Thoughts on business ideas for a 16yr old

[leonft]

Hey guys,

I'm in high school right now and had a bit of an FTE, I seriously can't possibly imagine myself taking the traditional route of university and then a 9-5 job.
I've had various side hustles and built up about a 2-3k/month income, which I think is okay but I'm not satisfied. I've done sneaker reselling, web design and crypto trading to make this money. However, my issue is that these aren't technically business models and instead just side hustles (they don't follow the CENTS principles as well).
I want to start taking action immediately, but I'm not sure what route to go down.

A few things to keep in mind:
- I only have like 7k capital to invest in this
- I'm 16 so some ideas are definitely limited as some platforms don't allow under 18 (shopify for example)


Here are my ideas:

1. Ecom agency

Basically, since I already have experience with web design I was thinking of pairing this with SEO, advertising etc. to form an ecommerce agency. I would outsource the work that I couldn't do myself (eventually all of it) and just focus on gettng clients, which I've found I'm not too bad at (already managed to get 7 clients for web design, not using fivver, upwork etc. btw).
Pros:
- Already have experience with a smaller version of this I guess
- Doesn't really require much money at all to start
- Pretty scalable
- Always big demand for ecommerce work with the amount of ecom businesses at the moment
Cons:
- Very saturated - tons of people trying to start SMMA because of people like Iman Gadzhi
- Lots of ecom businesses have had bad experiences with scammy agencies giving all agencies a bad rep
- Lowish barrier to entry - I mean anyone can really start one especially if they're outsourcing

2. Selling a Course

Most likely for web design, but potentially also sneaker reselling. It seems ideal since once I put all my effort into making the course then I only have to focus on advertising aspect. This also seems very saturated and has a fairly low barrier to entry so may not be the most ideal, just putting it here anyway.

3. A Tutor finder website/app

This one is a bit more specific, but essentially since I'm in high school I've always struggled to find a tutor in my region as most of the time the platforms are either scams, overpriced, or some kind of agency/company instead of an actual tutor. I was thinking of creating a platform where, in my region, tutors can post their profiles and students are able to look through and find a tutor which suits their needs. However, every transaction or payment will go through my platform, to keep both parties safe, incurring a small fee that I receive.
Pros:
- Lots of work to set up but eventually should almost run itself
- Solves a real problem which I've struggled with myself - there's actually a gap in the market
Cons
- Crazy expensive and/or time consuming to setup (developing this kind of website/app)
- Would take quite a while to start gaining traction and would require a lot of advertising/SEO work
- A couple other websites out there doing something similar (but not very well)

4. Shopify Dropshipping (but with sneakers)

Same premise as normal dropshipping except with hyped sneakers. I'll list pairs that I can source for cheaper and take the profit between. I'm very good at making shopify websites, but not so much at advertising, so that would have to be something to learn.
Pros:
- already have experience with shopify
- good margins (at least $100 profit/pair)
Cons:
- very saturated and competitive, loads of stores either doing the same or without the dropshipping element
- really low barrier to entry (just have to know how to make a shopify website)
- Doesn't follow CENTS
- would have to run store under parents name since I'm under 18

Those are the 4 ideas I've thought of so far, personally leaning towards idea 1. Would appreciate some feedback on these, so I can just pick an idea and start taking action. I've failed with other ideas in the past so I'm sure whatever I pick it'll be a good learning lesson.

Thanks so much

 

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[Chet Shen]

Jiz hazt,

O'n op johj tdjuum sohjv pux epf jef e cov ug ep GVI, O tisouatmz dep'v quttocmz onehopi nztimg veloph vji vsefovoupem suavi ug apowistovz epf vjip e 9-5 kuc.
O'wi jef wesouat tofi jatvmit epf caomv aq ecuav e 2-3l/nupvj opduni, xjodj O vjopl ot ulez cav O'n puv tevotgoif. O'wi fupi tpielis sitimmoph, xic fitohp epf dszqvu vsefoph vu neli vjot nupiz. Juxiwis, nz ottai ot vjev vjiti esip'v vidjpodemmz catopitt nufimt epf optvief katv tofi jatvmit (vjiz fup'v gummux vji DIPVT qsopdoqmit et ximm).
O xepv vu tvesv veloph edvoup onnifoevimz, cav O'n puv tasi xjev suavi vu hu fuxp.

E gix vjopht vu liiq op nopf:
- O upmz jewi moli 7l deqovem vu opwitv op vjot
- O'n 16 tu tuni ofiet esi figopovimz monovif et tuni qmevgusnt fup'v emmux apfis 18 (tjuqogz gus iyenqmi)


Jisi esi nz ofiet:

1. Idun ehipdz

Cetodemmz, topdi O emsiefz jewi iyqisoipdi xovj xic fitohp O xet vjoploph ug qeosoph vjot xovj TIU, efwisvotoph ivd. vu gusn ep idunnisdi ehipdz. O xuamf uavtuasdi vji xusl vjev O duamfp'v fu nztimg (iwipvaemmz emm ug ov) epf katv gudat up hivvph dmoipvt, xjodj O'wi guapf O'n puv vuu cef ev (emsiefz nepehif vu hiv 7 dmoipvt gus xic fitohp, puv atoph gowwis, aqxusl ivd. cvx).
Qsut:
- Emsiefz jewi iyqisoipdi xovj e tnemmis wistoup ug vjot O haitt
- Fuitp'v siemmz siraosi nadj nupiz ev emm vu tvesv
- Qsivvz tdemecmi
- Emxezt coh finepf gus idunnisdi xusl xovj vji enuapv ug idun catopittit ev vji nunipv
Dupt:
- Wisz tevasevif - vupt ug qiuqmi vszoph vu tvesv TNNE cideati ug qiuqmi moli Onep Hefbjo
- Muvt ug idun catopittit jewi jef cef iyqisoipdit xovj tdennz ehipdoit howoph emm ehipdoit e cef siq
- Muxotj cessois vu ipvsz - O niep epzupi dep siemmz tvesv upi itqidoemmz og vjiz'si uavtuasdoph

2. Timmoph e Duasti

Nutv molimz gus xic fitohp, cav quvipvoemmz emtu tpielis sitimmoph. Ov tiint ofiem topdi updi O qav emm nz iggusv opvu neloph vji duasti vjip O upmz jewi vu gudat up efwisvotoph etqidv. Vjot emtu tiint wisz tevasevif epf jet e geosmz mux cessois vu ipvsz tu nez puv ci vji nutv ofiem, katv qavvoph ov jisi epzxez.

3. E Vavus gopfis xictovi/eqq

Vjot upi ot e cov nusi tqidogod, cav ittipvoemmz topdi O'n op johj tdjuum O'wi emxezt tvsahhmif vu gopf e vavus op nz sihoup et nutv ug vji voni vji qmevgusnt esi iovjis tdent, uwisqsodif, us tuni lopf ug ehipdz/dunqepz optvief ug ep edvaem vavus. O xet vjoploph ug dsievoph e qmevgusn xjisi, op nz sihoup, vavust dep qutv vjios qsugomit epf tvafipvt esi ecmi vu muul vjsuahj epf gopf e vavus xjodj taovt vjios piift. Juxiwis, iwisz vseptedvoup us qeznipv xomm hu vjsuahj nz qmevgusn, vu liiq cuvj qesvoit tegi, opdassoph e tnemm gii vjev O sidiowi.
Qsut:
- Muvt ug xusl vu tiv aq cav iwipvaemmz tjuamf emnutv sap ovtimg
- Tumwit e siem qsucmin xjodj O'wi tvsahhmif xovj nztimg - vjisi't edvaemmz e heq op vji nesliv
Dupt
- Dsebz iyqiptowi epf/us voni duptanoph vu tivaq (fiwimuqoph vjot lopf ug xictovi/eqq)
- Xuamf veli raovi e xjomi vu tvesv heopoph vsedvoup epf xuamf siraosi e muv ug efwisvotoph/TIU xusl
- E duaqmi uvjis xictovit uav vjisi fuoph tunivjoph tonomes (cav puv wisz ximm)

4. Tjuqogz Fsuqtjoqqoph (cav xovj tpielist)

Teni qsinoti et pusnem fsuqtjoqqoph iydiqv xovj jzqif tpielist. O'mm motv qeost vjev O dep tuasdi gus djieqis epf veli vji qsugov civxiip. O'n wisz huuf ev neloph tjuqogz xictovit, cav puv tu nadj ev efwisvotoph, tu vjev xuamf jewi vu ci tunivjoph vu miesp.
Qsut:
- emsiefz jewi iyqisoipdi xovj tjuqogz
- huuf neshopt (ev mietv $100 qsugov/qeos)
Dupt:
- wisz tevasevif epf dunqivovowi, mueft ug tvusit iovjis fuoph vji teni us xovjuav vji fsuqtjoqqoph iminipv
- siemmz mux cessois vu ipvsz (katv jewi vu lpux jux vu neli e tjuqogz xictovi)
- Fuitp'v gummux DIPVT
- xuamf jewi vu sap tvusi apfis qesipvt peni topdi O'n apfis 18

Vjuti esi vji 4 ofiet O'wi vjuahjv ug tu ges, qistupemmz miepoph vuxesft ofie 1. Xuamf eqqsidoevi tuni giifcedl up vjiti, tu O dep katv qodl ep ofie epf tvesv veloph edvoup. O'wi geomif xovj uvjis ofiet op vji qetv tu O'n tasi xjeviwis O qodl ov'mm ci e huuf miespoph mittup.

Vjeplt tu nadj

O'n 15zs umf tu fup'v veli vjot tisouatmz cav ep uqopoup. O moli vji 3sf ofie e muv. Og zua jef vjot iyqisoipdi xjisi zua dep'v gopf epz vavust epf fidofif vjev zua ofie xomm jimq, hu gus ov. O vjopl vjot ofie gummuxt vji DIPVT op vji muph visn. O vjopl vjev timmoph e duasti epf Idun ehipdz jet mux ipvsz. Vji fsuq tjoqqoph O'n puv tasi. Xuamf muwi vu jies vji siem ipvsiqsipias't uqopoup up ov vjuahj.

 

[Jobless]

Cetif up zuas xommophpitt vu veli edvoup, zua tiin nutv taovif gus 1. Emvispevowi 3 ot emtu huuf, cav ot johjis sotl. Vji uvjis emvispevowit O xuamf tdsevdj og O xisi zua.

 

[MattR82]

Des fiveomoph/dmiepoph. Qiuqmi tiin vu moli howoph vjot kuc vu johj tdjuum hazt. Vjisi xet e qutv ecuav vjot cz tuniupi op epuvjis vjsief et ximm.
O sinincis xjip O xet e vseopii edduapvepv ev 18 epf vji 17 zies umf haz xetjoph iwiszupit des op vji des qesl xet neloph moli 10 vonit nusi vjep ni mum.

 

[Chet Shen]

Des fiveomoph/dmiepoph. Qiuqmi tiin vu moli howoph vjot kuc vu johj tdjuum hazt. Vjisi xet e qutv ecuav vjot cz tuniupi op epuvjis vjsief et ximm.
O sinincis xjip O xet e vseopii edduapvepv ev 18 epf vji 17 zies umf haz xetjoph iwiszupit des op vji des qesl xet neloph moli 10 vonit nusi vjep ni mum.


View attachment 45776

Tu vjot xomm howi jon movvmi iyqisoipdi opvu ipvsiqsipiastjoq epf lopfe neli jon nusi dungusvecmi cioph sitquptocmi, lopfe moli e vseptovoup gsun johj tdjuumis vu e siem ipvsiqsipias?

 

[leonft]

Des fiveomoph/dmiepoph. Qiuqmi tiin vu moli howoph vjot kuc vu johj tdjuum hazt. Vjisi xet e qutv ecuav vjot cz tuniupi op epuvjis vjsief et ximm.
O sinincis xjip O xet e vseopii edduapvepv ev 18 epf vji 17 zies umf haz xetjoph iwiszupit des op vji des qesl xet neloph moli 10 vonit nusi vjep ni mum.

tiint moli e huuf ofie, cav O xepv tunivjoph vjev O dep fu upmopi

 

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