The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business (Completely Revised and Updated)

It doesn't matter how old you are or where you're from; you can start a profitable business. The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business will show you how. This completely updated edition is filled with real, inspirational stories of young people finding success in the business world -- from superstars like Microsoft's Bill Gates and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy to young people who are just starting out. More important, though, it provides a practical, step-by-step pathway, including everything you need to know to start your own business, from creating financial statements to developing marketing techniques.

You'll also discover the tremendous entrepreneurial opportunities that are now readily available through the Internet. This book will show you how to:
Prepare a winning business plan
Register your business legally and easily
Understand finance and keep smart records
Conduct market research that really works
Use the Internet to reach customers around the world
Build a socially conscious company that gives back to the community
Plus, you'll find dozens of ideas for businesses you can start today! Owning your own business can positively change your life forever. With The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business, nothing can stop you from getting started now.??

Steve Mariotti, a former New York City high-school teacher, founded the nonprofit National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship after he discovered that students who launched commercial ventures tended to eventually blossom in numerous areas. In this updated edition of The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business, he lays out the critically relevant basics on everything from recognizing opportunities and researching markets to handling finances and protecting ideas--all organized and written specifically for the younger reader. Brief case studies and inspiring tales of notables who started young, including Russell Simmons of Def Jam, Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza, and Steve Perlman of WebTV, offer encouragement. New chapters on technology (explaining, for instance, ways that computers and the Net provide competitive advantages) and philanthropy ("ethical business behavior is not only morally right, it's good for business") bring Mariotti's advice into the 21st century. No single volume can provide all the details necessary to get an idea up and running, but this one contains enough information and stimulation to move practically anyone off the couch and into the beginning stages of entrepreneurship. --Howard Rothman