[IP2]

Sadly the Education system in the UK is very under geared for helping people who want to start their own business either before or after leaving school.

I suspect many budding young Entrepreneurs are put off by a lack of help or knowledge from both teachers and parents.

I know from my own experiences that you are generally presented with the choice of going to University, or of finding a job...if you say you want to start your own Business the careers teacher looks at you in a manner that they may have done if you had said...."Nah, I want to be an axe murdered and live in a commune protected by ants!"

There is a huge difference in starting out in business in your teens, than there is later in life.

But being young is often a huge advantage, given the right support and guidance you have the ability to capture new markets, look at old markets in new ways and test business in ways that people who are bogged down in mortgages and debt can only dream of. Look at how the founders of Google took the internet crown from Microsoft, just by daring to try!

The downside is limited capital, inexperience and a huge lack of support!

I want to change that! Young business men and women need totally different help, I am sure there are plenty of you on here who can offer vast amounts of experience and ideas to our younger members, who can listen, advise and give them a different perspective.

I am opening up this thread for debate, but I would also like to hear from members that would like to help out as well as the views from our younger members on what they feel they need.

[Nicksyb]

Excellent post

Nowadays schools don't really support young people to go out on their own and start up a new business etc.

I still remember when I was at school saying to the careers person that I wanted to be an Architect she laughed and said that I should stick with hairdressing.

Each and everyone of us on here has some skills or knowledge to pass on to the youngsters. A1 already has some young entrupeneurs (sp?) and the nice thing is that we as a community encourage their questions and are ready to assist and point them in the right direction.

[boxby]

When we launch Fantasy Couriers, we will be selling heavily discounted licenses specifically for this particular market.

Schools start teaching Enterprise aroung about key stage 4, which is kind of 13-14 years. And the scottish primary schools are running a programme which encourages them to bid for money, present to a panel of secondary children, for funds for local community projects, which then then have to choose and execute.

The schools are starting to teach the skills and awareness that children need.

Personally i think it has a lot to do with the parents too. My six year old has two services that she touts for business on, the first is hoovering your car for £1, the second is that she'll go to the tip with you and help you unload the rubbish into the skips for 50p. I won't be surprised at all if she looks to be self-employed.

There is a huge amount of children now finishing school and being the third generation unemployed in their households. Children who have never seen their parents work, and frankly don't understand why anyone would want to work because it interupts the daytime telly. I think it's factors like this, that despite what the teachers may teach, and the careers service may direct, have the larger and more powerful influence in the childrens' decisions.

[Beneddie1112]

Great posts everyone, the biggest problem I feel for people under or at the age of 16 are both funding and finding somebody who takes us seriously.

I don't remember the amount of times I've been told not to bother and been laughed at. I've only found a few people who are willing to offer advice help, some from this forum, some not.

I think that if there was an easily obtainable form of funding, I would be well away and already a millionaire ,

Take care people,
Ben

[Indizine]

One would think so Ben, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Money does not always make money. Good business management skills derived from good planning and decision making is fundamental to be successful. Many a 'sucessful' entrepereneur has made it then lost it.

[Beneddie1112]

Understand what you're saying Sandra but I don't mean huge sums of money. Just 3 digit sums to help them get all of the relevant equipment they need to make sure they're on a level playing field with other people,

Take care,
Ben

[HuggyBear]

OK,

I'm 20, and keeping it in a nutshell

I left school with 5 GCSE;s

Maths
Science (Dual Award)
Spanish
Graphic Products

I went to college on a BTEC National but dropped out near the end of year one to live with my partner

2 Years later I went back to the same college and they let me start at year 2 rather than doing year 1 all over again so i went back

Only to leave at round about the same time in year 2 for the same reasons, although I didnt get my BTEC national i did get a Level 2 City & Guild in IT & English which each in effect are a GCSE

So really I have no niche to an employer

I have worked in a computer shop since I was 12 and worked there for about 5 years

I went to colelge last week to try and roll on the BTEC National course again but im set back by money I can get course fees paid but with it being a full time course I only get £30 a week and to suppoer a family with 1 child on £30 pw is impossible

So to cut a long story short, Im regretting not completing the course as it doesnt make me shine on paper to an employer

I want to set up in business but I dont have the money - this shows in the current website I have, so my best piece of advice for any young person, at least go to college even if you intend to set up in business, that way if it fails you have something to fall back on - get it while its free - I know i certainly am living to regret it

[Fuzzy]

Great thread IP2

Fuzzy started at 19, didn't really have a clue way back then, learnt an awful lot, made decisions that weren't great, but I survived and it has made me the person I am today

IMO, best time to start Go for it!

[danmaull]

Great post
There are two things that i feel young people need the help with and that is:
1. rasing capital, nd then learning how to manage the money when you have it, e.g. how much to reinvest.
2. as young poeple have less time as we are in full time education, it gets very hard to do that and try to run a business at the same time, hence why i have not been posting here for a while as i have been doing alot of research

[notgoingtouni]

I'm so glad my life as panned out the way it has because I wouldn't have ever found my passion for trying to make something of myself in the world of business - and I love it!

In my opinion it is hard setting up a business while at school, or in my case working full-time (with no time left to take off until the new year!) so it limits initially the amount of time you can inject into a project.

Secondly there is the trouble as flagged up with lack of capital. This limits the scale of your enterprise.

Then the lack of experience...life is a learning curve and we are all on it. I have made plenty of mistakes through NotGoingToUni and have now started from scratch. The advice I am getting through forums such as A1, networking events and so on have given me the experience, for which I am grateful.

The upside of going for something when you are young is the fact that no-one depends on money coming in...