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Close Up: Teen Sensations Entrepreneurs are getting younger every year.

By Devlin Smith

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Names: Elise and EvanMacmillan, co-founders of The Chocolate Farm, a Denver-basedproducer of such farm-inspired treats as Pigs in Mud and LemonSheep Munch

Top Five Magazines ForTeens
1.Seventeen
2.YM
3.Teen People
4.Teen
5.GamePro
Source: Folio

Ages: 12 and 15

There's no denying the teen market is hot. Remember theMcDonald's commercials from the summer of Britney Spears and*NSYNC? But when it comes to reaching teenagers, businesses can bepretty clueless (how many more ads do we need to see with kidsbeing "real"?). These teen entrepreneurs provide insightinto Generation Next:

Know Why They Buy:"Teens buy things for the same reasons as anyone else-we needthe items. Sometimes we might want something more than we reallyneed it, to make ourselves or other people happy," saysEvan.

Lead Or Follow: "Manyteens look for situations [in movies or on television] in whichthey'd like to see themselves. They may choose to copy clothes,language or other aspects of these situations," says Evan."Other times they like to create their own look. Teens todayare not like a flock of sheep. They're very mediasavvy."

Set A Good Example: Elisebelieves alcohol and tobacco ads unfairly target teens: "Ithink these ads try to convince teenagers they can be more grown-upand have more fun if they use cigarettes and alcohol."

Laugh A Little: "I likeads that are funny so I remember them and maybe I'll talk aboutthem with my friends," Elise says. "Ads with actors whoportray unusual people can be funny and memorable."


The U.S. Census counts nearly 16 million people in the UnitedStates between the ages of 14 and 17. That number has risen fromjust under 15 million in 1995.

Every year, more than $2 billion is spent on advertising directedat kids, more than 20 times what advertisers spent 10 yearsago.

Kids 12 to 19 spent about $94 billion of their own money in 1998,according to the Rand Youth Poll. What have these youngentrepreneurs purchased recently? Elise bought running shoes fortrack, some school clothes

Do you recognize an entrepreneurial sparkle in your own kids? Showthem how to take their lemonade stand ambitions to the next levelwith How to Be a Teenage Millionaire(Entrepreneur Press) by Art Beroff and T.R. Adams.

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

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