dominion, irrespective of what the situations and the circumstances around you are, you are the one supreme ruler. When you become the commander in chief that you are intentionally designed by God to be, everything else takes instruction from you. When you are in charge, even the devil knows who is in charge. Witches are supposed to send intelligence network to find out which route you are using to travel so that they can clear off the road for you to pass, and they will not hold any meeting that particular day, because a commander in chief is passing by. Situations and circumstances are supposed to take instructions from you and I. They will however only do that if you operate in the level where God has created for you. It has nothing to do with your gender. Judges 5 is a song by Deborah the prophetess. The children of Israel were in bondage, no one could rise to the occasion until Deborah came, a lady walking in dominion showed up on the scene. We were all created to walk in such level of dominion. The head of the army had ran away, every one who was supposed to have done something one way or the other was in hiding. Yet the nation was under subjugation until one lady who knew who she was in God, decided to rise and take the position that was due to her. Because of what she did, the bible records the following:

“Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.” (Judges 5:13 KJV)

Take the step to occupy that position that belongs to you in the spirit realm. God has a special grace and that is the grace of dominion that will make the nobles of the land to begin to recognize you. When the army captain saw Deborah, walking in the power of dominion, - she was a prophetess, she had not gone to military school before; but they made her mother in Israel, and decided to submit to her. She became a judge in the land and the army General would come to her to get instructions about what to do. Israel as a nation then was under somebody’s dominion. Deborah decided to single-handedly operate at the level that she knew to be her original designation. Now, that is operating in the dominion that God had called her to. So when God created you, He put a mark after your name and added to your name- dominion. In the realm of the spirit, what does the devil see after the comma of your name on your complimentary card, it is boldly inscribed: DOMINION. That is because dominion is the original mandate of God.

How Do I Choose a Career?

One good thing about life is that we grow up daily and there are so many things happening in a teenager’s life in this ‘growing up’ process. Nearly, if not all of them, demand some level of decision making. The choice of a career is a crucial aspect of ‘growing up’ decisions. For teenagers, making a career choice is an important step on the road to adulthood and the seed is best sown in early teenage years.

During their secondary/high school, teenagers are regularly briefed on career choices especially using the subjects they take and the ones they perform best. This is because there are implications on the choice of discipline they will have when applying for university/college and their future careers. It is therefore, very crucial for teenagers to have a good idea of their choice of career so they can get started in the right direction.

Steps Toward Choosing A Career

1.   Begin to Ask the Right Questions

Children are known to ask a lot of questions. It’s like as you are answering one, they are asking another. But not teenagers! This isn’t about just asking questions but asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS by teenagers looking at a career ahead. Amber Rae, the founder and CEO of the Bold Company, suggests three more poignant questions… “First, asking "Who am I?" helps a teen explore their likes and dislikes. Secondly, "How do I want to live my life?" helps them determine lifestyle issues. For example, helping others may be more of a priority than financial success. Being free to travel may be more important than being rooted in an office. Thirdly, asking "What do I have to give?" helps a teen examine their unique set of skills and interests to find a place in society where these can be useful to others while allowing the individual to thrive”.

2.   Consider Your Education and Interests

There are students who pass through the school but the school didn’t pass through them. That’s a pity because the opportunity to live life as a young person is lost forever. During the schooling years, the teenager needs to take note of subjects and activities they enjoy as well as the ones they don’t. They can be a good guide to exploring career paths. For example, a teenager who enjoys sports may choose careers ranging anywhere from athletics to sports medicine to sports journalism. Same with a student who enjoys the subject, Geography; the career choices range from tourism to geology.

3.   You Must Be Realistic

A lot of the time, some teenagers find it difficult to come to terms with what they want to do with what they are prepared to do. But this plays a major role in sieving out inappropriate career choices. A teen with stage-fright, for example, will have some challenges to explore before seriously going on to become an actress or musician. So also a teen who consistently gets D in math may have to reconsider a career in science or medicine. We also believe that parents should be realistic too by considering their children's interests and aptitudes before trying to push one career path over another, or encouraging them to proceed on a difficult path. Some careers may seem attractive while in high school, but actually making a living as a painter, a writer or a marine biologist is easier dreamt of than actually done. For such difficult careers, having a back-up plan is good idea.

4.   Go on an Exploration

This isn’t a hard assignment for teenagers. While the children may be more expressive with their excitement on ‘exploration’ trips, teenagers often benefit from the opportunity for some ‘freedom’. Identifying a particular a career path will open the teenager to exploring opportunities in volunteering and other extracurricular activities for valuable hands-on experience. For example, a teenager seeking a career in Veterinary Medicine will get practical experience working at a pet store or volunteering at a local animal shelter. Exploring careers online and talking to people who work in that field can also help a teenager a whole lot. School guidance/counseling teachers are also a valuable resource for exploring careers.

(Culled from “Choosing a Career for Young Teenagers” by David Weedmark)