Have you ever wanted to run your own business, but you’re not sure how to start?
Welcome fellow entrepreneur! Here’s a 5-step process as well as 3 ideas to kickstart your very own business:
Step 1) Discovering and Specifying Value Proposition
Step 2) Reflecting Personally and Building Passion
Step 3) Vetting Preliminary Feedback (Market Research)
Step 4) Researching Models and Meeting Influencers
Step 5) Replanning Organization While Implementing
See this non-profit student organization manual for a detailed example, methods, and templates for our process.1. Start a student organization with your friends!
Businesses are first and foremost about exchanging value with people. Consider the following questions:
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Who do you currently know?
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What do your friends enjoy?
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Where do you all spend most of your time?
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When do you all experience a need that you can’t fulfill?
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Why are you all unable to fulfill this need?
As you answer all of these questions over and over again, you’ll begin to discover many possible business ideas. Chances are that you and your friends spend most of your time in school, and you all have some kind of common interest. If that’s true, then start a student organisation around that interest!Most schools support and encourage student clubs—your school will likely give you all the help you’ll need :)Many years ago, my friends and I started an Ultimate Frisbee Club. It was admittedly unsuccessful, but we learned.
As Entrepreneur Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
2. Find your passion and go from there!
Is there anything that gets you incredibly excited; something that really gets your nerd on? Once you can pin down your exact passion, you’ll find it much easier to inspire others because you’re genuine.
3. Get experience abroad and learn from experts!
High school travel abroad is certainly not common, but you’ll find that many teens like you made it happen. Your school might have an office you can reach out to for either starting a club or traveling abroad.
After one teen, Oliver Oglesby, decided to travel to the Dominican Republic with Global Leadership Adventures’ “Building a Sustainable World” Program in Summer 2013, his passion for sustainability was ignited. Oliver then applied all the experience and perspective he gained to later co-found Project Ascensión. A summer business camp or program for high school students can be a great starting point for success.
“Every person can make a difference in their own way. You just have to open your eyes to realize how!”
–Oliver Oglesby
What kind difference do you want to make? We’d enjoy hearing your pitch and helping you along!
Contributed by Nick Fochtman
