When one thinks of an entrepreneur, we think of someone who is wearing fancy business attire. Well, guess what?! We have entrepreneurs right here on the Seminole High school (SHS) campus! By Oxford’s definition, an entrepreneur is “​a person who makes money by starting or running businesses, especially when this involves taking financial risks.” Contrary to the belief of many, any  student-made transactions made on campus will be confiscated and have disciplinary consequences. These student entrepreneurs on the other hand are SHS students selling items off-campus, whether that be food, school supplies, candy etc. 

SHS sophomore Jaliyah Canty and her sister, Shaliyah Canty, run their own business on instagram. Their page, Fire Treats, is a self-owned food business.  

Jaliyah Canty states: “We sell snacks and drinks; my sister makes the drinks and I make the snacks. We have fun sweet treats like cake cones, strawberries, peanuts and we have drinks like lemonade and blue lemonade. We have an Instagram page [@firetreats] where our customers can order many fun treats and drinks. We do delivery and pickup services.”

Our next group of aspiring and developing entrepreneurs are the Business Professionals of America (BPA). SHS sophomore and BPA chapter member Amelia Rodrigez says “BPA is a club where you do different competitions in business oriented categories. Although we are not creating a business, or entrepreneuring an object, I think BPA helps with developing entrepreneurial skills like marketing. You can’t be an entrepreneur if you can’t sell your product.” 

Marketing skills must be developed depending upon the nature of the product and market conditions. This may include ads on social media platforms, flyers, billboards etc. BPA is a competitive chapter club that offers events surrounding marketing, in which members cna gain experience from.

Benefits of being an entrepreneur include self-esteem, having the flexibility to work anywhere, anytime. Essentially, you are your own boss! If any of these things intrigue you, you may want to start a business of your own! 

Some ideas include tutoring fellow students, baby-sitting, and cleaning houses. Many home-owners even hire youth to help take care of their house when not home: taking out trash and bringing in mail. Another idea is making goodie bags of self care items or toys. Our community is always in need! Selling home-made arts and crafts around your community is also an incredible idea. 

Finally, here are some tips from Wealth Fit to start your own company. You want to make yourself known to your community. Make flyers and create a shareable platform for any upcoming events or plans. Include detailed explanation of what your business does, and how it helps the community. Make your business eye-catching by making a motto and a catchy logo. Additionally, invest in your business. Start thinking of necessities you, partners, and employees need: wages, employees, work-days in office, a steady schedule, and etc. Finally, take responsibility for your employees and customers, and try to keep everyone happy. For example, if a customer doesn’t like a product, adapt and try to change it to the best of your ability. For more information visit, https://wealthfit.com/articles/teen-entrepreneurship/