Your Success Story Could Start Today

Would you like to have more money in your pocket, face the future with more confidence and be able to set up a successful business for yourself?

It is easier than you think. All it takes is a dream and a little planning. Read about what these teenagers were able to accomplish:

Naomi, 13

Naomi is a 13-year-old entrepreneur. "I was 11 when I started breeding guinea pigs for a bit of pocket money," she said.

"I bought a female guinea pig from a pet shop. The lady at the shop told me that it was probably pregnant and that she would buy the babies back from me when they were six to eight weeks old. My parents gave me some money to buy more hutches, and my brother, who was 10 at the time, went into 'business' with me."

Since first selling the animals, Naomi says, she has learnt all about guinea pigs. She's had to deal with the cash she gets, quality of the pigs and the responsibility of running a small business.

"Some of the money we make has to be saved to buy hay and more hutches and to pay for veterinary bills," she says. "Having to look after so many animals takes a lot of time and work.

I never realised making money was so much work. If the animals aren't well looked after, they become dirty or even sick. So we make sure we supply the pet shop the very best product we can. If we don't, we would no longer have a market because the shop wants to keep its good reputation."

Now that Naomi has run a guinea pig business, she would like to work with bigger animals, perhaps horses.

"Or working in a zoo would be fun!" she said.

Richard, 15

Richard is an example of developing and using one's skills to earn money. At the age of 15, he learned leather craft at a summer camp.

He lived in a remote community in Wales, a place of few employment opportunities. However, he made small items he could sell at the only shop in his village.

Because he could provide a service and was determined to produce the highest quality work, his reputation and his profit margin grew. Soon Richard could buy larger quantities of leather, which he made into beautifull handbags and purses.

These he sold in a larger shop in the neighbouring village. Each item contained an offer to hand-tool initials on the item free of charge. That led to even more sales in the form of commissions for large items. Soon Richard had more orders than he could fill.

Do you have any hobbies like Naomi's? Can you provide a service like Ben's? Do you have any special skill that could be developed to earn money?

A secret to these teenage success stories is finding a product in the market that no one else is filling.

Research is vital before you start. If you hope to start something, make friends with local store and shop owners. Look for something they don't sell or something you can produce better or less expensively. Show your samples.

If you hope to provide a service, make sure you can do it well enough and consistently enough to supply a number of clients.

When advertising a service, offering a first-time free trial can win potential customers.

The often overlooked dimensions to a long and successful career are reliance on God and perseverance.

Don't be afraid to dream. Talk to your parents, teachers and other adults about making your dreams a reality.

It takes courage, confidence, ingenuity and hard thinking to come up with a money-making idea and plan. But if you do you will be well on your way to finding a good job or starting a career.

The next teenage success story we read could be yours!