This is the first post of my five-part series on how to start a business in high school. In it, I’m going to tell you why you should launch a startup in high school, as well as the pros and cons that come with it.
The pros of starting a business in high school:
- You can afford to make mistakes.
Being a high school student means you don’t have to worry about making the next rent payment or putting food on the table. As a result, the worst-case scenario for an idea not panning out is this: you gain experience and will be better equipped to succeed next time. - You have a lot of free time.
Before you jump down my throat and remind me about the 7 AP exams, 3 extracurriculars and various clubs you’re trying to juggle, hear me out. Realize that as you go further in life, things will only get busier.
There will never be a “right time” for you to start. If you think you have no free time to launch a startup in high school, you’re either not looking hard enough, managing your time poorly, or taking on more than you can handle. - People are eager to help you.
At this stage, you’re likely to be inexperienced and new to the world of business and entrepreneurship. As a result, people are more likely to be supportive of you, and will often go out of their way to help you succeed.
In the so-called, “real world“, people are a lot more likely to be cautious in offering their help and the environment is more cutthroat and hostile. It’s a lot easier to reach out to people to ask for their assistance or advice, if they know you’re eager to learn instead of take advantage of them. - You can adapt and pivot quickly.
Chances are as a high school student, you’re still trying out new things to see what you enjoy and are good at. One skill that I’ve found common with all the student entrepreneurs I’ve come across is the ability to pick up new skills quickly.
Some might argue that this is the biggest advantage of being “inexperienced”. You are less likely to be “set in your ways” and can often have multiple approaches to solving a problem.
Now, you might be thinking that starting a business is going to be all rainbows and butterflies. Sorry to break it to you, but every “pros” list is usually followed by a “cons” list
The cons of starting a business in high school:
- People won’t take you seriously.
Out of all the student entrepreneurs I’ve spoken to, this seems to be one of the main problems they face.
When you launch a startup in high school, your age and inexperience can make it hard to command respect. Therefore, you might struggle to be seen as a “real” business. This can also make it hard to secure funding and enter the market.
This isn’t only in the eyes of business contacts, but also family and friends. A lot of people will think what you’re doing is a “cute little project“. It’s important to not get stuck in that mindset, no matter how often it is told to you. - You will have to make sacrifices.
If you think that you’ll be able to dedicate an hour or two on the weekends towards your startup and still be successful, you might be in for a harsh reality check. Starting a business from scratch is often a bigger timesink than people expect.
You will probably have to decline a few offers to go out every weekend, cut down on your Netflix time, and perhaps spend less time mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed.
(If you measure the amount of time you spend on things like these, you’ll realise what I mean when I say, “You have a lot of free time.”) - You are more likely to fail.
I was debating whether or not to put this in the “pros” list or the “cons” list, but kept it here due to the preconceived notion most people have about failing.
If you plan on entering the world of entrepreneurship, you shouldn’t worry about failure, you should expect it. It’s going to happen. On the micro-level AND the macro-level, and that’s not a bad thing.
As a high school student, you’re probably not going to make the next Facebook or Amazon any time soon. What you are very likely to do instead is to fail a bunch of times while learning along the way. The good thing is that the more you learn to embrace it, the quicker you will be able to execute on an idea that will ultimately be successful.
Now that you have all of this laid out in front of you, it’s time to evaluate whether the startup culture is a fit for you.
Before you go any further, I’d like you to take a second to evaluate your reason(s) for why you want to launch a startup in high school . (Hint: there IS a right and wrong answer)
You SHOULD launch a startup because –
- You have identified a problem that you can offer a solution to.
- There’s a unique offering that you can provide to others that can bring value to people’s lives.
- Your goal is to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and set of skills that will help prepare you for your future.
You SHOULD NOT launch a startup because –
- You want to make lots of money. (there’s nothing wrong to strive for this, except that it shouldn’t be your primary motivator)
- You think being an entrepreneur is “cool” and want to put it in your Instagram bio.
- Your college application is looking kind of empty and you need something to pad it. Don’t see it as just another “project” (again, nothing wrong in showcasing it in your application, except your interest in entrepreneurship should be genuine and not because “having a business” will impress an admissions officer”)
If you’ve made it this far, chances are your interests lie in the right place and you are determined enough to launch a startup in high school, which means it’s time for you to move to the next step!
Still not convinced that you can be successful as a high school entrepreneur? Here is fortune.com’s list of 18 students under the age of 18 that started successful businesses.
