Latest news with #teenentrepreneurship
Forbes
5 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.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
6 Digital Products Teens Can Create And Sell As Summer Side Hustle
Teenage girl working on her laptop. While 6 million American teens compete for traditional summer jobs, a new generation of young entrepreneurs is creating their own opportunities. According to Junior Achievement, 66% of teens aged 13-17 say they're likely to consider starting a business as adults—and many aren't waiting until graduation. Research shows these entrepreneurial teens aren't just earning now, they're investing in their futures: those with summer work experience earn 14-16% higher wages in their twenties and are 7% more likely to graduate on time. Digital products have emerged as the perfect entry point, requiring minimal investment while teaching immediately marketable skills. Here are six digital products teens can create and sell this summer, as well as the broader benefits beyond financial gain. Academically strong students can monetize their skills by creating comprehensive class notes, flashcards, or subject-specific guides. Products ranging from AP U.S. History summaries to algebra reference sheets meet consistent demand, particularly during exam seasons. Students already understand what their peers find challenging and can present information in relatable ways. Platforms like Etsy offer straightforward marketplaces for these educational materials. From exam preparation planners to self-reflection journals designed specifically for teens, digital organization tools combine functionality with personality. Many teens already use applications like Canva, Notion, and GoodNotes, which can help them create sellable products. Consider creating a daily gratitude journal that includes sections for positive affirmations, goal tracking, and decorative digital stickers. This product would demonstrate how teen-created content can resonate with peers. Teens with design skills can develop branded Instagram posts, TikTok cover images, or YouTube thumbnail templates. These assets appeal to small businesses, school organizations, and content creators seeking professional-looking materials without significant expense. This market segment continues to grow rapidly and often generates repeat customers. Creating these templates helps teens develop both aesthetic judgment and marketing abilities simultaneously. Experiences like leading a club, growing a social media following, or navigating high school as a first-generation student provide valuable content. Teens can transform these experiences into concise e-books or record short courses for platforms like Skillshare, Gumroad, or TikTok. The most effective products remain brief, focused, and peer-oriented. Titles clearly communicating specific value, such as "How I Found My First 10 Clients on Fiverr at 15," establish credibility and attract interest. Artistic teens can monetize their talents by creating downloadable art prints, phone wallpapers, or messaging app sticker sets. This approach converts casual drawing into income without requiring physical production or shipping logistics. Digital art creation allows complete creative control and helps establish a personal brand that can grow over time. Successful teen artists begin with simple digital offerings before expanding their creative businesses. Teens with musical abilities can sell short intro melodies, background tracks, or voice recording services for podcasts and video creators. This specialized market continues to expand as content creation becomes more mainstream. A few years ago, WIT, the non-profit I started in 2009, hired Emma Wasserman to compose the "DO WIT" podcast intro and outro music. Creating audio assets develops technical capabilities that directly transfer to future freelance opportunities or careers in creative industries. For teens ready to launch their first digital product, these practical steps can help convert concepts into marketable offerings: 1. Start with what you know: When Harish Kolli was a high school junior, he turned his technical skills into Guardial, a personal safety app. He recognized a viral safety trend on TikTok and combined his programming abilities with observed market needs to create a practical solution. 2. Choose your platform wisely: Different platforms offer varying advantages: 3. Create your minimum viable product: Rather than perfecting your offering, launch a basic version quickly to test market response. Start with a simple five-page template for digital journals before developing comprehensive planners. 4. Price strategically: According to analysis of teen-created digital products across multiple platforms, successful pricing typically follows the rule of 3-5× production costs, for products requiring only time investment, research comparable offerings, and price competitively while reflecting your unique value. 5. Implement consistent marketing: The Babson College Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report shows that young entrepreneurs (18-34 years) demonstrate higher entrepreneurial activity rates, with nearly one-fourth (24%) currently running businesses. Successful young entrepreneurs typically dedicate 30-60 minutes daily to promoting their services through social media, direct outreach, or content creation. The rise in teen digital entrepreneurship aligns with several significant economic shifts: The Creator Economy Expansion: A 2023 report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that young entrepreneurs (18-34 years) are more likely to prioritize sustainability (61% vs. 47%) and take steps to minimize environmental impact (66% vs. 44%) than older entrepreneurs. Digital products, through their zero-waste format, align with this sustainability mindset. AI Integration in Business: According to recent statistics, nearly half (47%) of teens interested in entrepreneurship would use generative AI instead of hiring employees. This reflects a growing comfort with technology as a business tool rather than just a social platform. Remote Work Normalization: The shift toward location-independent careers makes digital product skills especially valuable. Teens developing these capabilities now position themselves advantageously for future work environments. Digital Literacy as Career Currency: The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report identifies analytical thinking as the most sought-after core skill, with 70% of employers identifying it as essential in 2025. Digital product creation develops precisely these analytical capabilities, along with creative thinking and technological literacy, which are also highlighted as growing in importance. The entrepreneurial landscape for teens continues to evolve. Looking ahead, we can anticipate several significant developments: Education Integration: Research from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor indicates that entrepreneurship-specific training in schools has more than doubled from generation to generation. We'll likely see further integration of entrepreneurial skills into formal education as institutions recognize their value. Cross-Platform Businesses: Future teen entrepreneurs will likely build ecosystems across multiple platforms rather than single-product offerings. For example, a teen selling digital planners today might expand to YouTube tutorials, membership communities, and physical products tomorrow. Greater Legitimacy: As more success stories emerge, teen-created digital products will gain market legitimacy. This shift enables younger entrepreneurs to command higher prices and build sustainable businesses rather than just summer projects. What begins as a summer digital product often evolves into valuable skills that transcend academic achievements on college applications. For parents navigating an increasingly competitive educational landscape, entrepreneurial experience offers authentic evidence of initiative, creativity, and perseverance that standardized tests cannot provide. As education and work transform, the entrepreneurial mindset—spotting opportunities, solving problems creatively, and implementing solutions—becomes increasingly valuable regardless of career path. By creating digital products, today's teens aren't just earning summer income; they're developing adaptive intelligence needed for an uncertain future where the ability to create opportunities may matter more than traditional credentials.
