any good ideas for a high schooler?
We are trying to instill a sense of entrepreneurial spirit in my son. We've agreed to fund him to launch a startup with his friends (not a lot of money, but a reasonable amount given his age). He's a junior in high school. What are some unique ideas, perhaps specialized to being in high school (or of that age), that he might consider working on?
Hey Chris,
That is awesome that you are trying to instill a sense of entrepreneurial spirit in your son and you are helping him get started on his first venture.
You should flip it around! Ask him to brainstorm about things that he already knows about, or problems he faces throughout his day.
Maybe it's hard to find your first job as a Junior in HS, or maybe it's frustrating that he can't find places to hang out with his friends, etc.
I believe that whatever he works on should be something he knows / cares about. That's the only way he'll push through when it gets tough =)
Cheers,
Jonathan
Imho the most important thing you can do is: ask him to commit into finishing the project.
I think getting used to finish the projects they start is an important aspect of successful people personality. It doesn't matter if things get difficult, boring or the idea just stop looking good anymore.
I wish I had more self discipline and determination in my younger years to have finished all the things I started and just abandoned for a new idea or just because I got bored
As a high school student myself, I would agree with @jianinglai. Just be an advisor and let him come up with the ideas.
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One of my friends made some extra money with amazon affiliate programs when he was at school. Perhaps this could offer a good starting point to learn marketing?
Just tonight my 10 year old realized he isn't making money "fast" enough though just allowance. He showed interest in trying to figure out how and what to sell.
I agree with Jonathan as well and glad I read his post. I think it's important for them to figure it out on their own. Simply be an "Advisor".
an ecommerce store would be a great one. Something like Redbubble or Zazzle where all you need is ideas and graphic design skills. He can learn about consumer behavior, pricing, and design
I’d second @jianinglai’s thoughts! Coming up with ideas for a business is one of the most difficult and rewarding tasks in the whole entrepreneurial process. Any ideas old guys like me might suggest will pale in comparison to what your son and his friends will come up with on their own. Let them know coming up with an idea will be hard, and could make or break their enterprise, and get them to work thinking about what’s meaningful to them. Good luck to them!