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How to Start a Business As a Teenager

There are many benefits to establishing a business as a teen, and there are really no reasons not to.

Here are 6 things to think about as a young entrepreneur to increase your chances of success.

1. Is your business idea feasible?

You want your new company to be successful when you first launch it.

However, it happens frequently for new business owners, regardless of age, to become hooked on a venture that isn't really viable. You probably won't have the knowledge or the time to create the newest technological advancement as a teenager.

Instead, to increase your chances of business success, choose a concept that you are confident you can implement—from the original development of the product or service to its marketing to your confidence that there are enough people in your area who could profit from your venture.

2. Who your customer is and what do they need?

Once you've decided on a concept for the good or service you want to offer, you need to identify the people who are most likely to be interested in using or purchasing it.

To respond, consider the following:

What issue is your company resolving for your client?

What preferences does your intended market have?

Where is it most probable that your target consumer will look for the good or service you're offering?

This is only a beginning point; to get a better understanding of how to appeal to your customer, you can do your own research and develop a client profile.

3. What the legal requirements are for you to run your business?

There are legal standards that must be followed by every firm producing money in the United States, regardless of your age.

One of your first considerations as a kid establishing a business should be how to obtain the licenses and documentation required to make your enterprise legitimate so that you can start selling to clients.

To find out what you need to do to lawfully establish your firm, check online or with local officials.

4. What unique value are you going to provide to your customers?

Now that you've identified your product or service and the target market for it, you need to determine why clients will choose your company over one that provides a comparable good or service.

This is your Unique Selling Point (USP). Do you have a product or service that is priced much less than those of your rivals? Do you provide a service that a customer cannot obtain elsewhere? Determine your company's USP to attract customers (and keep them).

To keep customers coming back to your business and to benefit from word-of-mouth marketing when they recommend your excellent product or service to others, give them an extra tip: overdeliver on the value you provide.

5. How are you going to market your business?

The saying "build it and they will come" is no longer as applicable in the present business world, when competition is fierce in almost every industry. This is because entrepreneurship is becoming more and more common.

Since you're presumably not flush with cash as a young person, you need to determine the best way to target them at a minimal cost using your improved understanding of your customer.

If you're developing an online business, social media is a wonderful approach to target the kind of customer you want because different social media platforms are popular with different demographics.

To target local leads, you can, however, advertise through your network of contacts if you provide a local service, print business cards and post them, and put up fliers. Similarly, websites like Craigslist can assist you in online local targeting.

6. What is your plan for the future of your business?

As a teenager, you go from high school to college or straight into the workforce, making these years some of the most transitory of your life. You'll need to give the direction you want your company to take over the following few years more thought.

Is your business a means of earning supplemental income? Or do you intend to use your business as your primary source of income after completing your education?

In either scenario, you should create a long-term plan for your company's future, including how you want to continue operating it or shut it down as you adjust to the changes that come with being a young adult.

How To Save Money As a Teenager

Saving for your first significant purchase is difficult, especially when money is tight. The good news is that you can do anything if you have a strategy and the willpower to do it. Check out our advice on how to save money as a teen, whether you're hoping to upgrade your phone or land the next big career.

1. Make a budget for teens to keep track of your spending.

A budget could seem a little frightening. However, managing your finances can be as easy as writing down every penny you spend over the course of a week or a month. You could discover that this is a good place to start because the majority of us prefer to spend more money on the weekends.

Setting boundaries and goals comes when you have a general understanding of where your money flows. Download the Suncorp App and test Dollar Tracker if you have an everyday Suncorp Bank account. Your expenditure will be divided into 14 distinct categories, such as apparel, entertainment, and food, with this simple and free service.

Also read: Learn How to Teach English Online

2. Increase your savings rate.

Whether your objective is to purchase a car or stay up with the latest technology, start with a goal and break it down into manageable chunks that can add up over time. Here are some strategies you may use to boost your savings:

Bring your lunch to work or school rather than purchasing it every day as a substitute for any regular spending.
Think about unusual jobs that friends or family could need assistance with, like mowing the lawn, watching the kids, or walking the dog. Always talk to your parent or other primary caregiver before beginning any new projects.
Love clothes? The best method to satisfy your need for fashion without going broke is to visit your neighborhood thrift store.

The secret to keeping something is to feel good about it. The same holds true for saving. Personalize the names of your accounts to serve as a reminder of the wonderful things you are saving for, or keep pictures of your goals close at hand to stay inspired. By visualizing your objectives, you might be able to stop any impulsive spending.

3. Find the right bank account

One of the most important first steps in building your savings is selecting the ideal bank and account type. Some accounts, like the Everyday Options account from Suncorp, allow for both saving and regular banking activities. You can open up to nine extra savings subaccounts with this standard account. With the help of this functionality, you can save money for particular costs in their own sub-account, which may earn interest as your balance rises. You may be able to resist the need to spend money if you save it in a separate account. Be aware that opening an account may require approval from your legal guardian if you are a younger account holder. All Suncorp bank accounts also provide you access to Suncorp Benefits, which give you the opportunity to receive savings of up to 15% at renowned retailers like Myer and JB Hi-Fi.

4. Make the most of student discounts

Your student ID card is more than simply a card with a cringe-worthy picture of you on it. You can get discounts like reduced cinema tickets and discounted public transportation by using it as well. Many establishments and services may advertise that they provide student discounts, but if you're interested in what's available or need more details, it doesn't hurt to inquire or do a little Googling.

The Department of Human Services can assist you in your search for any financial benefits that might be available to you as a young person, whether or not you are currently enrolled in school and regardless of whether you are eligible for payments or services supplied by the government. For instance, just like a student ID, Centrelink's low-income Health Care Card entitles you to reduced community services.

Also read: Teaching English Abroad

5. Consider getting a part-time job

For many young Australians, working a part-time job is a necessary transition. If you're a student, you might be able to find consistent part-time job in the business, hotel, or retail sectors. If these industries don't suit your interests, you could look into others and see if anyone is recruiting there.

Making your own money is the best method to increase your savings, and realizing how long it takes you to make $50 may be enough to stop you from engaging in compulsive buying (making you think about whether you really need those new sneakers).

6. Sell your unwanted stuff

It doesn't take much to amass a collection of things you don't use or need. The good news is that by selling your unwanted stuff, you can immediately generate extra cash. It doesn't matter if you decide to utilize a website, an app, or organize a traditional garage sale; you might be better off with the money (to put right into your savings account, of course) and the knowledge that your old books are being read rather than taking up space on your shelf. Don't forget to ask a responsible adult for assistance if you require it.

Also read: How to Teach English in Korea

Saving money may be enjoyable and is a crucial part of maturing. The dull (but significant) advantage of saving now is that it may aid in the development of your capacity to handle your finances, increasing your likelihood of having funds as you mature.

Does The Size of Your Child's Class Matter?

A multi-ethnic group of school children are indoors in a classroom. They are wearing casual clothing. They are sitting on the floor and eagerly listening to their teacher read a storybook.

A major benefit of smaller class sizes is students typically receive additional attention.(GETTY IMAGES)

It has long been advocated that smaller class sizes will boost student performance.

Supporters, which include many parents and instructors, contend that smaller classrooms allow for more individualized attention for each student, which boosts test scores, grades, and behavior problems. However, opponents of class-size reduction initiatives contend that such changes just divert funds from other priorities without significantly improving students' academic performance.

“No one’s going to argue against the substantive argument for reducing class sizes, right?” says Douglas Ready, a public policy and education professor at Columbia University in New York. “It sounds great. Teachers want it. Parents want it. Everybody wants it. The issue is paying for it and finding teachers to do it.”

Benefits and Challenges of Smaller Classes

According to Ready, there have been sizable, randomized control trials, which are typically regarded as the gold standard in study design, looking at the impacts of class-size reduction. These research discovered a link between reduced class sizes and higher test scores.

The Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project, a Tennessee experiment, began in 1985. It placed 7,000 kindergarten students in 79 schools in classrooms of varied sizes.

According to a report on the study published in the scholarly journal Teachers College Record, after four years, the students who had been assigned to small courses were between two and five months ahead of their counterparts in bigger classes. The smaller group pupils continued to gain advantages even after the trial was over and the students were placed back in regular classroom settings. They nearly had a full school year on their classmates by the seventh grade.

Then, in 1996, Wisconsin carried out a related study comparing adolescents in classes of 12 to 15 kids with those in classes of 21 to 25 students, with a focus on schools serving low-income students. Again, a federal review of the study found that kids in smaller classes performed better on tests.

“The research is crystal clear that smaller classes lead to better student outcomes in every single way that can be measured,” says Leonie Haimson, executive director of the nonprofit organization Class Size Matters, which promotes smaller class sizes.

However, the outcomes of more recent research utilizing various methodologies have proved conflicting.

For one, reducing class sizes means hiring more teachers, which has long been a challenge for districts, Ready says.

Many of the increases in test scores, according to a study of class-size reduction in New York City public schools from 2009 to 2013, were countered by reductions brought on by the "new teacher effect." According to the paper, class size reduction can "significantly boost student achievement," but only if schools can accomplish it without jeopardizing the caliber of their teachers.

California started a program in 1996 to decrease class sizes by giving districts $650 for each pupil in kindergarten through third-grade classes with 20 or fewer children. Approximately 30,000 new teachers were promptly employed by districts, but the program cost the state billions of dollars.

Inexperienced and uncertified teachers made up a large portion of those educators, according to a report from the Public Policy Institute of California. And in schools with a high percentage of low-income pupils, where nearly 25% of students had a teacher with two years of experience or less and 30% had a teacher who was not fully credentialed, the issue was particularly serious for Black students. Only 12% of white pupils at schools with fewer impoverished students had a teacher with two years or less of experience, and only 5% had a teacher with incomplete credentials.

However, a review of studies on the class size reduction initiative reveals that it “had a positive and significant influence on student achievement,” according to a Princeton University researcher. “Black students seem to have benefited” from class-size reduction “more than any other racial or ethnic group.”

Alternatives to Reducing Class Size

Some education experts contend that raising teacher wages would be a better use of the millions of dollars needed to fund widespread attempts to reduce class sizes, “thus increasing the size (and arguably the quality) of the teacher labor pool,” Ready wrote in a report.

Even while experts dispute reports of a statewide teacher shortage, many school districts have had trouble filling positions because of the pandemic. Federal data show that in January 2022, 44% of public schools reported having at least one vacancy, and 61% attributed the rise in teacher and staff vacancies to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the years, fewer individuals have chosen to pursue careers as teachers. According to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, there were more than 200,000 undergraduate education degrees given each year in the 1970s, but less than 90,000 were awarded in 2018.

“We are in a moment of extreme teacher shortage, and it’s likely to get worse,” According to Bryan Hassel, co-president of the education advocacy organization Public Impact. “The idea that we would say now in that environment, ‘You need to find and keep another 25, 30, 40% more teachers,’ is a recipe for disaster because who’s going to fill those slots?”

Instead, states and school districts should try to increase their capacity for small-group tutoring by hiring paraprofessionals, such as teaching assistants, Hassel argues.

“There is strong evidence that having small groups learn from a teacher or a paraprofessional in a tutoring setting is very effective,” Hassel says. “Schools really should be trying to increase the amount of that that goes on, but that can happen in a larger class. You can have 25 kids in a room. Some are working intensively in a tutoring environment with the teacher; the others are doing projects, doing other work.”

What Parents Can Do

Haimson advises parents to talk to political authorities, school board members, and principals about studies showing the advantages of smaller classes.

“Whether you're talking about academic achievement or social, emotional recovery from the pandemic, the best way to ensure that happens for all kids is to be able to offer them small classes,” she says. “We hope that parents will act as their children's advocates and push for that at the local level.”

In the meantime, Ready advises parents to concentrate on teacher quality.

“If a district can afford to have smaller class sizes and maintain teacher quality, great," he says. "But in most parts of the U.S., there are trade-offs."

Ask the instructor or other school personnel if you have questions about your child being in a large class "what plans they have to ensure that kids are getting individual attention even though the class is large, such as small-group work within the large class" or having more paraprofessionals, Hassel says.

"The value of small classes likely comes from the extra attention students get," he notes, "and so there are other ways to get students that attention if you're stuck with a large class."

How To Pick A Good Toys For Kids

Good toys for young kids need to reflect their developmental phases and developing talents in addition to being safe (see Safety and children's toys below). Many appropriate and safe playthings are readily available for free in most homes. Children of all ages can use cardboard boxes, plastic bowls and lids, collections of plastic bottle caps, and other "treasures" in a variety of ways. Remember that every child develops at a different rate when you peruse the lists of recommended toys for kids of various ages. As long as they are safe, items from one list can be suitable for kids of all ages, even those younger and older than the recommended range.

Toys for young infants—birth through 6 months

Babies enjoy following individuals with their eyes as they gaze at them. They typically favor faces and vibrant colors. Babies are able to reach, explore their hands and feet, lift their heads, swivel their heads in the direction of sounds, put objects in their mouths, and do so much more!

Good toys for young infants:

Things that kids can grasp, grip, suck on, shake, or make noise with, such as rattles, big rings, squeeze toys, teething balls, soft dolls, vinyl books, and teething dolls.
Books featuring nursery rhymes and poems, as well as recordings of lullabies and easy tunes, are good listening material.
Things to look at are unbreakable mirrors and photos of faces hung where the infant can view them.

Toys for older infants—7 to 12 months

The typical progression for older babies is from rolling over and sitting to scooting, bouncing, creeping, pulling themselves up, and standing. They can recognize body parts, locate concealed objects, understand their own names and other common words, and put objects in and out of containers.

Good toys for older infants:

Baby dolls, puppets, wooden and plastic vehicles with wheels, and water toys are all good options for pretend play.
Plastic bowls, huge beads, balls, and nesting toys are items that can be dropped and removed.
Large, pliable building bricks and wooden cubes are available.
Large balls, push-and-pull toys, and low, soft objects to crawl over are all things they can use their strong muscles for.

Toys for 1-year-olds

One-year-olds move quickly! Typically, they are able to climb stairs and walk steadily. They take pleasure in reading, utter their first words, and can play with other kids (but not yet with!). They enjoy experimenting, but they require grownups to keep them secure.

Good toys for 1-year-olds:

Board books featuring straightforward drawings or images of genuine objects.
Recordings that include rhymes, songs, short stories, and illustrations.
Large paper, crayons, and non-toxic, washable markers are some supplies you can use to create.
Toy phones, dolls, doll beds, baby carriages and strollers, dress-up accessories (scarves, handbags), puppets, plush animals, plastic animals, and "realistic" vehicles made of plastic and wood are among the items for pretend play.
Building materials include cardboard and wood blocks, which can be 2 to 4 inches smaller than those used by young children.
Puzzles, giant pegboards, toys with functional pieces (dials, switches, knobs, lids), and big and little balls are things to use their large and small muscles.

Toys for 2-year-olds (toddlers)

Toddlers are developing their language skills quickly and are quite fearful. Despite this, they engage in a lot of physical "testing" such as climbing, hanging by their arms, rolling, and rough-and-tumble play. They enjoy working with small objects and have good finger and hand dexterity.

Good toys for 2-year-olds:

Things for problem-solving: wooden puzzles (4–12 pieces), snap-together blocks, objects to sort (by size, shape, color, and smell), and items with hooks, buttons, and snaps.
Blocks, smaller (but strong) transportation toys, construction sets, kid-sized furniture (kitchen sets, chairs, play food), dress-up outfits, dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water play toys are all good options for pretend play and constructing.
Tools for making include huge, non-toxic, washable crayons and markers, big paintbrushes, colored construction paper, scissors with blunt points the size of toddlers, a chalkboard, giant chalk, and rhythm instruments.
Greater detail in picture books than in publications for younger children.
With a range of music on CD and DVD players (but phonograph players and cassette recorders still function!).
Large and tiny balls for kicking and tossing, ride-on toys (although probably not tricycles until children are 3), tunnels, low climbers with soft material underneath, and pounding and hammering toys are all good options for encouraging children to use both their large and small muscles.

Toys for 3- to 6-year-olds (preschoolers and kindergarteners)

Toddlers' attention spans are shorter than those of preschoolers and kindergarteners. They frequently engage in a lot of talking and questioning. They like experimenting with various objects and with their still-developing physical abilities. They enjoy playing with their buddies but hate to lose. They are able to take turns, and older preschoolers and kindergarteners can frequently share a toy with two or more children.

Good toys for 3- to 6-year-olds:

Puzzles (with 12 to 20 pieces), snap-together blocks, collections, and other smaller objects can be used to sort objects based on their size, shape, color, scent, quantity, and other characteristics. Examples include collections of plastic bottle caps, keys, shells, counting bears, and plastic bowls and lids.
Things for playing and building, including a variety of building blocks for creating intricate structures, play food, dress-up outfits, dolls with accessories, construction sets, transportation toys, and toys for sand and water play.
Tools for making include large and small crayons and markers, large and small paintbrushes, colored construction paper, preschooler-sized scissors, a chalkboard, large and small chalk, modeling clay and playdough, modeling tools, paste, scraps of paper and fabric for collage, and musical instruments like xylophones, tambourines, and keyboards for rhythm.
picture books with even more text and more intricate illustrations than picture books for toddlers.
With a range of music on CD and DVD players (but phonograph players and cassette recorders still function!).
Large and small balls for kicking, throwing, and catching, ride-on equipment like tricycles, tunnels, taller climbers with soft material underneath, wagons and wheelbarrows, plastic bats and balls, plastic bowling pins, targets and things to throw at them, and a workbench with a vise, hammer, nails, and saw are some of the things to help them use their large and small muscles.
Children can choose the software's pace and course, and they have the chance to explore a range of ideas on various levels if they have access to interactive (the child can do something) and kid-friendly (the software includes images and spoken instruction, not simply print) applications.

Safety and children's toys

Toys that are safe for young children are well-made (they don't pinch or have sharp edges), painted with nontoxic, lead-free paint, shatter-proof, and simple to clean.

"UL Approved" should be on any electric toys. Make sure to look at the label, which should state that Underwriters Laboratories has approved the item. Additionally, check sure there are no tiny components or pieces that could become stuck in a child's neck and lead to asphyxia when buying toys for kids under the age of three.

It's crucial to keep in mind that normal wear and tear can turn a toy that was previously safe into a danger. Toys should be regularly inspected by adults to ensure they are in good condition. Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website to view a list of toys that manufacturers have recalled.