User:Splashire/The young entrepreneur

Starting a business is always a risk for people of any age. These risks include buying stock, spending time on a pursuit that is expensive and time-consuming as well as giving up a steady and stable job for the unknown. However it can be argued that without risk there is no reward, and successful businesses have never started or even continued to be a stable and steady lifestyle. Challenges to young entrepreneurs in particular include not being taken seriously, finding it difficult to raise start-up capital and being faced with the massive expense of advertising. Even finding a space to operate from is tricky and expensive- not to mention the laws and regulations surrounding employing other people and paying tax.

So we have established that it is a minefield going into enterprise, but for some it can bring a sense of control of self-motivation and reinforce structure and purpose into day-to-day life. The thrill and buzz of making a sale, interacting with customers can often counter- act the administrative (some may consider boring) aspects such as data entry, and postage and packaging.

For those who truly enjoy enterprise and are successful, the rewards can be significant. For example, the Sunday Times rich list 2010 includes several young people under 30 who made their fortune on the internet or on the back of green investments. Nevertheless, it does help to start with a product(s) that you like and understand because it is hard work. The benefits and challenges of being a young entrepreneur are plenty, but perhaps the key is to find what we do best at the end of the day- and do it well.

More scientific and social research is certainly needed in this arena.