Emma began designing at age of 13, launched her own clothing company at age 14. At 16, she currently runs a clothing company, a magazine and a discount card called ThriftPass. Emma is currently preparing for her GCSE’s this summer.

I recently spoke to Emma as she talks me through her businesses, proving doubters wrong despite her young age and her plans for her businesses in 2012.

Hi Emma, How are you doing, great to have you on YHP?

I’m great! Thanks for having me.

Could you quickly give us some background information about yourself? Tell me about yourself growing up?

I’m only 16 so I guess I still am growing up! I was always a very determined growing up, always wanting to be the best at what every I was doing and I guess that has helped me get to where I am today. I use to play a lot of sport which has taught me a lot of skills that I have applied to my business including team work, patience and hard work.

As I said before I am still just 16, currently working towards my GCSEs this summer whilst running a number of businesses. I currently run a clothing line called Sketch&Stitch (www.sketchandstitch.com), a magazine about design called PixelBatch (www.pixelbatch.com), a discount card called ThriftPass (www.thriftpass.com/) and I also occasionally do some freelance design work.

How did you get into business?

Since a young age I was always selling old items on sites such as eBay and Amazon to fund new purchases. When I reached around 13, I had found my passion – design. I was frustrated as who was going to give a 13 year old design work so I decided that a great way to utilize my passion for design was to launch a clothing brand. And I did just so at the age of 14 – I launched SeamlessApparel. This soon progressed to be my main focus and at the beginning of 2012 was rebranded as Sketch&Stitch. I have also since then begun working on two new startups – PixelBatch and ThriftPass with both launching in the summer of 2012.

Who was your inspiration growing and why?

I never really had anyone that I looked up to or admired growing up but since starting my businesses I have met some amazing people in the last few years who have inspired me more than I could have imagined.

So tell me about Sketch&Stitch and how the idea came about?

I had found my passion which was design and wanted a platform for my work. Apparel just seemed the perfect way to do so. In 2011 I launched SeamlessApparel – I opened with just 4 tees designs but these quickly sold out and I went on to release a second line of 8 items. Near the end of 2011 I decided that I wanted to rebrand SeamlessApparel. I sold the remaining items and started work on Sketch&Stitch. I have just launched Sketch&Stitch this April with products ranging from tees, hoodies, cardigans, posters, mugs, notebooks, scarfs to necklaces. So far Sketch&Stitch has been great and lots more is to come!

What was your biggest challenge during the startup phase?

I would say one of the biggest challenges was getting people to believe in me. Many seemed to say that because I was 14/15/16 years old I couldn’t do it. I hope I have proved some of them wrong today!

How have you been able to fund the business?

I initially set up SeamlessApparel with my own money. Sketch&Stitch was launched of the profits from SeamlessApparel. Both ThriftPass and PixelBatch will also be funded by myself.

What would you say has been the highlight of your entrepreneurial journey so far?

Again, it has to be the people I have met and the experiences I have had in such a short amount of time. I have got to talk to people I would never have thought I could have and I have been able to do things I couldn’t have even imagined a few years ago!

What can we be expecting from Sketch&Stitch in 2012?

We have only just launched but have already begun work on new products. Expect lots more designs, clothing and accessories.

What three pieces of advice would you offer entrepreneurs starting out today?

I would only have one piece of advice for entrepreneurs starting out and it is to follow your passion no matter what anyone says. If you find a passion, pursue it and you will be able to make it work – even if everyone on they way will tell you that you can’t do it.

Despite only just turning 18 in november last year, Farrhad has more than meets the eye for the average 18 year old. From starting his first business – a aviation website at just 12 to him running Rockstah Media – a web development and marketing company at 16 which has gone on to become very succesful with a full fledged team of developers, designers and market strategists and caters to clients all over the globe. Not bad for something that started as a project between classes.

Now Farrhad says he is focusing his time on his two new companies in the fields of entertainment and travel. This is the what we talked about.

Hi Farrhad, thanks for joining us on YHP, how are you doing?

Taking on life’s challenges as they come!

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Well, entrepreneurship wasn’t something I decided on from the very start. It’s a chain of events that led to me becoming an entrepreneur.

One thing, which I’ve always believed in, is – “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”. Everyone must take that one step, you never know where it can take you.

Tell us about Rockstah Media and how the idea came about?

Rockstah Media was the first company I founded. We’re an award winning team of designers, developers, consultants and market visionaries who work towards one goal – Creating Awesomeness.

Summing it all up, we are a one-stop style destination for all your needs pertaining to your corporate presence, online or offline. Rockstah Media is here to make your communications more effective.

I never started out thinking that I wanted to form a company. It all started with an aviation website which was quite successful. Then I started venturing into more personal projects which eventually led to the formation of Rockstah Media.

How have you been able to cope with education and running a business?

Everyone has 24 hours in a day, be it Bill Gates or Einstein, it all depends on how we use it! It’s not easy but it’s all a matter of effective time management. And of course there should be time to relax and party!

What would you say was probably the most difficult part of starting the business?

Before I got my initial clientele it was difficult to get new clients as they always looked at me and had doubts as I was just a “kid”. However, eventually it all worked out.

Tell us some of the key lessons you’ve learnt so far on your journey as an entrepreneur?

There are definitely many things I’ve learnt over the past few years.

To start off with, I’d say, failure is the stepping stone to success. Life isn’t a walk in the park and you’re bound to fall short somewhere. Get back up and keep moving on!

In the words of Randy Pausch, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”

Also, never let success intoxicate you. There’s much more it than what meets the eye.

What would you say has been your most memorable moment so far?

A really special moment for me in life is when I was interviewed on CNN in a live interview. The experience was really different and exciting!

How do you stay grounded with your recent success in business?

Mostly this goes to the upbringing my parents have given me. They’ve always taught me to be humble no matter what.

Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years?

I haven’t actually thought that ahead to be honest! I take each day as it comes. Recently I’ve founded two new companies in the fields of entertainment and travel.

For now, I’m concentrating on taking them to the next level.

What can we be expecting from you in the future?

I can’t really predict how business will be, all I can say is that I’ll still be the person I am today. With more experience and a broader perspective to life.

What advices can you give to entrepreneurs out there looking to get involved in this industry?

Like I said, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step! Always take initiative and be strong. Take one step and a time.

I recently had the opportunity of being introduced to an exciting entrepreneur with so much potential and passion. I really dont want to give too much away before you read the full interview.

The Full interview with the 11 year old Lashai below.

Hello Lashai, how are you doing? Great to have you on YHP today

Hello, I am very well thank you. I am enjoying my dance with the universe and I am so excited about this interview because you have interviewed so many amazing people and being interviewed makes me feel amazing too.

Can you give us some background information about yourself?

I live with my mum Sabrina Ben Salami and my step father Mohamed Ben Salami. I am the eldest of four; my brother (Tray-Sean) is 6, sister (Yasmine) 3 and another brother (Mohamed-Salah) 2. I love people and it gives me so much joy to put a (((SMILE))) on someone’s face. I have a passion for art, science and writing stories.

I missed 12+ of school education as a result of bullying. I am very close to my grandmother (Mary Paul) I am very proud of my grandmother as she is an amazing interior designer and furniture designer/maker: http://www.wowthankyou.co.uk/mary-pauls-creations

I love butterflies, I love learning, I love sharing my knowledge and experiences with others and I dream of becoming financially free during my teens.

I have just won two awards: Live Unltd and Young Citizens Award
Sing-A-Long with a huge (((SMILE))):

“If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere. You better wake up and pay attention”
“I’m ready to be somebody; I’m ready to go somewhere. I’m ready to wake up and pay attention.”

At what age did you start to get involved/interested in business?

My mum started a pilot project called ‘The Mobile Single Parents Project’ when I was 6 years old. I asked her loads of questions as we watched DVDs, audios and studied. I especially enjoyed learning about Physics and the law of attraction and attending events with my mum and brother. When I was 10 years old I launched my first website and I became deeply interested in entrepreneurship.

Briefly tell us about some of the big events you have been to and how they helped you?

Millionaire Bootcamp for women: I was able to interview the speakers and it was an inspirational experience to be with a room filled with motivational women and I learned systems to setup business and made good connections http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ztlaSgRhA6o

British Library Private Reception “Science Fiction But Not As You Know IT”: I love attending private British Library events, because I have an opportunity to learn from key people of influence in different industries.

ClearlySo Tea Q&A: I gained a wealth of support and made priceless connections and valuable leads too. It also gave me a lot of confidence too.

Silver & Gold Club of London: I learned about B.R.I.C. = Brazil, Russia, India and China, these are the countries who have the most physical gold and will become super powers. I learned about gold, silver, palladium and platinum investments.

Robert G. Allen: I gained sponsorship from Dawn Gibbins, Toby Street, Mark Donnan, Robert Allen, and Gesmay Paynter. I learned about the power of my personal life journey and how I can convert my experiences, challenges and achievements into books to inspire youth. I also gained confidence because Robert called me to the stage to speak to his audience. It was so exciting because it gave me a wealth of support from so many amazing people http://www.robertallenseminars.co.uk/?params=http://www.youtube.com/v/xQ5LHusiSBM

At what age did you start your first business, what business was it?

I was 10 years old and asked my mum to help me setup my website to coach youth and I launched a short story competition in my school. My two brothers, I and sister have been featured in newspapers as a result of spotting a problem, coming up with a solution and then simply packaging our idea.

My first business is called ‘My Journey’ and now I am in the process of growing it into: Apps, mentoring programmes, magazines, membership website, books, products, trips, info and much more. I am also planting the seed for ‘Mega Lash-Lash Competitions’ and ‘Fashion Lash-Lash’

You got quite a few things going on at the moment? Let’s talk about you I-Phone Apps, what inspired you to start it, what is the story behind it?

I was inspired by my mum who is the founder of ‘The Lone Parent Expert’ and ‘H.E.L.P!’ = Helping Educate Lone Parents. I saw my mum developing her App idea and I simply asked her to help me create an App. My mum always invites us into her professional life. At first I did not know which App to design, I just knew it’d be awesome to create an App.

During our discussion we both decided to focus upon my personal experience and then I decided to create an App which would help bullies and the victims of bullying. Bullying effects many people at different stages of their life. This could be in school, at work, domestic violence, peer pressure etc so we felt it would be an excellent idea. My App aims to assist the victims and the bully, because I believe if the bully does not get support they will simply continue to victimise others.

What would you say has been the most challenging part of starting a business?

Being the only child at events is sometimes scary, but I feel blessed because I know I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by successful people and they are always so kind towards me. I find it difficult to speak about my message because I am very shy.

You recently started a fashion line called “fashion Lash-lash”, what is it about?

Fashion Lash-Lash will be designed by youth for youth and our primary product range will be called when I grow up. I am very excited about launching it. I am passionate about designing and I spend a lot of my time designing outfits, and I particularly enjoy designing dresses. Each year there will be a huge competition and 6 designs will be selected to be added to my product range.

So what is your plan for the fashion Lash-Lash?

It is top secret right now, because I am going to design a label which will inspire youth to dream big and a special range which will start from 0-16 I am sooooo excited. I also plan to launch a ‘Fashion Lash-Lash’ App.

‘Mega Lash-Lash Competitions’ will focus upon science, art and short stories to inspire youth to dream big so watch this space.

How have you been able to balance school work and business? It must be so challenging?

Well, i believe that all life experiences teaches one, I have fun learning and I would be lying if I led you into believing that I do it all alone. I am very lucky because I have had a head start on my peers due to making valuable connections. I missed out on a year of schooling as a direct result of being a victim of bullying.

During School holidays I attend events and edit my business plan and during term time I focus on school work or combine the two. Practice makes perfect, I am just having fun learning and during my adulthood I will be ready to play a bigger game (((SMILE))) because I believe there is no such thing as failure only feedback. My mother helps in keeping me up to date with school work.

At the moment, i am focusing on creating products (books, apps, mentoring) to generate residual income these will operate without me. I am just a child and hope to continue learning and I believe that by focusing on financial literacy and products now to lay the foundation, the future is bright. I have huge dreams and I believe in myself and the people helping me.

What else interests you apart from starting a business, what do you do for fun?

I love, love, love science and socialising. I love cooking and eating (((SMILE))), Lego Land, Chessington World of Adventures, Disney Land Paris, France, Theatre, Regents Park, Boating trips, Swimming, Kids Space, Cinema, Restaurants, V.I.P tickets to amazing events, London Eye, Madame Tussades, Sea Life, London Zoo, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, designing dresses, science, studying The Secret – What The Bleep Do you Know – Robert G Allen, singing, dancing, spending quality time with my family (((SMILE))) and cuddling my yummy granny!!

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

OMG I have soooo many to choose from… I have been blessed to meet soo many amazing people. Robert G. Allen said “Lashai will be the bestselling author for 2012” he will also write my book forward yippee-yippee!!. Winning Young Citizen Award and Live Award during the same week OMG!….. (((SMILE))) and gaining a wealth of support via: Mum, Siblings and grandmother, Voice News paper, Red Bridge Recorder, ClearlySo, Froggo (Mark Donnan), Robert G. Allen, Dawn Gibbins, WH Smith Ilford, Live Unltd and Gesmay Paynter. I appreciate all of their amazing support. I also met an amazing gentleman named Junior Ogunyemi and he inspired me. Junior is like a big brother, I hope my brother meets him some day.

What tips can you give to young people out there struggling to achieve their dreams?

JUST DO IT! Find a mentor; gain advice, support and contacts… do whatever it takes, follow your heart. Learn to live an ecological life and have passion and purpose at your centre. We all have something special inside of us that can add value to our world.

Love yourself and others, connect with others and always be proud of your natural talent. Follow your dreams and plant seeds and one day your dream will become an oak tree and you will find that the dream will grow you. More importantly remember there is no such thing as failure, never take no for an answer and create huge ripple effects of positivity. Check out www.jjbright.com he’s awesome.

And finally, what should we be expecting from you in the future?

I will continue to dance with the universe and be myself. I have huge dreams and I am currently writing a book called “Kids that dream BIG! – Essential tips on how to move forward”. I dream of: Apps, retreats, products, online membership site, annual awards ceremony, magazines, fashion label, school, social entrepreneur hub, mentoring program and much more. One step at a time. First I will launch my App, book and website then Fashion Lash-Lash and Mega Lash-Lash Competitions (((SMILE))).

Great speaking to you Lashai, before you leave is there any sites where people can get hold of you or find out more?

Thank you sooo much for giving me this opportunity to share the beginning of my journey, I look forward to experiencing the rest of the process.

Website: www.lashaibensalmi.co.uk
LinkedIn Profile: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/lashai-ben-salmi/28/584/843
Twitter: @lashaibensalmi (http://twitter.com/#!/lashaibensalmi)
Robert G. Allen: http://www.totalbusinesscart.com/app/?af=1379654
Email: lashaibensalmi@ymail.com

17 year old Aussie entrepreneur Lachy Groom is on his 4th startup, that’s right his 4th.

His startup is called  iPad Case Finder, and it does exactly what is says on the tin, help you find the perfect iPad case. The site stocks a number of cases from multiple manufacturers to ensure that you get the best choice.

“Basically, I had an iPad and my friend smashed the screen (accidentally). And that weekend my dad told me I should start making some passive income. So I set it up in a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. From that I’ve been promoting it and adding features like crazy,” says Lachy.

So he just set up a site in a few hours one afternoon, great if you can do that isn’t it?

He says he has been promoting like crazy and it seems to have been working, as after only a few weeks the site going live, Lachy saw the site receive over 400,000 hits.

Lachy wants to be more than just a provider of a product and wants to be able to offer all the details such as texture, colour, material and features to ensure that you find the perfect iPad case online. The in depth level of detail provided helps consumers know exactly what they are buying before hand and makes sure that there are no unwelcome surprises when your new iPad case is delivered to the door.

Lachy’s other startup is Cardnap, a secondary market for gift cards. According to the Australian Consumers’ Association 1 in 3 gift cards in Australia where expiring before they were being used so Lachy set up Cardnap to ensure that people across Australia were not losing out.

“We initially launched this as a Cardpool like company for Australia, but it failed due to lack of profitability and how intense it was. So we looked at our options, and looked at the pains of these sorts of sites. We found it was impossible to find the best discount, or all the available cards easily. So we fixed that problem,” says the young entrepreneur.

At the age of 16 he saw that his company was in a market where there was a lot of competition and it was not profitable, but instead of giving up he instead looked at opportunities abroad. Remarkable! Yes at 16 he took his company international, at 15 he was already travelling the world on business trips. In fact on his 15th birthday he sold his first startup, an online design company, to a US firm.

So what is Lachy Groom’s advice to other teen entrepreneurs?

“Network! I think the word teenage is irrelevant, and that advice is the same for any entrepreneur. I like the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” I think that’s really true. But if I was to give advice straight to teens, it would be to have a good work/life balance. Make sure you enjoy yourself, that’s all that matters.”

Follow @rishi_chowdhury

High School Teenpreneur Shahed Khan has spent his summer networking with everyone and pitching to Venture Capitalists. Why? Because he has ambitions to see his business idea be successful. While he is only 16, he has already got a team of 4 people for his company Viatask.

Viatask is a social errand running platform. It connects people who need errands done, but are too busy to carry them out themselves, with people who have some free time to carry out these errands and gives them a chance to make some cash.

Shahed separates these people into ‘Posters’ & ‘Runners’, I think you can guess which is which. He got the idea after watching ‘Million Dollar Listing’ where a rich business man paid his concierge to travel to America and buy him a house for his family.

He realised there are many people who may have the time to accommodate doing errands in their spare time and getting paid, while their are many people who don’t have the time to run errands due to work commitments and are able to pay others to complete these simple tasks.

Whilst many people come up with business ideas, Shahed went through with it and started up Viatask and has been pitching for investment during his summer holidays. The 16 year old businessman looks at the positives of being a young entrepreneur, “My age alone is a great marketing strategy for the company. Not a lot of entrepreneurs meet young entrepreneurs like me, so I get a lot of their attention.” he says.

Although people tend to remember him and give more attention, he does find attending many networking events impossible as they are held in over 21 bars! He is also due to head back to school soon but is determined to make it work. He has a good sized team who can all contribute, he says ”Without a great team you can’t build a startup.”

The number of teen entrepreneurs is on the rise and as barriers to entry are low and more successful young entrepreneurs start to garner media attention, I’m we will see more and more teenpreneurs. Good luck to Shahed on building his startup.

–
Follow @rishi_chowdhury

The ages for starting up a business keeps on getting lower, in the next 5 years i wouldnt be suprised if more teens under 5 start thinking of experimenting running a startup, or thinking about business, My aunty was talking to me about this website the other day, im starting to imagine seeing more kids having in-depth coversations about business at an early age.

Anyways talking about teens starting business at an early age, lane sutton is a 13 years old entrepreneur who started on his entrepreneurial journey at age 5, yes 5.

Check out the interview and his current project.

Hi Lane, how are you doing?

Great!

Can you quickly give the readers some background information about yourself?

I am a 13 year old young entrepreneur interested in tech, business and finance. I work as a Social Media Consultant where I create businesses’ social media and online presence.

I also started and founded my website, www.KidCriticUSA.com where I write reviews on products, movies, books, food, you name it!

You have been an entrepreneur since you were 5 year old right?

Yes!

What does a 5 years old do as an entrepreneur, I’m trying to understand what you were doing as a 5 year old?

I started my first entrepreneurial ventures at 5 when I started my own little newspaper and since then, have been writing books, running a mini-hotel with a gift shop, doing Kid Critic and social media consulting.

Why do you think you got into entrepreneurship or business at such an early age, who or what was your inspiration, what was your motive behind it?

I was fascinated by the fact that people could make money by doing something that they life or pursuing their passion. My dad is also an entrepreneur and loves music, so he became a DJ. I like writing, so I write reviews and for my local newspaper as well.

What project are you currently working on at the moment?

KidCriticUSA.com is my project where I write reviews by a kid, for kids and families on products, movies, books, activities, food and much more! My main job is social media consulting where I have a number of clients I work with.

How do you keep balance between work and school?

I put homework and anything for school comes first. But, besides that I could be working from when I get home to late at night before bedtime (of course excluding dinner, e.t.c,.!). I find that I just need to know what I have to do and make a little list of the day’s tasks.

At what age did you get into social media?

Actually it was only back last June where I joined Twitter, Facebook and other social networks because I wanted to spread the word and promote Kid Critic. That was my intention, but now I have used it for promoting that but also to meet new people, gain clients and talk out to my followers.

What kind of benefits does it give you, what opportunity has it given you?

I would say there are perks of being a Critic where I can get press passes and VIP stuff. I also get a lot of press and published in media like being named one of the top grade school entrepreneurs by Forbes.com and one of the top 5 inspiring teens by Examiner.com. I like doing it and getting press is a great added bonus!

What are your favourite social media tools and why are they your favourite?

My favorite social media tool is Twitter. I like Twitter because it is unique – you only have 140 characters to express yourself or what you want to say which makes it hard but you should think of what you are going to say. It has opened up lots of doors for me and I have met a lot of new people. I also like using Foursquare to see where my friends are and I can get specials or discounts on items just by “checking-in” at where I am.

Do you think teens your age should be leveraging the power of social media? You know they are a lot of talks about security on the internet, don’t you think it’s a major factor why parents don’t allow their teens on the internet? What are your thoughts on that?

Yes, but teens and kids should be using social media and the internet safely but also to their advantage. The power of social media can bring great things like meeting new people and learning but you should always stay safe. I think as long as kids are browsing safe sites that are secure then they are doing the right thing.

What has been some of your most memorable experience so far?

When I received the phone call from Forbes.com, I was stunned and was actually riding my bike when the call came and I didn’t notice it right away but I saw the voicemail and rushed home to call back and I had the interview.

My family was scared at first since they didn’t know if I was okay, but once I explained myself we were all very happy! A week later, the article was up and I was so excited that one of my dreams had come true!

What has been some of your key lessons you’ve learnt so far?

Always try your best and don’t give up! If you persist, then good things will happen because you stayed with it and if you put in your all – then you will feel happy.

Don’t people get put off doing business with you because of your age or do you think being a 13 years old entrepreneur has its advantages?

I have had some people not believe that I am 13 and they were so shocked to see me doing this at such a young age. I don’t think that working with a 13 year old has advantages for someone else but for me it is good because I started early and young so I have a head start on my career.

Before we wrap up the interview, what tips would you like to give to teen entrepreneur looking to startup a business or take an idea to a next level?

Start early and start young! When you have an idea, dream it and bring it to life. Don’t always ask “What if?,” but rather – do what you thought of!

What should we be expecting from you in the future?

I hope to be starting new ventures but my focus is on building my business more and more. I am speaking to a college class and at a few conferences which are coming up and I am very excited about that!

Thanks for your time, Lane.

To learn more about Lane, you can visit his website at www.LaneSutton.com or check out his reviews at www.KidCriticUSA.com. You can also follow him on Twitter, his handle is @KidCriticUSA.

Did you like it? For more posts like this, please subscribe to our RSS feed, Become a fan or follow us on Twitter.

Finally met up with sabirul islam, the famous entrepreneur that sold 42,000 copies of his book “The world at your feet” in 9 months, when he was 13 he got fired from working with his cousin only after 2 weeks.

Now to the interview , hope you enjoy it.

You got into business from such a young age, from my research its says you got into business at 13, but started your business at 14, what inspired you at such an early age?

Having been weighing up my options for GCSE at 13, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work for my cousin, who at the time was 14 years of age. He ran his own business designing calendars for teachers in schools. Not the greatest of ideas but I was really inspired by his work. I had the role of a production director, designing the calendars. But I didn’t really live up to the expectations and 2 weeks later got fired!

I have to say it was the most difficult moment in my life, to not only have been fired but fired by my own cousin. It was hard to take in…However, he made £60 profit in one whole academic year and I was on a mission to prove my cousin wrong for firing me.

I wanted to run a business that made more money than he did which led me to setting up my first web design business at the age of 14, which was really successful having ran it for 2 years. Until I realised at 16 that web design was too common so I left the business.

How did you come about writing your book “the world at your feet”?

Having become an entrepreneur at the age of 14 and an investor at 16, it was somewhat outside the norm of what the community expected. Therefore, I had a lot of young people asking me constant questions on how they could do the same, which led me to writing The World at Your Feet book.

For every person I answered the question on how to become an entrepreneur, I believed that it straight away went through one ear and came out of the next. Therefore, I had to give something back in written evidence, which I believe they can always refer back to and seek as inspiration.

The book has a vision to inspire young people about the successes that lie ahead when opportunity is created and most importantly when young people strongly believe in who they are as a person and their abilities to make the most of their talents.

Reading your story, it says you sold over 42,000 copies of your book? That’s right, right? Or how many copies have you sold so far?

Yes, I did sell 42,500 copies of the book and in a space of 9 months.

Can I just “ how the hell were you able to sell 42,000 copies in the space of 9 months”, I’m sure everyone is curious about your tactics, strategies, how the hell did you pull that off, can you share some of your tactics with us, especially with people that are looking to publish their books?

I believe it is all about empowering people to believe in themselves and others that we are all extraordinary. Having written the book, I straight away became a motivational speaker, and spoke at 379 events within the 9 months (333 secondary schools) which led me to selling the 42,500 copies.

I felt that selling directly to young people will not be possible, therefore targeted the education market which I thought was fantastic.

But it’s not about being a sales person standing on stage and looking to sell. No! It’s about the power of inspiration and influence, enabling people to grow in self belief and being passionate about the topic in which you are talking about. Getting more people on board with your vision or topic enables greater opportunity for them to be a part of your network, purchase your products and see you as a role model and an inspiration.

Take us back to when you went to New York with Merrill lynch, how was the experience, how did it come about?

This was totally unexpected and to be honest, I wasn’t really keen to go to the States. But I was convinced
by my parents that it would be a fantastic experience.

Before the summer holiday period, I received a phone call illustrating the opportunity that lies ahead in learning about business and investment in New York. Having been convinced to go, I learnt how to trade in the stock market at the age of 16, working with professional traders in the New York stock market and entrepreneurs from Wall St.

I came back to the UK and put what I learnt to action…becoming a stock trader at the age of just 16. But I felt I was bit too young for this sort of commitment therefore only really bought stock for about 9 months. But it was a fantastic experience!

So you will be speaking at TEDx Youth Event in Amsterdam this November, how did you go about getting involved in that?

Once you develop a strong personal brand with a vision to inspire, and encourage the growth of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial learning…Opportunity will come to you rather than you having to seek for it. As an entrepreneur, unexpected things happen, which is exactly what happened here. I received an email from the organisers of the TEDx Youth Event from Amsterdam and was invited to speak at the event.

That is the great thing about being an entrepreneur; opportunities can arise any moment in time. So always expect the unexpected!

You’re no longer the teen entrepreneur, how has the journey been so far?

I believe that everyone is still a teen until they reach 30! I’m currently aged twen-teen (20) which I’m sure still makes me a teen 

But it’s been an unbelievable experience. I always look back to the moment I got fired at the age of 13 and think, what if I hadn’t been fired…Would I have been working at McDonalds at this point in time. I just don’t know!

But having become an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and an author, it’s been a fantastic journey. Having turned 18, I launched my own business board game which is titled as ‘Teen-Trepreneur’ hence that is where the name comes from.

The game has been used as part of the business BTEC academic learning which is quite extraordinary as I wasn’t really expecting it to achieve this accolade. Having turned 19, I started speaking in countries around the world such as Nigeria, South Africa, USA and now 20; I’ve launched the new business start kit for young people to encourage future growth and learning of entrepreneurship and will be on a world tour!
So, I say it’s been quite a fascinating few years but hey it’s still early days!

What inspires you and keeps you motivated as an entrepreneur on a day-day basis?

Every day is a new challenge and as an entrepreneur it is fascinating to tackle new challenges and obstacles on a day to day basis.

With my passion to inspire many young people around the world, I believe that every person out there is taking in the words of inspiration and trying to make something happen. I’ve had many people come back to me and state that I’ve changed their life…That is the biggest and most inspirational thing a person can hear.

And the fact that as an entrepreneur new ideas are always looming! So I believe both these two factor keep me going!

What are your hobbies? What do you get up to when you’re not talking business or giving inspirational/motivational speeches?

Over the past year or so, I’ve somewhat been attached to the Playstation which is quite a change for me, as I wasn’t attached to games before. But these modern high tech gizmos are quite rewarding and relaxing!

I also like travelling and taking breaks…so I do go out with friends and family and enjoy myself!
One thing which my mother’s not happy about is the fact that I bought a 6ft snooker table a few months back, which is now sitting in the living room! Have been playing that when I haven’t been working. Good fun!

What would you like to see more of happening as a young entrepreneur?

I just love doing business abroad…I would have to say that I would be delighted if more opportunities to speak or trade in countries that could really do with the products and services I supply.
But it’s all about taking one step at a time…That is where I believe the thrill of the journey comes from!

For the people that haven’t read your book yet, what can they be sure to learn from it?

The World at Your Feet follows a vision to inspire, educate and provide opportunities to jump on to the entrepreneurial platform. It provides a direction and choice of learning about the successes behind entrepreneurship and setting up a business.

The new launch of the Teen-Trepreneur Trilogy books supports life choices, for those who don’t know what they’ll do for their future.

The books help gain interest in the topic of entrepreneurship, help develop your personal brand and teach the core steps to setting up a real business.

There are many people out there full of scepticism and doubt about who they are and their talents. The World at Your Feet book aims to inject belief and hope that ordinary individuals who do something unique make them extraordinary.

And no, it’s not a 40 year olds views on successes in life…Its views from a teenager who was aged 17 (myself ), that had unlocked the beauty of success. So the gap between, those who need help to the person who wrote the book aged 17, is minimal. So there is hope that we can all achieve success.

You been to a lot of countries, giving inspirational talks, what has been your best experience so far?

Without a doubt my time in South Africa was amazing. I spoke at a conference which had listeners of over 2 million people on radio from over 170 countries.

Had great responses from people in South Africa and the people I stayed with will truly live long in my memories.

I even had my books and games sold in South Africa and now have constant orders from country…Great for business. One great thing that happened was when I spoke at a school in South Africa, one of the student bought my book from a local store and wanted my autograph.

She then searched online, asked people around and found out where I was staying…She came over with her dad just to have the book signed having searched for 2 days. Which I thought was awesome and really inspirational.

It will take something really special to beat the experience I had in South Africa.

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

It has to be when I was awarded the Mosaic Entrepreneur of the Year award by HRH Prince of Wales and HRH Princess of Jordan in 2008.

There have been a lot of extraordinary moments during my time but this has to top it, as I was nominated by Merrill Lynch, and was the youngest person nominated for the award, up against top business owners in their 30s and 40s. Which I thought was fantastic!

What has been some of the key lessons you’ve learnt so far on your journey as an entrepreneur?

It is very important to follow the 3 P’s as an entrepreneur…You have to remain Positive at all times. It’s important to always see negative influence as a means to doing positive things and to prove others wrong. I learnt about the importance in being Passionate about what you do, because without passion there is no hope. And finally, what I’ve learnt is that illustrating Perseverance is key. Hard work and determination, even through tough times is how true entrepreneurs succeed.

So what’s next for you?

I’ll be starting my World Tour in October, speaking in 20 countries in 12 months. In November, I’ll be launching the new Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau and from next year the Teen-Trepreneur Board Game will be selling globally.

So there is still a bit to do, but I’ve always said to myself…Duncan Bannatyne became an entrepreneur aged 30 and is now a multi-millionaire. I started at 14 and am now aged 20. Well, I speak for many young entrepreneurs when I say that we are already more success than he is! 

What tips have you got for young entrepreneurs especially those looking to publish their books?

It’s easy and simple…All it takes is for you to write a story, design it yourself or find a designer and publish on Lulu.com…It’s simple, its free and it will make you more successful than those who take their manuscripts off to a mainstream publishers and get rejected! Give it a try. It won’t cost you to publish a book!

Thanks for your time sabirul, hope to catch up with you soon.

Did you like it? For more posts like this, please subscribe to our RSS feed, Become a fan or follow us on Twitter.

The Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau is an agency consisting of 50 speakers, 25 from the UK and 25 international. Speakers involved are those who are experts within their field or have a story to tell in front of an audience at organised events.

The Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau will consist of fellow entrepreneurs who are able to share their success with those across the world wanting to hear how success is achieved and the steps you have taken to become the person you are today.

The Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau is currently at its recruiting stage and will be launched and marketed to event organisers, education departments, and both local and corporate organisations to spread the word of the young entrepreneurs who are on board.

The Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau is a part of the Teen-Trepreneur Brand under The World at Your Feet. Its vision is to inspire and educate people on how ordinary people can become extraordinary by doing something unique and out of the blue.

It aims to change the minds and perception of millions of people around the world that every person out there has skills and talents which has to be unlocked. The entrepreneurs and speakers on board with the Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureau will help create new form of success and leaders of tomorrow.

They are currently recruiting young entrepreneurs (25 from UK & 25 International) who The Teen-Trepreneur Speakers Bureaubelieve they have a story to tell that can change the lives of other people and am sending out this email on quest to look for those young entrepreneurs.

If you are interested or know any young entrepreneurs who are capable of speaking in front of an audience, please do let me know. As I would love to have them on board.

Check out @ http://www.theworldatyourfeet.com/

Christian Owen is an arising entrepreneur with an aim to create revolutionary changes in the technology world. This change began from a simple question, “How do you create a website?” which couldn’t be answered by his parents.

Christian found the answer and more from spending hours reading computer books and tutoring himself through creating websites and coding which later grew into creating apps that are applicable for both prestigious and novel companies.

He later built the app called Dream Capture which is a video recording app and “Involer” that is an invoicing application for small businesses.

His passion for technology grew more, which led to him starting his first company at the age of 14, “Mac Bundle”, which is a Mac software development and promotion company.

Remaining stagnant wasn’t Owens aim, he continued and pursued further as he started a new company called Branchr which began in early 2009.

Branchr is an online advertising pay per Click Company that consist of prestigious clients such as MySpace, the betting site – William Hill and many more. Christian has taken advertisement to another level, as he displays them on high technologies that are consistently used by many – such as Blackberry, iPhone, Android, WAP and more.

MacBundle Box grew more and he began to spend a bit too much on advertising ($50,000); however the lack of return and lack of ability in targeting a specific person inspired Owen to start Branchr.

Christian Owens goal is to reach £100,000,000 – making money has just turned into an enjoyable hobby for our young entrepreneur.

Did you like it? For more posts like this, please subscribe to our RSS feed, Become a fan or follow us on Twitter.

I hope you guys remember Jason O’Neill, I did an interview with him a while ago, and he has released his new book called Bitten by the business Bug.

Make sure you support and purchase a copy of the book