Today’s teens and tweens are savvy enough to know that lemonade stands are more quaint than they are cash cows; lawn-mowing is a seasonal gig; and babysitting can be a boon or a bust, depending on the rug rats du jour. And then there are the aspiring entrepreneurs who recognize that starting their own small companies has serious potential. Meet three exemplary young magnates in the making, self-starters who’ve learned that earning their own income can pay for everything from toys to clothes to family bills. And as for the life lessons they’re picking up along the way? Priceless.
It started with a Cub Scout assignment last year: Come up with a product that you can make at home and sell for a profit. George Dowis, now an 11-year-old Boy Scout and Mason Prep student, took the task to heart...
When Sally Hunt’s parents decided to throw a holiday brunch at their Old Village home three years ago, the savvy but modest then 10-year-old (who will attend Academic Magnet High School this fall), sensed an opportunity...
Damian Brown, a 16-year-old Advanced Placement Academy student at Burke High, first tagged along on palmetto rose-selling jaunts with his cousins and grandfather when he was six years old...
Headquartered in Charleston, YEScarolina (Young Entrepreneurs South Carolina) is a partner of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship program and trains educators throughout the state to teach students elemental business skills. Founded in 2003, the local organization worked with Mayor Riley and vendors to transform an unorganized group of adolescents selling palmetto roses into a managed institution complete with artisan business training, permits, and licenses. Each summer, YEScarolina also runs The Motley Rice Advanced Biz Camp at the College of Charleston—a weeklong immersion in Business 101 for high school students. (843) 556-1909, www.yescarolina.com
