Young and Reaching for Success

Do you hate having a boss? Do you want to make your own money? And on your own time? You should think about becoming an entrepreneur. In Philadelphia, with an African American population of 43%, only 2.5% of business are owned by blacks. This is a big deal because there is a large stigma behind Black owned businesses. The media often says that these businesses have poor costumer service and because they have little money things might not be up-to-date. This means that Black businesses are more likely to fail than white business. But everyone has struggles regardless of the race or age, and with support and hard work anybody can succeed.

There are many student entrepreneurs! They make their money before, during, and after school. They might have different ways of approaching business but they all make their way. At least they are trying to increase the percentage of black owned business. They might be young people with small businesses, but these could soon become something big.

Here are a few of the local high school students who have their own business:

She chose her line of business because she wanted a business that could simply provide something that we use on a day to day basis. As a girl, her hair is always done, and when it’s not she can just throw on a headband. It’s quick, simple, and stylish. From there she wanted to open more doors for new customers and clientele. So she thought if she has something for girls she needs something for boys as well . She thought about "durags." "Durags" have opened so many opportunities because boys love to brush their hair then tie it down. But they also work for girls too; girls buy "durags" to lay their hair down, but also as a fashion statement. I asked her about how much money would she started off with and how she got her business out to the world. She stated: “Truthfully, you don’t need any money to start a business, and I think that’s what people fail to realize . It just depends on what business you’re trying to run or open up. With me, I needed products to sell. I believe I started with about $50 to supply what I was going to sell. I didn't have to pay for a logo because I had a friend in school who was good with graphics. I didn’t have to pay for promotion because my friends were my PR team. I made an Instagram page, and all my friends posted and gave shout outs. In conclusion, you don’t need much to start a business, just a support system and genuine people who want to see you win.

Contact info: Instagram @nixyah_ @swagragss

Next there is Damir who chose to become an entrepreneur because he completed a program called “Money Mindz,” and it taught him about becoming his own entrepreneur.

He wouldn’t say there’s a certain amount you need to start with but he did say: “You have to spend a lot of money to make money,” so it’s not so easy. Something he would like to accomplish with this clothing line is to hope that it becomes an international business like Gucci or something close.

¨The meaning of the name and cover is to show how in society people are starting to become too attached to things on social media and other platforms. That's why you see the zombie hands on the phone and the zombie with the camera.

P.S. He's about to have his first ever pre-sale on t-shirts and hoodies.

Contact info: Instagram @0hb.diz @konfuzionclothing._