Today’s issue is a bit different than my usual emails. Today, I need your help.
This fall, I have the privilege of teaching some small business classes for junior high students and high school students at two different schools in my community.
It’s strange to think that the students I’ll be talking to will be sitting in the same seats I was sitting in over half a lifetime ago… time goes by quickly, doesn’t it?
Many of these students, especially the high school seniors, are staring down a hallway of life choices, and they’re not sure what to choose.
- University? Community college? No college? Trade school?
- Travel for a year?
- Get a job at a retail store? Go learn a trade?
- Move out of town? Stay?
- Start a business?
- … and many more.
I remember what that was like. Exciting… and a little scary, too.
If you’re anything like me, you probably remember that season as well.
Half a lifetime later, I’ve learned a lot about myself, life, vocation, business, family, purpose, and much more - a lot of things I know now that I wish I’d known then.
Again, I bet you have, too.
That’s where you come in. As I prepare to share what I know now with these students, I’ve been asking myself, “What do I know about starting and running a business now, that I wish I’d known when I was eighteen?”
Specifically, my hope is to encourage some of these students that there is another way to earn a living. Starting a business is certainly not for everyone, but for many it’s a fantastic option that can bring a lot of joy and freedom.
We’re blessed to live in a place and time that gives us unprecedented opportunities to be entrepreneurs, and I hope that some of these students will take advantage of that. And I hope to be able to impart some wisdom to those who do choose that path so that they can avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way.
So, I’m curious about you, too.
What do you know now about starting and running a business that you wish you’d known when you were eighteen?
I’d be grateful if you’d take just 2 or 3 minutes to hit reply today and let me know. What do you know about starting and running a business today that you wish you’d known when you were eighteen?
I’ll be sure to incorporate some of your wisdom into the things I share with students later this fall.
To thriving,
Zach
