Young Entrepreneurs – Fantastic Opportunities

Affiliate marketing is already a huge way of making money online for young entrepreneurs, but is still growing rapidly. Just doing a quick search brings up hundreds of websites promoting affiliate programs and products. It is a great way to earn cash online, however just being involved in affiliate marketing won’t guarantee you success. I’m going to tell you the same thing I say all the time.

Don’t Buy Into the Hype

There are plenty of sites these days, where the guru shows you his paypal earnings, and how he earned $30K at the click of a button. I don’t doubt that this is true, but these guys have put time and effort into earning that money. The same time and effort you’ll need to put in as a top young entrepreneur.

Affiliate programmes are where you advertise someone else’s product, and if it is bought then you earn a commission. Basically you just create a website, or article and throw coded links into it, which lead to another persons website with their product.

I want to tell you here though, that you can’t just create a blank page and put adverts on it, expecting immediate success. Affiliate marketing doesn’t work that way, no matter what the “gurus” tell you. You need good quality content that’s going to drive web traffic to your site. If you really want to become a wealthy affiliate, you need to put serious thought into what your site will be about. (By the way, don’t panic about creating your own website, it’s easy.)

Write About Something That Interests You

This doesn’t mean you have to make your site about your one and only passion. Just something that can hold your attention, and that you’re willing to learn more about. Seriously, with the internet being such a great source of information, you can become an expert in anything within a matter of weeks. Do a bit of research and find something cool, then start learning. Sorry, it’s easier said than done but it’s where I started out myself, so I know it works.

Don’t Give Up

Again, it’s easier said than done. But being a young entrepreneur takes perseverance, because things never seem to work out first time in this game. The first site I built was only generating an average of 1 visitor per week for the first couple of months before I managed to really start seeing improvements. The ones who succeed are the people that can move on from their first failures and learn from them.

Young Entrepreneurs

How does one start their own business ?  You are in charge of your life and have to make things happen, no one will do it for you.

I am 27 years old and recently took a risk.  I worked for a large bank and realized corporate America was not for me.  I was tired of the day to day complaining.  I was tired of people fussing about who gets the day after Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. off and who has to work.  I was tired of meeting after meeting discussing the same issues, but in a different format.

So, I received some advice from a co-worker that changed my life.  I do have talent, everyone does.  I am worth listening to and people need help.  I think we all have a dream of being in business for ourself, but how do we do it ?

Canadian Government Grants for Young Entrepreneurs

The government of Canada is promoting youth entrepreneurship by providing support for young business owners.  Specifically, you can avail of Canadian government grants in the form of loans, start-up support and business mentoring.  All you have to do is to seek the right institution that has a grant program for young entrepreneurs.  You should find out if your proposed or existing business enterprise can qualify for the grant or financing.  If you are qualified, then you can start participating in the program in order to get the needed business support and financing.   

If you are 18 to 34 years old, have a novel business idea and plan, and passionate about starting your own company, then you can try to avail Canadian government grants from Canadian Youth Business Foundation.  The CYBF is a federal organization and a charity group which was established for the benefit of young entrepreneurs like you.  It offers business mentoring services and will provide a coach that will help you develop a sound business strategy.  Most importantly, this Canadian federal organization provides business financing in the form of loans of up to $15,000 for start up needs.  

However, do not mistake that you can easily acquire Canadian government grants through simple loans application.  You can not play game with the system especially if you are getting a grant from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.  There are processes and procedures that you need to fulfill in order to qualify for the grant.  Specifically, the CYBF has a four step participation process that you have to undergo.  This is to ensure that you will succeed in your venture and also ensure repayment of the business loan.  Although, the grants process is not simple, it would be very worthwhile because your enterprise will surely benefit from it.  The system will ensure that the loan will not be wasted and will ensure also that everyone who participates in the program can achieve success.  

Before you can avail of financing or Canadian government grants from CYBF, you need to participate in its pre-launch coaching program.  This coaching program is free and the in-residence Entrepreneur of the Foundation will provide guidance for you on how to create a solid business plan and how to set a business and financing strategy.  This is a mandatory step to ensure your business preparedness.  Aside from this, you will have access to several business resources and tools provided by the CYBF. By participating in the program, you can now apply for business loans of up to $15,000 for start up.  An additional fund of $15,000 can also be acquired through the facilities of Business Development Bank of Canada.  And if you become a long time member of CYBF, you can avail of $10,000 expansion grant.  

To ensure that the financial grant will be put to productive use, the government of Canada through the Canadian Youth Business Foundation offers business mentoring for your existing enterprise.  You will have a dedicated mentor for two years because this is the critical phase of every start up.  The mentoring service is part of the entire strategy to ensure the success of young Canadian entrepreneurs like you.