Latest news with #JuniorAchievement
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Packers' Leroy Butler backs Junior Achievement in Eau Claire Wisconsin
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – Community leaders, business professionals and more are gathering on the green to support students Thursday. It's all for Junior Achievement of Northwest Wisconsin's 29th Annual Golf Outing. A special guest, Green Bay Packers legend Leroy Butler took part in the fun. It's a big collaboration between community partners, businesses and several volunteers. In total, nearly 150 golfers showed up for the event. Junior Achievement is hoping to raise $70,000. Junior Achievement says money raised during the event will go toward its programs that teach financial literacy and skills to students across the region. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elkhart County youth set set up stands for Lemonade Day
ELKHART — Dozens of young entrepreneurs take to the streets Saturday for Lemonade Day, an annual event supported by Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana, Elkhart County. Residents are encouraged to support these future business leaders by visiting local lemonade stands. Each stand is part of a hands-on program that teaches kids how to start and run their own business. With business plans in hand and dreams in their hearts, these youth have been working hard to brand their businesses, create delicious products and learn the ropes of entrepreneurship, organizers said. 'This is a great opportunity to support young entrepreneurs as they test their business skills, learn about customer service and gain confidence,' a release about the event states. 'Whether you're craving a cold glass of lemonade, a sweet snack or just a smile from an excited young CEO, you're guaranteed to find it this Saturday.' Participants in the program are eligible for prizes and compete to be named Elkhart County Entrepreneur of the Year. More information about Lemonade Day, visit or follow Junior Achievement & Lemonade Day Serving Elkhart County on social media.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 ChatGPT Prompts That Can Help Teens Launch A Startup
teen entrepreneur using ChatGPT to help with her business Teen entrepreneurship continues to be on the rise. According to Junior Achievement research, 66% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 say they're likely to consider starting a business as adults, with the 2023-2024 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor finding that 24% of 18- to 24-year-olds are currently entrepreneurs. These young founders aren't just dreaming—they're building real ventures that generate revenue and create social impact, and they are using ChatGPT prompts to help them. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), the organization I founded in 2009, we have worked with over 10,000 young entrepreneurs. Over the past year, I've observed a shift in how teens approach business planning. With our guidance, they are using AI tools like ChatGPT not as shortcuts but as strategic thinking partners to clarify ideas, test concepts, and accelerate execution. The most successful teen entrepreneurs have discovered specific prompts that help them move from idea to action. These aren't generic brainstorming sessions—they're using targeted questions that address the unique challenges young founders face: limited resources, school commitments, and the need to prove their concepts quickly. Here are five ChatGPT prompts that consistently help teen entrepreneurs build businesses that matter. "I notice that [specific group of people] A teen might use this prompt after noticing students at school struggling to afford lunch. Instead of assuming they understand the full scope, they could ask ChatGPT to research school lunch debt as a systemic issue. This research may lead them to create a product-based business where the proceeds help pay off lunch debt—combining profit with purpose. Teens notice problems differently than adults because they experience unique frustrations—from school organization challenges to social media overwhelm to environmental concerns. According to Square's research on Gen Z entrepreneurs, 84% plan to still be business owners five years from now, making them ideal candidates for problem-solving businesses. "I'm [age] years old with approximately [dollar amount] to invest and [number] hours per week available between school and other commitments. Based on these constraints, what are three business models I could realistically launch this summer? For each option, include startup costs, time requirements, and the first three steps to get started." This prompt addresses the elephant in the room: most teen entrepreneurs have limited money and time. When a 16-year-old entrepreneur employs this approach to evaluate a greeting card business concept, they may discover that they can start with $200 and scale gradually. By being realistic about constraints upfront, they avoid overcommitting and can build toward sustainable revenue goals. According to Square's Gen Z report, 45% of young entrepreneurs use their savings to start businesses, with 80% launching online or with a mobile component. This data supports the effectiveness of constraint-based planning—when teens work within realistic limitations, they create more sustainable business models. "Act like a [specific demographic] and give me honest feedback on this business idea: [describe your concept]. What would excite you about this? What concerns would you have? How much would you realistically pay? What would need to change for you to become a customer?" Teen entrepreneurs often struggle with customer research because they can't easily survey large groups or hire market research firms. This prompt helps simulate customer feedback by having ChatGPT adopt specific personas. A teen developing a podcast for teenage female athletes could use this approach by asking ChatGPT to respond to different types of teen athletes. This helps identify content themes that resonate and messaging that feels authentic to the target audience. The prompt works best when you get specific about demographics, pain points, and contexts. "Act like a stressed high school senior applying to college" produces better insights than "Act like a teenager." "I want to test this business idea: [describe concept] without spending more than [budget amount] or more than [time commitment]. Design three simple experiments I could run this week to validate customer demand. For each test, explain what I'd learn, how to measure success, and what results would indicate I should move forward." This prompt helps teens embrace the lean startup methodology without getting lost in business jargon. The focus on "this week" creates urgency and prevents endless planning without action. A teenager wanting to test a clothing line concept could use this prompt to design simple validation experiments, such as posting design mockups on social media to gauge interest, creating a Google Form to collect pre-orders, and asking friends to share the concept with their networks. These tests cost nothing but provide crucial data about demand and pricing. "Turn this business idea into a clear 60-second explanation: [describe your business]. The explanation should include: the problem you solve, your solution, who it helps, why they'd choose you over alternatives, and what success looks like. Write it in conversational language a teenager would actually use." Clear communication separates successful entrepreneurs from those with good ideas but poor execution. This prompt helps teens distill complex concepts into compelling explanations they can use everywhere—from social media posts to conversations with potential mentors. The emphasis on "conversational language a teenager would actually use" is important. Many business pitch templates sound artificial when delivered by young founders. Authenticity matters more than corporate jargon. The difference between teens who use these prompts effectively and those who don't comes down to follow-through. ChatGPT provides direction, but action creates results. The most successful young entrepreneurs I work with use these prompts as starting points, not endpoints. They take the AI-generated suggestions and immediately test them in the real world. They call potential customers, create simple prototypes, and iterate based on actual feedback. Recent research from Junior Achievement shows that 69% of teens have business ideas but feel uncertain about the starting process, with fear of failure being the top concern for 67% of potential teen entrepreneurs. These prompts address that uncertainty by breaking down abstract concepts into concrete next steps. Teen entrepreneurs using AI tools like ChatGPT represent a shift in how business education is happening. According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor research, young entrepreneurs are 1.6 times more likely than adults to want to start a business, and they're particularly active in technology, food and beverage, fashion, and entertainment sectors. Instead of waiting for formal entrepreneurship classes or MBA programs, these young founders are accessing strategic thinking tools immediately. This trend aligns with broader shifts in education and the workforce. The World Economic Forum identifies creativity, critical thinking, and resilience as top skills for 2025—capabilities that entrepreneurship naturally develops. Programs like WIT provide structured support for this journey, but the tools themselves are becoming increasingly accessible. A teenager with internet access can now access business planning resources that were previously available only to established entrepreneurs with significant budgets. The key is using these tools thoughtfully. ChatGPT can accelerate thinking and provide frameworks, but it can't replace the hard work of building relationships, creating products, and serving customers. The best business idea isn't the most original—it's the one that solves a real problem for real people. AI tools can help identify those opportunities, but only action can turn them into businesses that matter.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 Tools To Help Teen Entrepreneurs Sell Digital Products
teen boy building his digital product Teen entrepreneurship is on the rise, according to recent Junior Achievement research. With 60% of teens preferring to start their own business rather than working a traditional job. Unlike previous generations limited to babysitting and lawn mowing, today's young entrepreneurs are building global brands from their bedrooms. Teens are jumping straight into global markets—thanks to digital products. With no need to manage inventory or handle shipping, they're building businesses around downloadable items, such as study guides, fitness trackers, and social media kits. It's a trend backed by numbers: the digital goods economy is on track to hit $74.5 billion by 2025, and individual creators, including teens, are claiming a growing slice of that market. The entrepreneurial benefits extend beyond income. When teens design, market, and sell digital products, they develop skills in customer research, brand positioning, and iterative improvement—capabilities that strengthen college applications and prepare them for future careers. Unlike physical businesses, which require fixed schedules, digital products can be created during flexible hours and sold automatically through online platforms. Research from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that youth are 1.6 times more likely to want to start a business than adults, with many gravitating toward technology-enabled ventures. Digital products align perfectly with this preference while teaching essential business fundamentals. Here are five platforms empowering teen entrepreneurs to launch successful digital product businesses: Best for: Simple digital products like PDFs, templates, and planners Gumroad is a popular choice for teens launching their first digital product. There are no monthly fees—just a small commission taken from each sale—which makes it a low-risk and easy way to get started. You can upload a file, set your price, and start sharing your link with potential buyers in just a few steps. It also comes with helpful tools like email collection and basic analytics, so you can begin to understand who's buying your product and how they found it. Many teen creators use Gumroad to sell everything from printable study guides to productivity planners and design templates. The clean interface keeps things simple, allowing the focus to stay on building a digital product people want. Best for: Course creation, memberships, and subscription products As teen entrepreneurs develop more sophisticated offerings, Payhip provides advanced functionality without overwhelming complexity. The platform supports online courses, membership communities, and recurring subscriptions—business models that generate ongoing revenue. Payhip includes coupon systems, affiliate marketing tools, and upselling capabilities. These features introduce young entrepreneurs to customer lifetime value concepts and retention strategies typically learned much later in business education. Teens teaching skills such as music lessons, coding tutorials, or academic support find Payhip particularly valuable for packaging their knowledge into structured digital product courses. Best for: Designing polished, visually engaging digital products Canva isn't a sales platform, but it's where many teen digital products begin. Its drag-and-drop tools and massive template library make it easy to create professional-looking designs—no design background is required. Whether it's planners, social media kits, or educational worksheets, Canva gives teen creators the freedom to bring their digital product ideas to life. The platform also supports collaboration, allowing teens to co-create with friends, mentors, or classmates. For those building a brand, Canva's built-in brand kit tools help keep fonts, colors, and styles consistent across products. Canva's accessibility has lowered the barrier to great design—now, creativity counts more than technical skill. Best for: Interactive dashboards and productivity templates Notion has evolved beyond note-taking into a platform where teens create and sell sophisticated productivity tools. The demand for Notion templates reflects broader trends toward digital organization and remote work capabilities. Teen entrepreneurs build study dashboards, content planning systems, and goal-tracking templates that solve real problems for their peers. These products often gain traction through social media demonstrations, particularly on TikTok, where Notion tutorials frequently go viral. Creating Notion products develops systems thinking and user experience design skills—capabilities valuable across multiple career paths. Best for: Teens with existing social media followings Stan Store transforms social media presence into business infrastructure. The platform creates customizable landing pages that consolidate product sales, appointment booking, and email collection into a single link. This approach is particularly beneficial for teens who are already active on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube and want to monetize their audience. Stan Store's mobile-optimized design recognizes that most teen commerce happens on smartphones. The platform works exceptionally well for influence-based products, such as social media templates, content calendars, and personal branding guides. Successful teen digital products typically address problems the creators understand personally. Academic tools perform consistently well, including exam preparation guides, note-taking templates, and college application resources. Wellness and lifestyle products represent another strong category. Teens create habit trackers, gratitude journals, and self-care planners that resonate with peers facing similar challenges. Creative assets, such as social media templates, digital stickers, and photo editing presets, capitalize on the visual nature of teen communication and the growth of the creator economy. Creating and selling digital products isn't just about making money — it's hands-on entrepreneurial education. Teens learn to identify market gaps, price strategically, and adapt their approach based on customer feedback. These aren't abstract lessons; they're real-world skills that translate into future success in business, school, and beyond. These experiences also stand out on college applications. Admissions officers are increasingly drawn to students who show initiative, resilience, and problem-solving — qualities that traditional extracurriculars don't always showcase. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), which I launched in 2009, we created a digital workbook using Canva called Pitch to Press to help teen entrepreneurs gain visibility for their ventures. The workbook includes templates, real teen case studies, and step-by-step instructions tailored to the unique challenges of getting press as a young entrepreneur. It's designed to empower teens to tell their stories — and make them heard. It also serves as an example for teen entrepreneurs who want to create their own digital product. The most important step is beginning with a single product that solves a problem you understand. Start by identifying frustrations in your daily life—inefficient study methods, organizational challenges, or skill gaps among peers. Start with something small. Use one of the tools above to create a basic digital product—maybe a planner, template, or guide—and ask a few friends or classmates to try it out. Their feedback can help you improve it before sharing it more widely. Selling digital products isn't just a way to make extra money—it's a chance for teens to build something around what they're good at or passionate about. The market is growing, the tools are accessible, and the experience gained along the way can shape future college, career, or business paths.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
3 Island leaders being inducted into P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame
Another trio of Prince Edward Island business leaders is being inducted into the Junior Achievement P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame Thursday evening. "It is the aim of JA P.E.I. that by celebrating the achievements of outstanding business leaders of today, Island students will be inspired to follow their example," the organization said in a news release. The induction ceremony is being held at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward in Charlottetown. The 2025 inductees are Wayne Carew, Kim Green and Wayne Proude. Wayne Carew is perhaps best known as the chair of the 2023 Canada Winter Games Board, organizing one of the biggest sporting events ever brought to the Island, and from his time as the owner of Carew Chev Olds Cadillac and Carew Ford Lincoln. But he also chaired the Slemon Park Corporation Board and the Summerside Regional Development Corporation and has been a board member of the Charlottetown Area Regional Planning Board. He is currently senior counsel at Confederation M&A, "where he provides expert advice on mergers and acquisitions," according to a news release from the Hall of Fame. Kim Green resuscitated the closed Kays Bros Ltd. into Kays Wholesale Inc., where she was owner and CEO until she sold the Charlottetown-based business in December 2021, having grown it from four employees to 30. The following year she acquired the Olde Village Bakery in North Rustico and doubled that business's sales before selling it in February 2025. She is a former CEO of Tourism Charlottetown & the Convention Partnership and a former president of the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. Before setting out on life as a business owner, she was VP of sales and marketing at Rodd Hotels & Resorts and national sales manager with Delta Hotels and Resorts. Wayne Proude's name is nearly synonymous with the retail footwear business on Prince Edward Island. He started out at Wright's Shoes in Charlottetown in 1958 before moving to a job managing the shoe department for Ellis Brothers in Sherwood. "One and a half years later, he was given the opportunity, at age 24, to buy out the shoe department," the news release from Junior Achievement said. Proude's Shoes was thus born in May 1965 and exists to this day, with Proude's son Kevin serving as its president today.
