I'm a young adult. What can I do to start a business?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1638252

by Retailslave • 16 years ago

9 5 16 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm not here for you to particularly hand hold me. The problem is I'm young and I have no connections. There are opportunities but I don't know that they exist, I don't know that I don't know. I don't even know any entrepreneurs, but I wish I did. I have a fair amount of capital to start with..but I have no skills or ideas that I can think of to make money.

I'd just like to get my foot in a door, or learn a something from someone who owns a business, or perhaps see a successful business and imitate it. I'm not looking for anything amazing, but I just don't know about any opportunities.

How shall I get started?

mike-cardwell• 16 years ago

I don't see how you can start a business without skills or ideas. Unless you've got lots of money... I'd suggest getting one or more of those three things as a start.

jacquesm• 16 years ago

> I have no connections.

Well, you're here so that means you are able to contact a lot of people that do have connections, and that's probably almost as good.

> I don't even know any entrepreneurs, but I wish I did.

Lots of those around here.

> I have a fair amount of capital to start with

Hold on to it until you are sure something has legs

> I have no skills

That is a bigger problem. What interests you? Are there skills associated with that that you might want to learn?

> learn a something from someone who owns a business

So go to work for someone that owns a business!

Retailslave• 16 years ago

First I'd like to thank everyone for their comments. I forgot to mention the most important part.

I'd like to start a middle man business nothing in the service industry like most types of businesses, basically buying something in bulk and distributing to places. I know what I'd chose but I'm sure there are other types of things that I can distribute..I don't know what though.Also need more resources and connections, and I have no access to that. What are some things that I can buy and sell in bulk?

>Well, you're here so that means you are able to contact a lot of people that do have connections, and that's probably almost as good.

This is exactly what I'm here, I know this place is a host to some highly intelligent and successful people. In fact, I'd be glad to help someone for free just to see what they do and how things work. However, I believe most people run software/website type of business, which is something I'm highly interested in. I have no one that is even remotely close to "tech savvy" to own something like this

>What interests you? Are there skills associated with that that you might want to learn? I have skills I think, but I don't know what they're pertinent to because I don't know the opportunities are.

>So go to work for someone that owns a business! I guess I'll just go to those office complexes and ask? Would that be a good idea? Or if anyone here would like to show me what they do I'd be glad to help for free.

ScottWhigham• 16 years ago

> I have a fair amount of capital to start with..

Shhhhh. Don't tell people that. You don't seem to be in a place right now technically or otherwise where that should come up. A naive, inexperienced, yet want-to-be entrepreneur and his money are soon forever parted.

And I say that in the nicest way possible :)

Go buy some books. Take a class on entrepreneurship. Invest your "fair amount of capital" in a business degree.

gte910h• 16 years ago

You need to run a SMALL business first

Keep 90% of that capital OFF LIMITS, and make a run at something with the other 10%.

This is a "learn by doing" type of thing.

Build a website, do affiliate marketing, etc, something low investment to start, and read read read read and more reading.

I'm a young adult. What can I do to start a business?

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