While many students likely will get a job or enter college after graduating from high school, there is an emerging trend among young people to start their own businesses before or after graduation. Following in the footsteps of Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Richard Branson, many young people have realized that an entrepreneurial career path is a "positive calling" that, when approached with thoughtful planning, can be their ticket to success.

But just what is an entrepreneur and how does one go about starting a business?

Read the Business Week Online story, " The Startup Bug Strikes Earlier."

Consider these questions:

• What is an entrepreneur?
• Why might "entrepreneur" have once been a "dirty word" as the article suggests?
• How and why has society's opinion of entrepreneurs changed over the years?
• What are the unique advantages and challenges of entrepreneurship?
• Based on the career trends from the map, what start-up businesses might be successful in the next decade.
  

Gallup studies show seven out of 10 high school students want to start their own companies. Six in 10 females, seven in 10 Hispanic and eight in 10 African-American high school students are interested in starting a business. (Source: Seeds of Success, Entrepreneurship and Youth, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation)  While many entrepreneurs are not successful on their first (or even second) go round, there are many who are successful. From Junior Achievement’s Web site, read this story of 10 Teen Entrepreneurs. Compare their stories and identify common traits shared by these teens as well as consistent steps that each has taken on the road to success.

While many businesses do succeed, others do not. This is not always because they were bad ideas but because they were poorly executed. One important step that can help an entrepreneur execute his or business well is a business plan. A business plan is basically the road map or game plan that an entrepreneur will follow to research, start and run his or her business. Most business plans include an introductory description of the business, ideas for marketing it, how and how much money will be made, how the business will be operated and a conclusion. Go to the Teen Business Link at the Small Business Administration’s Web site to see a detailed outline of what should go in a business plan.

Alone or with others, consider a business that you would like to start. Think about what you would enjoy and which businesses might meet a need in your school or community. Consider the questions below (as originally posed in the Teen Business Link) and then write the introductory section of the business plan. Your introduction should include a description of your business, what skills you bring to make the business successful and what advantages you would have over your competitors, if there are any.

• What service or product does your business provide, and what need does it fill?
• Who are the potential customers for your product or service, and why will they purchase it from you?
• How will you reach your potential customers?
• Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?
• Do you really want to give up baseball, hockey, soccer, basketball, football, dance, piano and voice, or hanging out with or going to the mall with your friends to run this business?
• Will you have to run your business every day or just sometimes?
• Will running your business have an effect on school?
• Will your family help you out?