Business owners share tips for young entrepreneurs

Small businesses account for 99.7% of all businesses in the United States. Pretty wild, right? If you’re thinking about going into business for yourself, then you want to listen to people who have gone before you. Whether you’ve got dreams about a technology startup, a neighborhood cleaning service, or home-based bakery, this post is for you!

What do young entrepreneurs need to know?

1. “A lot of really great, innovative things have happened when people just didn’t know it wasn’t supposed to be possible.” Drew Houston, Dropbox cofounder.
2. “Choose friends wisely. You’re the average of the five people you associate with most.” Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur, best-selling author, investor.
3. “Always lead with Courage, Confidence and Candor. There is constant change all around us, so lean in on continuous learning, recognize patterns, connect the dots, weave a story, and build a network of supporters that will aid your journey as you move forward.” Ekta Sahasi, spikeview founder, investor.
4. “Don’t fall in love with your business idea. Instead, fall in love with the problem you’re trying to solve for your customers, and validate your business idea early on that it is a problem worth solving.” Steli Efti, communications startup CEO.
5. “Ninety-nine percent of the things you worry about never happen. Dream more, worry less, and enjoy every day. It goes fast.” John Addison, best-selling author. 
6. “When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say ‘wow, that was an adventure,’ not ‘wow, I sure felt safe.’” Tom Preston-Werner, Github cofounder.
7. “Business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another one coming.” Richard Branson, serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, billionaire. You don’t have to rush, especially when you’re young. Keep your eyes and ears open, and position yourself near the bus stops!
8. “I’d remind myself of the importance to leverage design as a decisive advantage and to not be afraid to challenge people to break down their knowledge into easily digestible, clearer statements.” Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud cofounder.
9. “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” Scott Belsky, Behance cofounder.
10. “The most painful mistake I see entrepreneurs make is launching before learning.” Caroline Beaton, independent film producer.

Even as a high school student, you can start and monetize skills with almost zero startup costs. If you’re a budding entrepreneur, we’d love to hear from you! What’s your business idea? Are these tips helping? Drop us a note at team@spikeview.com.