Student
      Entrepreneurs
     
     
      by:
      Nicole
      M.
      Bellefleur
      (Business
      Editor)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      John
      Shorb
      started
      out
      mowing
      lawns
      while
      he
      was
      in
     
     
      the
      sixth
      grade.
      Like
      many
      youngsters,
      all
      he
      wanted
     
     
      was
      to
      earn
      some
      extra
      spending
      money.
      Ina
      few
     
     
      years
      however,
      his
      business
      had
      grown
      to
      include
     
     
      over
      120
      regular
      accounts.
      He
      now
      does
      everything
     
     
      from
      grass
      cutting
      to
      landscaping.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Joanne
      Marlow
      started
      making
      dresses
      fro
      herself
      and
     
     
      her
      friends
      when
      she
      was
      14.
      Soon,
      orders
      for
      her
     
     
      classic
      prom
      and
      evening
      dresses
      began
      to
      pour
      in.
     
     
      By
      the
      time
      she
      was
      19,
      she
      had
      opened
      her
      own
      retail
     
     
      store.
      ‘‘Joanne
      Marlow
      Designs’’.
      Since
      then,
      she
     
     
      has
      opened
      a
      manufacturing
      plant
      and
      had
      formed
     
     
      joint
      ventures
      with
      other
      manufactures.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      $1500
      he
      had
      borrowed
      from
      his
      parents,
      Robert
     
     
      Lewis
      Dean
      bought
      a
      1972
      Cadillac.
      The
      15
      year
      old
     
     
      taught
      himself
      how
      to
      fix
      it
      up-and
      then
      sold
      it
      fora
     
     
      profit.
      From
      there,
      he
      went
      on
      to
      open
      his
      own
     
    
   
   
    
     
      antique
      auto
      business,
      and
      later,
      his
      very
      own
      suc-
     
     
      cessful
      limousine
      service.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      so
      these
      three
      people
      have
      incommon?
      They
     
     
      are
      all
      very
      successful,
      they
      are
      making
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      money
      and
      they
      are
      very
      young.
      They
      are
      only
      three
     
     
      examples
      of
      North
      America’s
      growing
      number
      of
     
     
      young
      entrepreneurs.
      While
      their
      peers
      are
      playing
     
     
      sports
      and
      ‘“hanging
      out’’
      after
      school
      and
      on
      week-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ends,
      these
      youngsters
      are
      working
      hard
      to
      make
      their
     
     
      businesses
      a
      success.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Whatis
      it
      that
      drives
      these
      young
      people
      to
      sacrifice
     
     
      so
      much
      for
      business,
      a
      filed
      usually
      reserved
      for
     
     
      their
      elders?
      Many
      times,
      the
      entrepreneur
      has
      sim-
     
     
      ply
      capitalized
      on
      a
      special
      ability
      or
      talent,
      (for
     
     
      example
      dress
      making
      or
      computer
      graphics
      design).
     
     
      Others
      feel
      that
      with
      future
      economic
      uncertainty,
      the
     
     
      benefits
      and
      opportunities
      associated
      with
      owning
     
     
      one’s
      own
      business
      far
      outweigh
      those
      of
      working
      for
     
     
      large
      corporations
      and
      governments.
      Some
      do
      it
     
     
      because
      they
      are
      interested
      in
      business
      careers,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      others
      simply
      enjoy
      the
      challenge
      and
      thrive
      on
      the
     
     
      recognition
      and
      satisfaction.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Studies
      have
      found
      that
      more
      than
      half
      ofall
      young
     
     
      entrepreneurs
      are
      first
      born
      children.
      They
      are
      inno-
     
     
      vative,
      disciplined,
      and
      havea
      good
      self-image.
      They
     
     
      are
      often
      over-achievers
      and
      are
      always
      optimistic
      in
     
     
      facing
      the
      challenges
      of
      owning
      one’s
      own
      business
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      whom
      are
      even
      making
      more
      money
      than
      thei
      Te
     
     
      parents
      and
      teachers,
      feelthattheycouldbedoing
      _
     
     
      much
      better.
      The
      amountoftimetheyareableto
     
     
      devote
      to
      their
      business
      is
      usually
      restricted
      by
     
     
      school.
      Despite
      this
      however,
      most
      agree
      on
      the
     
     
      importance
      ofan
      education.
      Many
      high
      schools
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      universities
      (including
      UPEI)
      are
      beginning
      to
      offer
     
     
      courses
      in
      entrepreneurship.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Owning
      and
      operating
      a
      business
      at
      any
      age
      is
      diffi-
     
     
      cult,.
      but
      young
      entrepreneurs
      face
      certain
      unique
     
     
      problems.
      Many
      potential
      customers
      don’t
      want
      to
     
     
      trust
      their
      business
      to
      someone
      so
      young
      and
     
     
      unexperienced,
      they
      would
      rather
      do
      business
      with
     
     
      someone
      more
      established.
      Others
      find
      it
      difficult
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      negotiate
      a
      line
      of
      credit
      from
      the
      bank
      and
      some
      find
     
     
      it
      hard
      to
      establish
      contacts.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      information
      age
      has
      created
      whole
      new
      industries
     
     
      and
      lines
      of
      business
      that
      didn’t
      exist
      a
      generation
     
     
      ago.
      Many
      young
      computer
      wizards
      are
      finding
      that
     
     
      they
      are
      just
      as
      competent
      as
      their
      elders
      to
      take
     
     
      advantage
      of
      these
      new
      opportunities.
      This
      has
      led
      to
     
     
      many
      young
      people
      starting
      businesses
      in
      the
      compu-
     
     
      ter
      graphics
      design
      and
      desktop
      publishing).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      are
      interested
      in
      starting
      you
      own
      business,
      but
     
     
      are
      wondering
      what
      is
      out
      there
      for
      you,
      why
      not
     
     
      consider
      sone
      of
      the
      following:
      -typing
      (university
     
     
      term
      papers)
      -tutoring
      (elementary
      to
      high
      school,
     
     
      university,
      french
      and
      computer
      courses)
      -snow
     
     
      shovelling
      -making
      and
      selling
      crafts
      -party
      catering,
     
     
      entertaining
      children’s
      parties
      -starting
      a
      babysitting
     
     
      service
      (for
      neighbourhood
      families,
      hotel
      and
      motel
     
     
      guests)
      -dress
      making
      (prom
      and
      wedding
      gowns)
     
     
      Most
      of
      these
      do
      require
      at
      least
      a
      small
      investment
     
     
      on
      your
      part.
      And
      remember,
      a
      successful
      business
     
     
      required
      hard
      work
      and
      dedication,
      don’t
      be
      discour-
     
     
      aged
      of
      you
      are
      not
      an
      immediate
      success.
      It
      takes
     
     
      time
      to
      get
      established
      and
      build
      a
      reputation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      student
      Blake
      Doylé
      is
      an
      example
      ofa
      local
     
     
      young
      entrepreneur.
      The
      21
      year
      old
      Tea
      Hill
      resi-
     
     
      dent
      had
      already
      been
      involved
      in
      a
      couple
      of
      busines
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ventures
      since
      his
      graduation
      from
      high
      school
      in
     
     
      1988.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*MacDonald
      and
      Doyle
      Promotions’’
      started
      in
      1988
     
     
      The
      company
      rented
      outa
      helium
      inflated
      balloon
      to_
     
     
      local
      businesses
      (such
      acoke)
      asa
      form
      of
      advertis-_
     
     
      ing.
      The
      next
      year,
      Blake
      opened
      Blarney’s
      Gift
     
     
      Shop
      in
      Cavendish.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEIX-PRESS
      February6,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
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