Investing in a teen entrepreneur who may go on to become one of tomorrow’s business icons – or a great asset to their local community – is one of the most positive things any investor or established businessperson can do for the future of South Africa.
Today’s teens are smart, technologically savvy, and global citizens in every sense of the word, and many of their business ideas are exciting and astounding – but will they get off the ground?
What makes a great teen entrepreneur?
Since most teen entrepreneurs are at the very beginning stages of establishing their businesses – with many of them still at the concept stage – identifying the right teen to invest in can be something of a gamble.
With no track record of success and, understandably, very little success in any industry – the usual measures used to assess a worthwhile business venture cannot apply to teen entrepreneurs. Instead, each entrepreneur is assessed based on their ideas, attitude and chances of success.
Here are some tell-tale signs of a teen entrepreneur who has what it takes to succeed:
- Clear ideas – big dreamers are impressive, but the most sucessful entrepreneurs also have specific goals and plans to achieve them
- Discipline – maverick thinking only goes so far, especially when an entrepreneur lacks business experience. A far better bet is a disciplined and efficient teen who will put in the time and effort to succeed
- A great attitude – as a young businessperson, it’s essential to win the trust of clients and mentors by being friendly, polite and a pleasure to work with
Decision time: go with your instinct
When you meet a prospective teen entrepreneur, ask yourself if you feel comfortable handing over your capital to them – chances are, if they meet the criteria above, the answer will be ‘yes’.
