Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

This story is on the front page of today`s Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper:

Teenager sits atop office chair empire
http://www.ajc.com/today/content/epaper/editions/today/news_ 44156ac535bb50410024.html

If a 14-year old teenager, in the 9th grade can do it, so can you. Now 19, attending Emory University in Atlanta, he and his dad run this $15 million dollar operation with 40 employees. They sell office chairs. www.bizchair.com 

If you have trouble with the above link (I hope not), just go to www.ajc.com and find today`s edition or search the title.

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

This is awesome, although he obviously doesn`t/didn`t have the same responsibilities (families, mortgage, etc.) as some of the adults on this site!  Thanks for sharing!  His story could surely inspire many young people.  A great article!

I love success stories like that!  It`s always nice to see someone take a simple idea and turn it into an "empire"

~Kim

here I go trying to make a point and being PC.

I was quite surprised with the comment about not having financial responsibilities.  Sort of implying that If We didn`t have a mortgage payment we could of easily done the same thing.  followed up by  being an inspiration for young people.

Sorry that is how I read it

It was so far out of the charactor I had imaged that I wonder if there are two people using the same user ID. 

 

Personally, my first instinct was, Dad did alot of help. But it appears he was a go getter,  working before that point. learning HTML on his own.  He deserves it  ,  free enterprise  and he has my respect, for he has done something that I haven`t yet achieved   ,  YET that is  LOL.

I was young once  I had the same chances,,,,,, waite,  no I didn`t,  the Internet wasn`t anything like this when I was 14.   

the opportunities were just different, 

 have you ever heard the story about Henry Ford spending his last dollars trying to develop the carborator.  Or any of the dozens of successful people who come over to the United States with nothing more than the clothes on their back creating very succesful businesses.

The opportunity is here , it just looks differently as times  change,   Heck the change  in itself it the opportunity if you really think about it.

 

I never thought of it that way, but it is true  change is opportunity.  I like it.

 

man I know how to ramble on ,   sorry

 

Mike out

If anyone, no matter what age, is fortunate enough to receive help from a friend or family member, he/she should accept that help with grace and humility, and with the forthrightness to repay that person somehow.

Who knows, maybe the father feels he`s been thanked by the very success of his young entrepreneur.

Great story!

When I was a bit younger than I am today, I had a business that I was running (at the time I just thought I was making a couple of bucks...but looking back, it was a business).  Unfortunately some adults decided to get involved and told me I couldn`t do what I was doing without...blah blah blah...permits.  Anyway, these days I`m always so nervous about starting my new business ventures because I`m worried that I`ll miss some legal aspect and that will come back and bite me in the butt later.

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Text is so black and white...it doesn`t have as much color as the tone in somebodies voice.

Different ages can give different motivations to be an entrepreneur.  A teenager can see the rat race that adults around them face and want to pre-empt that happening to them.  College used to be the way out of a dead-end job.  Unfortunately, that`s no longer a guarantee. 

On the other hand, someone in their 50`s may finally have the experience, contacts, and retirement income to quickly and efficiently start an independent startup.  While the urge to not have a boss is good to start with, entrepreneurs wind up having to answer to customers, partners, and regulators anyway.  Much like any job, the best motivation is not just loving what you do but being confident that you can make an innovation that no one else can.

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"Forget inspirational quotes to keep you going. If by doing what you do, you get an hour every day to relax, be with the ones you love in comfort without doing wrong, then it is all worth it." -Anon.

Has anyone heard of Farrah Gray? This guy also became a millionaire at 14/15:

http://odemhosting.com/~farrahgr/



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Subscribe to my Small Business Blog: http://screwloosebusiness.com

Thanks for sharing this inspirational start up success story. I found it really helpful as well as informative. Keep sharing more such inspirational stories.

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Motivational Keynote Speaker

My business partner and I started our medical supply business, Rehabmart.com, when we were in our late 20's. I was married, in our first house, with our first child. He, at the time, was still single and childless.

Now he has 5 children, and we often remember those days when I was tired and cranky, and he wanted to work all night on the web site.

So I would agree that being young (and therefore with fewer responsibilities) can help make starting a business easier. However, you do whatever you can with what you have in life.

I am still inspired by the BizChair story. I'm sure that young guy worked his bottom off, and will continue to do so.

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Owner of a online medical supply store: Rehabmart.com