Young At Art I'm a teenager who wants to start an accessories business.
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Question: I'd like tostart a homebased retail business. I'd make and sell beaded andstring bracelets to vendors such as Claire's and AfterThoughts. I'm only 17 years old and lack a business background.How do I start?
Jennifer Jackson
Via e-mail
Answer: Because you'rethinking about selling to vendors, we checked Claire's Web site and noticed it sellsbracelets for $2 to $4. The company probably buys products at about20 percent of what it sells them for, so you'll need to figureout whether selling your bracelets wholesale will cover the cost ofmaterials and the value of your time.
You're not likely to sell as many bracelets retail as youmight wholesale, but you can charge more per item. Most communityzoning restrictions won't let you run a retail shop out of yourhome, but you can sell retail at crafts fairs and via a Web site,as an increasing number of craftspeople are doing. Start withJanice West's book, Marketing Your Arts and Crafts (SummitPublishing Group).
Consider your age not as a hindrance, but as an advantage.You're at an age that allows you to benefit from a program thathas helped young people become entrepreneurs since 1919: JuniorAchievement (JA). JA (www.ja.org)offers classes as well as opportunities to plan, start and operatea business with the coaching and mentoring of experiencedbusinesspeople. Check out the central Pennsylvania program athttp://juniorachievementcp.org.For more on JA programs, see "Pulse".
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  Many successful entrepreneurs got their start at age 18, 13or even younger. Whether you're a kid or a kid at heart, getthe information you need to start a business in How to Be a Teenage Millionaire(Entrepreneur Press), available at smallbizbooks.com and at localand online bookstores. | |||||
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Small-business experts Paul and Sarah Edwards' latestbook is The Practical Dreamer's Handbook(PutnamPublishing Group). If you have a question regarding a start-upbusiness issue, contact Paul and Sarah at www.workingfromhome.com orsend it c/o Entrepreneur.
