Posted on 03/15/2008 10:13:01 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
btt
You mean without that coveted high school diploma? Your statement above reveals why most people never see success in the business world. If that "biz" fails she will probably start a new one. That's what entrepreneurs do! She is getting over one million hits a day! I daresay she already knows the secrets of the Internet. Life is about risk-taking, not safety and security. Ashley already gets it, most adults don't.
Good for her.
I have to agree with 2ndDivisionVet on this one. This young woman is not going to have any problems supporting herself if this biz fails, even without a HS diploma.
I generally do not like seeing kids drop out, but there are exceptions to all rules, and this gal is certainly one of those exceptions.
Nothing wrong with running a hot dog/ sausage stand!
My family and I live better than most!
This could be an inspiring story to pass along to comparably-aged students. As a bonus, she seems like a level-headed young lady. The only thing I’d love to see her change is to get a private tutor and complete her education.
Mercedes Benz, Germany, 1871-present; Kongō Gumi Construction, Japan, 578-present; Löwenbräu Brewery, Germany, 1383-present; Goulaine Wine, France, 1000-present; Western Union, USA, 1851-present; Price Waterhouse Coopers, USA, 1849-present; Bank of Scotland, UK, 1695-present; Royal Delft Porcelain, The Netherlands, 1653-present; Klett Firearms, Germany, 1578-present; Barovier&Toso Glass, Italy, 1295-present, etc., etc...
I wasn’t putting down hot dog stands, I was merely using them as an example of a small business that was beyond the ken of university professors.
What brand of cart do you utilize?
Those are businesses that actually produce a product that isn't a silly fad. This girl started a business selling graphics and stuff for websites. It's a fad. She should save some money, her business WON'T last forever.
Seriously, is there any other country where stories like this happen regularly? Where can a 14 year old girl biuld a million dollar a year business in 3 years while keeping her clothes on?
Remind me why I need “change” so much. I would love to hear her interviewed about taxes and her thoughts on the equity of taking more as she makes more. Kids don’t have to think about that much.
What you and I see as a “silly fad” is someone else’s “gotta have it” as shown by her page views and advertising revenue. Will it last forever? Almost assuredly not, but she already has the “can-do” spirit that would be necessary to do another start-up. Wouldn’t you hire her for your business? I know I would!
Her business is pulling in seven figures, so I'll bet she knows more about it than most of us ever will.
You're wrong. She does not sell the product. The income she receives from her website is produced entirely through advertising.
in the REAL world you don’t get even entry level jobs without a high school diploma or GED, and a nine to five office job will take at least two years in college.....it is a cruel world and lamenting the leftist NEA and liberal college professors will not change that. Why do you think so many of our young end up like spitzer’s kristen?
I’m sure from the experience she has gained starting a million dollar a year business from and 8 dollar investment, she has many qualities that would get her hired. Go into any retail store or bar, there are many over educated people waiting tables. While college is great, ideas, a strong will, hardwark, sacrafice and confidence isn’t something you get out of a book.
Anyone that can sell or start a business need not worry about their education level. The best thing parents could do for their children is a Tom Hopkins http://www.tomhopkins.com or Dale Carnegie http://www.dalecarnegie.com course or an enlistment in the armed forces, IMO. I have a doctorate in business, and believe me, college is overrated unless you are headed into a profession.
I recall my mother telling me that “Those Beatles won’t last. It is just a fad. It is classical music that has proven itself over the centuries. Perhaps Sinatra is a more modern example, but he was handsome and talented. Those boys look ridiculous and are just making noise.”
If this girl has been able to develop a niche among her peers at this age on the internet, then she has her finger on the pulse of the most coveted demographic in the world and she will ride it all the way as they age, not to mention that there are more teenage girls coming along every day as those under eleven grow up. As for graphics online, that is where design is today. My husband has wonderful, but old fashioned, skills with a lucy and a lightboard and he knows that at 57 he cannot compete out there with kids who have never even held a Rapidiograph, let alone that he hasn’t a clue as to how they will respond to anything.
Also, don’t discount the fact that she will have a very nice cash reserve when this business begins to age.
Anecdote:
I invented a silly little product in 1985. It lasts forever. It appeals to a niche demographic of women fiber crafters. All I control is the production process, simply because no one else in the field has ever bothered to figure it out (or so they tell others). It has become a classic in the industry with excellant name recognition and is considered a must-have by retailers. It sells over 7k units a year with no advertising by me, is purchased by the five top distributors in this industry and shows no signs of ending soon. I work part time. Early on, I had a few male sales reps threaten to “have it made in Asia” when I couldn’t meet their discount/drop ship terms. They never did. I know why and they don’t and I am not telling. It was not my only product, idea or business in my life, just the most successful and most enduring.
This kid is going to do just fine.
College is a waste of time and money.
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