As a teenager, some people decide not to work, some people decide to go work a minimum wage job, and some people decide to start their own business. No matter what decision someone makes, they do not normally expect to take their summer job and turn it into a six figure business. Well that is exactly what R.J. Duarte did with his high school business.
At just eight years old, Duarte started mowing lawns in Golden, CO. He kept up with the mowing himself until middle school when he decided to add his friend’s help. They kept working and increasing revenue while adding additional help. They finally named their business GreenWorx when they were in high school. Duarte decided not to go to college while his partner left.
This change in partnership led Duarte to decide to make a change to the business. He decided to stop mowing lawns and switch to landscaping. Duarte stopped mowing his clients’ lawns and took the business to a new level by turning the business into a landscaping and maintenance company. Duarte saw this change as a way to increase risk and reward. It ended up being a good business decision.
Duarte acknowledges that his business started as a way of making money, but he also wanted to show the community that young people can be successful too. Although his intentions were for monetary gain, he wanted to show people not to underestimate people.
Duarte is a good example of an entrepreneur because he was persistent, risky, and found a need. He was able to stick with his business and earn six figures. An entrepreneur needs to be able to take risks in order to get the reward and Duarte did just that by changing what his business focused on. He also capitalized on a need he saw in his community: someone to mow people’s lawns for them. Overall, he possesses many attributes of an entrepreneur that allowed him to be successful in his startup and continuing business.
Duarte inspired me because he showed that you can start something small, like a high school lawn mowing business, and turn it into a way of making a living. He showed me that it is never too soon to think big. He chose a life path that many avoid due to its risk, and I admire that.
Ultimately, Duarte’s young success as an entrepreneur allowed him to get an early start on his success in life.
research, Brennan taught himself the process of code and graphic design and slowly started forming his business. With the help of his dad as his investor, the young entrepreneur opened shop in his garage where he could print the designs on the socks. His ideas for his designs can come from anywhere— some are random while others are pictures from around him, like the goats which are one of the most popular designs that he sells. His business, Hoop Swagg, originally started just as a sock business but then it expanded into the arm sleeves, face coverings, shoe lacings, and apparel. And surprising fact is that he is colorblind and can still create designs that are completely amazing. After five years in the sock business, Hoop Swagg generates over one million dollars annually.
charitable causes and has a page on his website where you can participate in fundraising. Brennan was able to find solution to dull athletic socks and created a business where he can have fun and make money.
earn some money. Her parents approved but said that she should consider an employment where she could learn skills that could benefit her later in life rather than learning the skills necessary for the minimum wage jobs. During that time, Nyah’s mother was on the Keto diet and challenged her daughter to create something similar to the beloved cracker but still have the healthy low carb Keto element. Nyah opted to create a cracker instead of a minimum wage employment. After many attempts, Nyah produced the perfect cracker. The cracker only consists of three ingredients and unlike the other Keto crackers that are in the market, this cracker does not contain the unknown ingredients. Once she completed the cracker, Nyah wanted to test whether her cracker would be liked among the Keto population. Using Instagram, Nyah sent her cracker to Keto people to taste test. The Keto people loved it and so started Keto Cracker.
Although Keto Cracker has been a success, Nyah still has challenges to face. Like many other
young business entrepreneurs, many people do not take her seriously because of her age. Also, since her was still in high school during the start of her business, she had the SATs, ACTs, AP exams and applying to colleges to balance with her business. But through it all, Nyah has excellent mentors to guide her with her business.