At 13, Jordan read an article about entrepreneurship in the
airport. It was about bootstrapping, which piqued Jordan’s interest. At
19 Jordan and his buddy Josh realized that a pizza delivery job was not
going to cut it, nor did they want to succumb to the pressures of going
to college and assuming all that debt. Jordan knew that if he could
round up a few thousand dollars from friends and family he could get
his candle business started. So, from $3,000 and a homemade website,
Moonstruck Candle was born. Currently the company has 92 consultants
who distribute the product.
One question that entrepreneurs
are often asked is: How are you paying the bills at the beginning when
you are not turning a profit? Jordan and Josh solved this by being the
first consultants, which prolonged having to hire employees at the
outset. Being in a small town benefited them because word-of-mouth took
it off the ground.
Jordan ’s key points for young entrepreneurs:
- The most important thing is to network with other entrepreneurs and businesses.
- Build relationships with new people and also with friends and family to gain support for your vision.
- Do your own research instead of hiring a lawyer.
- Be brave and go against the cultural norm. Teens often feel pressure to succumb to certain expectations.
- Young entrepreneurs have an edge because they are savvy about trends.
Jordan is an inspiration for brave souls of all ages who want to be their own boss, take a risk and start it up!