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| Character & Contribution Values, integrity, finding your purpose, living your purpose, serving the greater good, making a difference, changing the world, charity, polarity, lightworkers, darkworkers |
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08-26-2007, 12:40 AM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 330
 |  Teen Business Question
Hi. I'm a fifteen year old from Illinois. I recently read Steve Pavlina's article "The Courage to Live Consciously". So today, I decided to start living consciously and started reading about some memory techniques. I also decided to acknowldege my fear about starting a business, and start a business anyway. My business idea is in restaurant placemats: basically, I provide free placemats to restaurants. The placemats are funded by advertisments around the border. When I was trying to find info about the business on the net, I stumbled upon a thread on a Lawn Care forum. On the thread, people were talking about whether or not placemat advertising was worth it, and the general consensus was that the advertising was a huge waste of money. I want to make money, but I don't want to scam people. What would you do- keep going with the idea or find something new? |
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08-26-2007, 02:22 AM
| #3 (permalink) | |
| Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 3,811
| Quote:
I think that you've got a great idea and that you should follow through with it... The very best of luck to you... . | |
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08-26-2007, 03:17 PM
| #4 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: UK
Posts: 398
| Keep at it!
Shamou is talking sense. I didn't follow it through because I had other things to do, but I had a business idea for which placemat advertising would have been ideal. Full marks for doing your research though. |
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08-26-2007, 05:23 PM
| #5 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 330
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Alright, I'm going to go through with it. My main problem will be getting transportation so that I can go to businesses after getting an appointment. I'm also clueless about how I'll make a contract, or how to sell the advertising. I guess I'll just learn on the job.
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08-26-2007, 09:31 PM
| #8 (permalink) | |
| Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 3,811
| Quote:
At this stage, it does not matter much what you do... so long as you do something... Whatever it is that you do...(unless you screw up bad) will be invaluable experience... Go for it... and the best of luck to you... . | |
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08-26-2007, 11:57 PM
| #9 (permalink) | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 330
| Quote:
Tomorrow: Call local print shops; compare quotes. Tuesday: Call local restaurants that are near small businesses. Once you find one that will agree to take the placemats, make an appointment. Wednesday-Till Whenever: Call local businesses and ask if they want to be on the placemat/make an appointment. Tomorrow is ok for me. Tuesday is somewhat scary. Wednesday scares the **** out of me, but I'll do it anyway. But before all this, I have to get some sample placemats, design, etc. done. Whatever. I'm just happy I'm doing something now instead of sitting on my ass thinking about doing it. Thanks all. | |
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08-27-2007, 12:33 AM
| #10 (permalink) | |
| Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 3,811
| Quote:
  But seriously... I can understand your fear... but, keep in mind Donald Trump's mantra... "Nothing personal... it's just business..." and you'll do just fine... The best of luck to you and keep us posted... . | |
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08-27-2007, 10:48 AM
| #11 (permalink) |
| Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NH
Posts: 12
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Some questions you may want to consider: Who is your target audience? (And don’t say everyone, it’s not true.) What motive does a restaurant have to let you advertise for free? (Basically, what is their kickback for the advertising?) Who’s responsible for putting the placemats on the table? Why should the restaurant pay an employee to put your placemat on the table? Why should a business advertise on the placemat? What tangible results can you expect to give them? (Views per day) Do you have any research showing that people actually read the placemats? What is your return on investment? This should include paying your buddy or the cabbie for the rides, etc. You have a good idea, which works well in these parts. (Many small diners and cafes do it) When you call businesses, you should think of calling those who would best serve your target audience. I.E., if most of your customers in the diner are in the post-50’s then target businesses which target senior citizens. Personally, with this type of business, I wouldn’t consider having the client sign a contract, unless it’s a simple statement of your promised services. Rather, I’d give them an invoice, and send them a sample, as well as demographics when the placemats go into print and are distributed. -Blaise |
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08-28-2007, 04:55 PM
| #13 (permalink) | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Netherlands
Posts: 821
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08-28-2007, 08:25 PM
| #15 (permalink) | |
| Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 3,811
| Quote:
Passion is the rush that you felt when your eyes first saw that one very special girl... the one that you would have cut off an arm to get... that's passion... Now, passion is not restricted to girls... you can have passion for a sport... a passion for dancing... a passion for being number one... Passion is that inner surge that explodes inside of you and allows you to perform like you never have before... where everything else becomes secondary... where your feelings border on obsessions for something... That type of passion can be innate in some people... but, it can also be cultivated... you can learn to become passionate... and, the day that you have mastered that art... is the day that you can move mountain... and slay whatever dragon happens to cross your path... . | |
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08-29-2007, 08:56 AM
| #16 (permalink) | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Netherlands
Posts: 821
| Quote:
Look the problem is that cultivating passion or finding your passion is a very personal process and I don't think anybody can teach you how to find your passion. That means the very generic advice off 'find your passion and all is well' is completely useless you somehow help people with that. Edit; Not to mention that some people are AFFRAID to find there passion because it might bring them success and shatter as a result a part of there identity (poor/weak/incompetent me) that they are attached to. Ps. Asmoday, get your blog up and running lol. | |
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09-11-2007, 03:42 PM
| #17 (permalink) |
| Member Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 37
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I think it's great that ticktockclok is even prepared to do it. When I was fifteen I wouldn't have followed up on any such idea because the notion of doing it would have been too intimidating. Thoughts such as: 'I'm only 15: I don't know anything about business, I don't have enough experience, I don't want to look stupid, it won't work and I'll have wasted my time' would have prevented me from going through with it. Are these some of the fears you decided to get over, ticktockclok? I went to a Business Studies revision workshop in London during my A-level course where speakers included the winner and second place runner-up on a TV competition: Channel 4 - Make Me A Million - Home Page The lady who won was the founder of Halos N Horns - the children's shampoo manufacturer. She mentioned during her speech to us all (hundreds of 17 and 18 year old Business Students) that when she first got the idea for healthy children's shampoo she would phone cosmetics companies to ask various questions, including how shampoo was made. 'How unprofessional!' I thought. It just didn't sound right at all. How could someone who hoped to launch their own shampoo line do something like that? It just seemed so amateurish. And it was inspiring because this woman now was doing that. She'd won the competition by making £1 million in a year (and that's well over a US$1 million, by the way). Yes, the woman had a friend with her and a mentor and the mentor provided half the start-up capital, but I think what really mattered was that she was someone who phoned up Johnson or Olay or whoever and asked how they made shampoo - because she wanted to see if she could do it. I'm only 19 myself and I've only got a few thousand pounds - most of which I'll be using to support myself at university soon - but I think that act of hers symbolises what a successful entrepreneur is. Any entrepreneurs in the forum are, of course, welcome to enthusiastically tell me I'm wrong This has been a much longer post than I expected it to be, but I hope it's of use to you, ticktockclok  |
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