This is Tyler’s story in his own words: “My name is Tyler. I am in 7th grade, and I am 13 years old. When I was 11 years old, I joined the Young Entrepreneurs Club. I created my Message In A Bottle product and learned how to start my own business. The club helped me learn how to do marketing and sales. I also learned how to talk to buyers at stores and how to sell my product to them.”
“I have learned other things too, like counting change back, keeping track of sales, paying bills for my business and keeping track of my bank account. I used to be shy and didn’t talk much, but now I talk a lot. I learned how to talk in front of big crowds, too. Now I have been in the club for almost three years. My Message In A Bottle product is being sold in two gift shops, and I am going to add more stores this year. I started my own website, and I am thinking that I can do online sales too. Maybe I might come up with another idea, too.”
The 4-H young Entrepreneurs Club was established through a grant from the 4-H Foundation. The director of the popular Astoria Sunday Market approached the 4-H agent to help create this, and together they brought in vendors from the Astoria Sunday Market to talk about creating, displaying and selling their wares, as well as everything involved in having your own small business venture.
