5 Things Young Entrepreneurs Need To Focus On

1. Find a mentor

Do you watch Shark Tank? If you do, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary always points out to befriend people. He would always tell you that you need to befriend people who have the skillset you do not have. Why? Because you would learn a lot from them. 

Moreover, find a mentor that best suits your skills. You could take it a step further and find a mentor that fits your skill set and is also skilled in a field you are aiming to grow in. Your mentor could make a massive difference in your journey as an entrepreneur. The great thing about mentors is that it could be anyone you want it to be. It could be a friend, your parents, or another entrepreneur.  

2. Earn credibility

Part of your plans to take over the industry should be building credibility. In the business world, even if your idea is groundbreaking, without people’s confidence in you, it won’t pan out the way you want it to. 

Since you are a teenager, people would normally take longer in considering your business as a legitimate competitor in a market space. You are young, it’s normal for them to be filled with questions. What you need to do is answer their questions and doubts. Let your achievements and expertise answer what remains in their questions. 

A great tip in boosting your credibility is by demonstrating to people how valuable your product is to them. Show them a YouTube video of how your products work. Write a blog article that goes in-depth about its function. The concept here is that your product needs to reach your market through all means available. The more positive feedback you receive, the more credible you become. 

3. Accept Advice (with a grain of salt)

Listening is different from hearing. The former entails hearing and understanding. Therefore, listen to people who give you free advice. You are not perfect, you are limited by your capabilities as a human. It’s a normal human characteristic.

Take these pieces of advice with a grain of salt, though. Always remember that people give you advice because they want to see you flourish and be successful. However, not all advice is good advice. There may be some who speak from their own experience. The truth is, we only share similarities with other people’s journeys. Sometimes, what works for them wouldn’t work for us and vice-versa. 

4. Stop Looking for Attention

This is where the saying “Suffer in Silence” comes into play. Stop craving for attention. Do not beg for other people’s attention. Do everything you need to do in silence and let the results speak for itself. The more you talk about your product unnecessarily, the more unnecessary attention you get. 

Based on the historical performance of some businesses, those who attracted unnecessary attention have fallen pretty loudly. 

5. Hustle

As a teen entrepreneur, you have to kiss your social life goodbye. As Lori Greiner of Shark Tank points out, people are willing to work 80 hours a week just to escape a 40-hour 9-5 job. You need to hustle to get things off the ground. 

You will sacrifice a lot of your time and effort to see your business grow and develop. This means that you will have to occasionally say no to that Friday-night parties your friends throw every now and then.

If you are hungry for more, read about the most common mistakes rookie entrepreneurs make. Click here.