Get All Access for $5/mo

You Go-Getter, You Today's teens aren't waiting for a degree to start a business. Ain't America beautiful?

By Karen E. Spaeder

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

When I was a kid, I did a whole lot of riding bikes, listeningto music and passing notes during class. Now, I'm guessingyou've done your fair share of those things, too. Butthere's something that makes you very different from me, alongwith many of my peers: You haven't even hit your twenties yet,and you're already in business, or at least thinking aboutstarting one.

This fascinates me. In fact, it fascinates all of us atEntrepreneur.com. We read these stories about 15-year-olds makingtheir first million in sales or 17-year-olds hitting up their bankfor a loan--and getting it--and we have to wonder what it is thatdrives these young entrepreneurs.

I suppose it's the same thing that drives any entrepreneur:the desire for freedom. When I was growing up, it didn't reallyoccur to me to become an entrepreneur. It just wasn't somethingthat was presented as an option while I was in high school. I findthat unfortunate. But I'm glad that times have changed. Youhave within your hands the power to control your future--how muchmoney you will make, how you will make it, when you will do it. Andyou are the boss of you. How awesome to be able to say that in yourteens.

So it goes without saying that we want to help foster thisspirit of entrepreneurship among today's youth by presentingyou with our new TeenStartUps.com superchannel. Folded into thepages of Entrepreneur.com, TeenStartUps is a collaborative effortbetween Entrepreneur.com and YoungBiz. (If you haven't already checkedout their site, you should spend some time there as well.)We'll cover everything from getting a business idea to findingstart-up capital to promoting your business. And we'll provideways for you to interact with your peers. In short, we'll helpyou realize your dream.

Take advantage of the resources available to you, because theyare plentiful. There truly is no better time to be an entrepreneur.And it'll only get better from here.

Karen E. Spaeder is a freelance business writer in Southern California.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Business News

Amazon Has a Blank Book Problem: Buyers Report Receiving Fakes of Bestselling UFO Book

The book looked fine on the outside, but the inside was out-of-this-world.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Paramount Leadership Alludes to Layoffs If Merger Does Not Go Through

Paramount is awaiting approval on its merger with Skydance Media from majority shareholder Shari Redstone.

Business News

Microsoft Reportedly Lays Off Over 1,500 Employees in Cloud Sector as Partnership with OpenAI Strengthens

Alphabet also reportedly laid off employees from several teams in Google's cloud unit last week.