This story appears in the
May 2002 issue of
Startups.
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For starters, one of the things you can do is be a peer mentor
or work for a Boys & Girls Club where students give advice and
act as role models for younger students. Visit their Web site at
www.bgca.org to
find a local club and get more information. You can also join the
Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts and become a counselor. These would be
good ways to hone your skills and prepare yourself for business
ownership.
You should find a mentor, someone who is already a success
coach, who can guide you through the process of starting this type
of business. A good mentor is invaluable in learning the skills
needed not only for, say, success coaching, but also for successful
business ownership--namely, the ins and outs of marketing, sales,
pricing, image (as you've indicated, you don't want your
age to be a deterrent to potential clients), accounting and so
on.
Finally, there are coach training programs available--Coach U is
one of the more well-known programs. Their Web site tells you all
about their programs and can also help you find a coach (if you
just want to talk to a few coaches before you jump in and start a
business). Coach U even has teleclasses available where you can
"attend class" over the phone.