As a bored teenager under quarantine with nothing to do, I lie in bed using my phone the entire day. I feel useless, just wasting my life away as my whole week is filled with me just using my phone with nothing else productive to do. I realized that this became a pandemic. Other than the coronavirus going around, thousands of people were affected by this new virus: boredom.
As I scroll through my Facebook, I realized that people were starting new businesses, with the most common one being food. I decided to make one of my own. Not another food business though; that has too many competitors and I might as well burn the entire kitchen down. Maybe, just maybe, I should sell keychains made out of polymer clay.
As you can tell from the title, it flopped. That’s why instead of telling you how to start a business, I’ll tell you what not to do. These are the things that I do that shouldn’t be replicated by all means.
Take advice from a 15-year-old. That’s right, you’re already doing it wrong. Why would you read an article about starting a business from me? An incoming grade 10 student with no experiences whatsoever. But anyway, since you’re here, just read it because you have nothing to lose anyway.
Overestimate your abilities. Do you think you know how to cook? Well, don’t immediately buy materials. You have to try making one yourself using the spare materials then determine if this is right for you. Otherwise, you might scrap the entire project as a whole and you would waste so much money. Some things are just harder than they seem. You must remove the word “think” in your sentence and actually test if you know how to do it. Instead, focus on what you’re good at. You’re good at writing? You can do freelance work. You’re good at drawing? You can make commissions.
Don’t do your research and be impulsive. Don’t be like me who instantly went on Shopee to buy everything right after thinking about the idea. Materials are not common knowledge and there are more things that you don’t even know exist. From personal experience, I immediately bought polymer clay, keyrings, plastic packaging and sculpting materials. I didn’t know about headpin and the likes until I already got everything and had to pay for shipping again for another order. Don’t do without thinking either. Think twice before you do something.
In the end, don’t let these things scare you. The ultimate thing you don’t do is not take risks. Take chances, that’s how you grow and learn. As they say, the experience is the best teacher. Accept your mistakes and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Story by Jazlyn Ong
Kommentare