Leanna Archer is the Founder/CEO of Leaana’s Inc, A hair and body care products she started at age 9 years old after her mom started using hair pomade made by her great grandmother on her hair.
Suddenly, she started receiving a lot of attention from strangers commenting on how much they loved her hair which was from the result of the pomade.
She quickly noticed the need for the product and how beneficial it could be; now the next step was convincing her parents as a 9 years old to start a business selling pomade
Firstly, they acknowledged the idea, but wrote it off by saying that they dint have the time and knowledge to run a business, she was told the regular you know “wait till you get older” speech.
But she dint give up, she decided to take it upon herself to introduce the pomade to her friends in a Gerber food jar and it paid off, they all loved it, and it was like they switched a light bulb on, calls started to come, people wanted more.
After that, Her parents were so impressed they decided to help her, she obtained her business license and tax id after doing some research and in June 2005, Leanna Inc was born.
Leanna is still currently responsible for the creations and development of the products but not without her family.
Leanna also travels around the country giving speeches to motivate kids and young adults.
Hi Guys, Hope you enjoy this interview with an interesting and exciting entrepreneur Emil Hajric, I say interesting and exciting because he managed to keep on Skype for a long time talking about his companies, his drive, plans for the future, Let’s just say we got carried before finally getting back into doing the interview.
Emil Hajric is a 17 years old entrepreneur based in Bosnia, doing some pretty cool things with his start-up, Questionify.
Hope you enjoy the interview!
Hello Emil, How are you doing? Nice to have you on YHP
Hi. Thanks for having me. I’m doing pretty well right now, doing UI consulting, running questionify and launching another start-up, I think you could say I’ve been busy.
Can you quickly give us some background information on yourself?
Sure, so I’m Emil, I’ve been programming and designing for about 5-6 years now, 3 of which have been spent on start-up attempts. Some have been pretty successful and some have simply failed.
So how did you get into the whole entrepreneurial lifestyle?
Ever since I was a kid I was hungry for money. I remember when I was 8 years old, my dad used to run a large Bosnian supermarket in the US, I used to sell lemonade inside the store, I remember making 20 bucks a day (a lot for a 8 year old). It was fun. Then when I was around 13-14 I decided to start my first business, it failed. Second one failed too, third was pretty successful. Fourth one is going well.
How do you balance school work and working on a start-up?
I usually sleep 5-6 hours MAX. I attend a prestigious high school in Sarajevo so it’s really hard. I manage to balance school and work basically by organizing my time to the point where I have all of my hours planned out. It’s pretty tough.
Who is your role model/Inspiration?
I think Sergey Brin is a terrific role model. In 10 years, he built a company that’s so damn powerful. In terms of lifestyle, I like Roman Abramovich. He’s a badass
What do you like the most about the entrepreneurial lifestyle?
I love the fact that you can define what you see as valuable and practically create a culture that you feel is appropriate and run the entire company so that it breathes a culture. Besides, who doesn’t like money?
So tell us about your latest Project, Questionify?
Questionify is basically a customer support platform for any business. Your customer goes to your support page, type in the question, if there’s an answer for it, the customer sees it, if not, your support team gets an email with that question, they answer it and all the customers that had the question get notified.
In one sentence, questionify manages your help page by collecting all the questions from customers and displaying it on your support page so that it’s easy for customers to search through and browse the questions.
What inspired the idea?
I was initially building a Q&A community for businesses but Derek Johnson of Tatango.com talked to me about this idea and it slowly transformed.
How long did it take you to build?
Well, I’ve been through a lot of iterations, a lot of feature add-ons and changes. It’s been two and a half months though.
Did you have any problems building the product, and what kept you going?
Oh problems? I remember there was a period where the only thing I did have was a set of problems and I had to come up with the solution! Yeah there were a lot of problems like how to get the first customers, etc. I’m not sure what kept me going, but I think I loved doing Questionify so it wasn’t a problem. I’d hate to quit after I started development.
When will you be releasing officially?
1 month from now. Till then all the interested beta testers can email me and I’ll setup a free account while we’re in beta. My email is hajrice@gmail.com
how are you looking to make money from this product?
Charging on a monthly bases – subscription based.
What have the key lessons you’ve learnt along the way?
I just release a simple version but have a signup form so that people can easily get started with your service.
- Release that buggy version and get some feedback. If your target customers’ don’t want it AT ALL, it’s time you changed the idea a little.
- Always design it first, then code it(it gives you a clear vision of how it’s going to work)
- Don’t talk about what you’re going to make, *make it*
What has been your best moment so far to this day?
I’m really not sure.
What do you enjoy to relax?
I LOVE to watch The Office and The Cleveland show. I also like walking, beaches, and go karts seem to be fun even though I haven’t rode on one in ages.
What should we be expecting from you in the future?
A LOT. I see myself running an awesome company with a great culture!
What advices do you have to say for teenagers your age, looking to start their own businesses?
- Dream a lot
- Find what you like
- Figure out which problem you’re really solving and for who.
- Find the people you’re solving a problem for and make them whip out their wallets.
- Rinse and repeat.
Jake Lunn is the founder of Nautical Napkins, a company he started when he was only 9 years old, the young boy was so fascinated about sailing boats and cool yachts and wanted one of his own.
He eventually came up with the idea of making personalized linen nautical napkins embossed with the boats’ names during a trip in Sweden with his family.
Jake started up the business with a second-hand printing press bought for £750.
He learned to use the machine that prints onto napkins and has been receiving orders via his Nautical Napkins website With the help from his parents.
Now 16, Anshul Samar is the CEO of Alchemist Empire Inc. His first product is Elementeo, a startup company seeking to combine fun and learning, A company he started as a 13 year old .
Basically, Elementeo is an educational trading card game designed to teach kids chemistry in a “fun” way. In the game the players take control of anthropomorphic elements, which are used in battle against other elements.
It all started to speed up for anshul when he got a $500 grant from the California Association for the Gifted.
As founder and CEO of Alchemist Empire, Inc, Anshul says he spends most of his time “designing, engineering, R&D, corresponding with designers and artists, giving pitches to people that are interested, marketing, testing, and doing a lot of brainstorming. That’s in addition to chatting up venture capitalists and lawyers, giving talks to parents and teachers, doing presentations at conferences, talking to the media, and finishing his homework.
Meet Alice, A 12 year teenpreneur running a business called Frou Frou Flip Flops, where she decorates flip flops for charity, alice started selling decorated flip flops for charity in 2nd grade after we learned about the Southeast Asian Tsunami as an aid in helping kids who lost all of their stuff. Now she chooses a different charity each quarter to support.
Hey Alice, Thanks for taking time to be on YHP
Why did you decide to make ribbon decorated flip flops for charity?
I started selling decorated flip flops for charity in 2nd grade after we learned about the Southeast Asian Tsunami. I wanted to help kids who lost all of their stuff. Now I choose a different charity each quarter to support. I also run 5k races that benefit charities. Decorated flip flops are fun to make and to sell because they are great for pedicures, cheer squads, slumber parties, birthday presents and more.
What’s your biggest distraction?
Skype, because all of my friends have Skype accounts and we can talk for 10 hours straight and still have stuff to talk about. Or TV. There are always good shows to watch.
Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
There is another girl who is an entrepreneur making bottle cap necklaces called Snap Caps. Her website is http://www.m3girldesigns.com/.
Maddie, the founder of m3girldesigns has actually agreed to do an interview with us, that should be coming out very soon.
What are your hobbies?
Running and writing poetry. I like to run because it helps me relieve stress. Poetry lets me express myself and poems are subjective so people can’t really judge what I write.
What qualities have you developed as a result of running your business?
I think that I have learned to manage my time better. I also have learned to appreciate people for who they are. I hear lots of peoples’ stories when looking at charities or when people order flip flops from me, and I know that there are lots of amazing people out there.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
I made flip flops for a whole cheer squad. It was over 20 pairs and we hand delivered them to their championship at Walt Disney World. That was pretty satisfying.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
I don’t market it very heavily. My website ranks high on Google because my mom is great with web stuff and most people find me through the internet.
Who is your favourite entrepreneur of all-time?
My mother. She inspires me to work hard. She also makes me feel good when I’m sad and loves me no matter what stupid stuff I do. She balances her work with her life and family too.
What’s your favourite TV show?
Wizards of Waverly Place on the Disney Channel.
Who is your favourite singer?
Taylor Swift.
Where do you see yourself and your business in the next 5 years?
I see myself on the varsity cross country team at school, thinking about colleges, and still making flip flops for fun because I love to do it.
Thanks alice for your time, we wish you the best in the future.
YHP had the opportunity to speak to Jason O’Neill, Jason is the founder of pencil Bugs, the business he started while he was only nine years old, guess what? Jason is only 13 and already in his fourth year of running his business, he has been featured in ABC, MSN, NBC, FORBES.
Hey Jason, How you doing today, Thank you for the opportunity.
Can you tell the readers, how the idea of PENCIL BUGS came about?
When I was nine, my mom was doing a craft fair. I wanted to help her paint the doorstoppers that she was making so I could get some of the money. She said “no” and told me that if I wanted to make money I had to come up with my own idea. That is just what I did. I started by drawing out some designs on paper and came up with the idea of Pencil Bugs.
What was your inspiration? What made you start your business?
After the craft fair, I took Pencil Bugs to school and showed other kids what I was doing. They liked the Pencil Bugs so much that they wanted to buy them. Most of my classmates bought Pencil Bugs so I knew that they were becoming really popular. One day a classmate came to school with $100 and offered to buy my business. I turned him down because I knew I would make more than that in the long run. That was the real turning point from making Pencil Bugs just for a craft fair to becoming a full-on business.
How do you feel starting up a business at such a young age? Has there been any pressure?
As a kid you have nothing to loose. You don’t have to start a business but if you do, you can take it slow. If my business doesn’t work out then not only have I made a decent amount of money for my age but I have learned so much through all of this. So there is not much pressure since if I fail I still have all of my adult years to work.
How did it make homework fun for you?
I didn’t really create Pencil Bugs for myself. I know that there are many other kids who have a hard time with school and especially homework. I have received many e-mails from other kids telling me how my Pencil Bugs have helped make school work a little more fun for them. But Pencil Bugs are not just for kids. Older students and even adults seem to like them just for fun.
How did you find out whether your idea would appeal to others?
I took it to my target audience, my fellow students, and showed the Pencil Bugs to them. The reaction was immediate. They loved them. From the first day I received orders for them, I knew that if I got this reaction from one school that more kids would like them. I tested it on a small scale and expanded it from there. Plus I believed in my product.
What made you come up with that name?
The original name when I sold them at the craft fair was Pencil Pals, but when I went to set up my website after that, I found out how many things go by that name. I had to change the name to something else. Since it is a bug on a pencil, I thought it was appropriate to call them Pencil Bugs. It was simple, easy to remember, and the domain name was available for my website.
How does it feel speaking publicly to large amounts of people and also dealing with this amount of press?
It is really fun and exciting to speak to audiences of all ages and any size. It gives me butterflies for a few minutes each time I start but that is part of what makes it so exciting. The best part of speaking in front of people is that each time is different. Even if your speech is the same, the audience reaction totally can change the whole tone of the speech. Each time I speak I look forward to something new and I never know what to expect.
I know you’ve been featured in top shows such as ABC, MSN, NBC, FORBES, I could go on? How did that come about?
I have never paid for ads so I had to find other ways to get noticed. My mom has really helped me with getting publicity. Some people think that the only good publicity is when you have to pay for it. I am living proof that is wrong. I have won awards, been on national TV, in Forbes articles twice, on radio, in articles all over the Internet, and in countless newspapers and magazines without spending a cent. So if you know what you are doing and use a little creativity, you can get great free media coverage.
I know your parents have been very supportive in your progress? How does it feel to have parents that believe in your idea, your business and you?
Without my parents, neither my business nor I would be here. I am very thankful that they support and help me through everything. Help and support for anything you do is key especially at a young age and parents are the best support a child could have. But even if a parent isn’t able to help, kids can still find other adults to be their mentors and help them start their business.
I know you got some great projects such as working prototype for a board game. You’re also working on a book. I’m not going to give everything away but how is it going? When should we be expecting your book?
My manuscript for my business book is with my agent right now and we are hoping that it will be on store shelves late next year. I also am working on several other books. Early next year, I plan on working on a plush toy version of Pencil Bugs for little kids. The other products like the board game and video game are much further in the future but definitely still part of the plan.
How do you feel to be included in the book The Richest Kids in America?
It is an honor to be named with other very successful young people. The best part about the book is that is recognizes many different kinds of rich. I am not a millionaire yet but I am still very rich in other ways. It’s not about how much you make but what you do with the money once you earn it. I’ve been donating to help other kids since I started my business and I know it makes a difference to them. It’s good to give back when you can.
How do you cope with going to school and running a business?
Balance is important and my parents make sure that I still have time to be a kid. I am not involved in extracurricular activities so I am not running from practice to practice after school. I guess you could say my business is my extra thing. I am also an A-student so school is not much of a problem for me.
What do you like most about running your business?
I love speaking and with speaking events comes travelling. I like to share my story and inspire people to try their ideas. I’ve had so many opportunities and fun experiences because of public speaking.
Who are your role models?
My parents are definitely on the top of the list since they have always been there for me. Bill Gates is also a role model to me since he is a very successful business person and also is a philanthropist. I hope to be able to donate a lot more and help other kids as my business continues to grow.
Who is your favourite from everyone you’ve met so far, and why?
TV personality, Art Linkletter, who happens to be 97 years old. I didn’t know who he was but when I did a speaking event with him and Mark Victor Hansen and other young entrepreneurs, I was fascinated just listening to his stories of how he started as a business person and what he’s done in his life.
Who’s your favourite young entrepreneur at the moment?
Entrepreneur/author Cameron Johnson who is in the “Richest Kids in America” book with me. He is about 24 years old so he has a few more years of business experience than I do. He has a great story of how he got started and even though I have heard it many times, it’s still fun to listen to it because it’s so entertaining. He has had several businesses that he has grown and eventually sold and his business sense is amazing.
Do you have any advice you will like to give to young entrepreneurs thinking of starting an idea/business?
Try your ideas even if people don’t support you. If you believe in them, you have to go for it. You won’t get anywhere by sitting on your ideas.
Don’t give up. Starting a business isn’t easy but if you give up, you’ll never know what might have happened.
Get a parent or someone else who might have gone through some of it before to help you through it. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. You can learn a lot from other people’s mistakes.
Hi Benjamin and welcome to YHP. I would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity of hearing your entrepreneurial insights.
First of all before we get into the real good stuff, tell us a little about yourself?
Hi, thanks for this opportunity. I’m Benjamin Lang, 15 year old sophomore, and I recently returned from a year in Israel. I do eBay and craigslist selling, (ebayben.com) web design (ben-lang.com) and teen entrepreneur consulting (teenbizstarter.com).
I hear you’re running three businesses, right? Tell us about how it all started, from the first business?
last year my grandfather gave me a large amount of camera equipment to sell. It was a hard job but it paid very well. So I decided that maybe I could sell other peoples stuff and make even more
How did you come up with the idea, I mean, there are people who already sell items for people on ebay itself, were you not discouraged by this?
I was not discouraged because I know that it’s only temporary. It’s just the start, I’ll start making innovative companies soon
What are the ups and downs of being 15 and running a business? Do you think a lack of experience plays a part here?
the upside is that I could say that I started a business at 15 whereas most people wouldn’t be thinking of this type of thing for many more years. The downside is that people are less willing to deal with me because I am younger than the average business owner and I am less experienced…
After you got you EBay business up and running, what provoked you to start a business in web design?
I decided to make my own website, while doing so I learned a lot, which gave me the idea of doing web design too.
How do you go about promoting and advertising your businesses? Do you do this across all your businesses?
I use craigslist, twitter, Facebook, flyers and paid local adverting. I find that craigslist is the best because it provides better results plus its free.
So you are also providing help for other teenagers trying to succeed in business, how’s this coming along?
this business isn’t working as well but its enjoyable. I have “new” teen entrepreneurs contact me with questions, and we usually end up chatting on skype. I do it so I could add them to my network.
How important has networking been for you and for business itself?
Very very very important. I was inspired by a friend of mine who recommended a book to me, dig a well before you are thirsty. That’s when I understood how crucial networking is.
I see you are using twitter, how well of a business tool has this been for you?
I joined twitter not long ago and have been very impressed by it. It’s a great tool for driving traffic to a site, for example I once twitted “any feedback on my web 2.0 site ben-lang.com?” the next day I checked Google analytics and I had much more views than usual.
Being young and all, running three businesses must be time consuming, does it take up alot of your time?
Yes it does take up a lot of time. I manage time well though, by doing homework during free time in school and doing business at home so it all works out.
Are you still at school?
Yes I am, I go to a private school in manhattan.
Do you think school has helped you in any way prepare for running a business?
No, no and no. I’ve never learned anything useful in school about starting a business. Its very unfortunate for others who haven’t learnt about this topic.
So what are you future plans? What’s the next level for you?
My plans are “entrepreneurish” I just want to work on random projects that can become successful and hopefully make a name for myself as an entrepreneur.
Ok, so finally, Benjamin what advice would you give for young aspiring entrepreneurs out there like yourself?
NETWORK and NEVER GIVE UP.
Thanks Benjamin it was a pleasure to have you with us and be able to do this interview.
Before we leave you, is there any way people interested in your line of business or seeking advice could contact you?
Story of how Ashley Qualls (born July 1990)from Lincoln Park, Michigan, started a website called whateverlife.com, designed to provide free Myspace layouts and HTML tutorials for people in her age demographic, and supported entirely by advertising revenue.
The website now receives several times more traffic than circulations for popular teen magazines Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and CosmoGirl! combined.
In 2006 she turned down an offer to acquire the company for 1.5 million dollars (1,220,000 euros) and her choice of any car.
In September 2006 she paid cash for a $250,000 home in a fenced-off subdivision in the community of Southgate.
The basement of the home is her office. In addition to employing her mother, she employs friends from school.
I hope you are all inspired in some way to turn your ideas into success.
