Question for "16-yer-old Affiliate Marketer" and any other teen or early 20 something entreprenures

Wow! I'm flattered you'd even make this kind of post =) Thanks!

How I got interested in Internet Marketing...

Well, basically, I was into the dating market first. I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I downloaded a few things, and kept wondering why I was so compelled by it. I got the eBook, and found a lot of other things from a guy called "Swinggcat." I was really into that market, and basically started my own site which was mildly successful to say the least.

People loved my ideas, but I didn't know how to spread them, so then I discovered ways I could get website traffic and partners, and how to make products (internet marketing). I got really into it, and then eventually, I got a girlfriend - who I'm still dating! So I kind of lost touch with that niche... However, I had the IM niche to fall back on.

To answer your other questions, no my parents weren't directly related to my marketing. My mom, however, owns a small business right now and I got a little inspired from her. I also got inspired from my dad who owned a website called SavingUMoney.com which was a coupon\advertising site and it was actually worth $1,000,000 in the stock market -- but then it crashed. So that sucked... A LOT. He sold the company a while ago.

Your children, and grand-children really don't have much to worry about btw. People are beginning to trust the internet more and more with their purchases. Now you have secure services like PayPal, and money-back guarantees, so there's no need to worry too much. No, it is not a scam... I'm actually a real person, and I can prove it. I'm not just gonna take all your money, and leave you with crap - I have ethics.

I'd say your best shot at getting them interested is do what the Catholic Church does nowadays. I go to a private school, so pardon anybody who might think this is offensive -.-' "You must engage in a dialogue, and if necessary speak a few words." I forgot which pope said that - it's either Pope John 23rd, Pope Paul the xx?, or Pope John Paul the 2nd.

Just show them what it's about, and let them experience it vicariously. You don't need to do real selling, just speak about what internet marketing is really about. I think of it as a way of attaining financial freedom, and not having to work for somebody else! Other than that, I'm also going to be starting an SEM business -- I'm planning on absolutely CLEANING UP. 264-384k gross total a year with 10 clients, and thats without internet marketing.

I'm planning on scaling it up into a fully-functional internet marketing business where I also handle copywriting, custom websites and graphics, etc.

Imagine how much that's worth. Other than that, I'm planning on leveraging that into new IM ventures.

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If they do decide to do something, get them started in something easy. I recommend that they just start off with bum marketing - articles or web 2.0 properties + affiliate marketing. Basically my 12 hour plan is one big bum marketing plan. Hahaha, I hope I don't get misquoted on that sentence... XD

If you really need some help, I offer unofficial coaching to people who ask. I usually get PM'd or emailed, and give out a few tips now and then. It's completely free, no charge, and people get to pick my brain a little. I actually have 2 partners now from them emailing me, so you never know! I just keep wondering how people get my email so easily... I use contact forms O.o

Looking forward to your response!
Kris Roxas

Some good stories in this thread!

Way back in '02 I started my own shareware business. The whole thing wouldn't have happened if I hadn't one day bought some software and found out there were companies out there that did all the credit card processing and registration code stuff for you, all you had to do was come up with an idea, write the software and money would flow into your bank account! Wow, what a revelation that was!

I am just out of the "young bracket" but I have always wanted to do something for myself, and I was looking around the Internet from a young age looking for how I could make money / start a business - I just didn't fall into it properly until a little later on.

Good advice from Roxstar on trying to get them interested by just explaining and showing them what it really is, but I think you have either got that drive and that interest in this or not - they have to want to do it, to be excited by the possibility of working for themselves, and to be money motivated too.

I think it is tough - I consider myself successful online to a point, and I would love to show some other people how it is done and how they can do it too, but some people are just not really interested - my younger brother, and younger cousins for example. I have paid them to write articles for me but they are just not really interested to do any more.. it just isn't for everybody at the end of the day.

Well, I think in most cases young people get interested in IM simply because they looking to make money - you know how it is, lots of needs, tiny budget. And they're just don't see themselves delivering pizza or flipping burgers - at least I didn't. It's all about being more ambitious than most people, and "thinking outside the box".

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to reply to my questions! I really appreciate it ~ and that's one of the things I'm finding more and more valuable about this forum. Thanks again ~

You have to be the right kind of person.

I just turned 40 a couple months ago, so you might think I'm not your target.

But my company enters its 25th year in business this May.

I started it when I was 16. At the early part of the summer vacation, I tried to line up a summer job at a real estate office managing their computers. The manager told me he just plain couldn't hire the kid from down the street.

But he could hire the business started by the kid down the street.

So I got on a bus, went down to city hall, and bought myself a business license. The lion's share of that was the clerk establishing whether you had to be 18 to get one, and in the absence of any law saying such a thing, or any legal paperwork that bound me to any kind of contract, and the observation that a 16 year old did in fact need to pay taxes... they gave me one.

I took it back to the real estate office, showed him the license, and promptly quoted him double the original rate. To which he agreed, with a delighted laugh and a clap on the shoulders.

Now, here's the important thing.

A sixteen year old business owner, first and foremost, must want to be a business owner - enough to do the hard, thankless, and risk-laden work involved.

You have to be the kind of person who gets on that bus and spends hours arguing with the clerk, just for the chance to get one client's business, and then have the stones to raise your prices on top of it.

And if that's not who you are, it's not going to go so well.

I got started around 16, currently I am 18 and in college. From what I remember I got started with selling E-books on eBay. I about some courses and actually made a website and also sold on eBay, but I knew nothing about "IM" at this point.

I was always interested in business, I had a lawn mowing business during high school with many customers. I even sold stuff online from computer games, like gear and gold (this is a bit neardy haha). But all the same, I was always interested, and I loved planning it out and what not.

I didn't hear about IM for about a year, like going into my junior year. I actually worked a lot and mad small amounts of money. I dabbled in Adwords, blogs, list building, etc. Never took anything really serious, especially when I got into my senior year, I had other activities that I did that took my time and IM fell away.

This past summer I bought Affiloblueprint 2.0 and told my self that this was the last product I would buy until I really made an Income. Now being in college, I really do not need to make that much money, but its more about the love for business. I am a business major and this is the best I can do currently, and haha I guess I would love to come out of college in this economy with a internet business and not to even have to find a job. The point is, even at any age you just have to stick with it and do what you love. If you don't enjoy spending time trying to figure out how to rank or the keywords you need and much more then you won't continue. Hope this helps.

Thanks
Noah

I would advice her just to get started ASAP. Really that's it. I don't feel there's a better learning opportunity than that. Just start something small, tell her to start a blog or something. So much marketing you can do for free these days.

I got interested in IM because I wanted to earn a bit of extra cash without having a work a part-time job. The only way you are going to understand the methods and terminology here is to read up. I turn 18 in around 7 months and by then I want to be pulling in ~$100/day consistently; that goal within itself is motivation enough for me to keep persevering and to get rid of all the excuses I could have to NOT do anything to better my life.

Everyone in IM is pretty much self-taught except for the people with mentors who generally guide them along the way. Testing and tracking methods to see what works is always the best way to generate some cash- you will never see any results if you do not try.

If your granddaughter needs help she can always post on here in the WF, as you would know people around here are friendly and willing to help

Best of Luck!

I'm in my 20's...

Was a programmer....company went down....programmer jobs are now outsourced by IMers.

So, I decided why the heck should I compete low wage programmers when I can do both IM and programming???

I've always been extremely interested in computers and the internet. I spent 3 years of my early teens glued to the screen, mainly on RuneScape (oh the shame) but I learnt my most useful content writing skill, touch typing, this saves me an unreal amount of time when doing work. Always fustrutates and makes me laugh when I saw someone typing a finger at a time, letter by letter.

My first ever sale online was Command and Conquer; Generals, bought it on special offer for £15 and knew I could make some money off it, sold it on eBay for £30! Result. My selling on eBay was sporadic, sold a lot of mine and my friends Lego, made around £150 off Lego figures.

I've started to get properly interested in IM through my uncle who has around 20 websites, he uses them for affiliate marketing, he's told that he's made under £10k but over a number of years, he has a full time job so I can't image he can dedicate that much time to it.

He send me some eBooks that have really helped, through those eBooks I landed here! My uncle is my guru, inspiration and mentor, he'll soon get annoyed by the amount of questions I plan on sending him!

I'm hoping one day I'll make £100,000+ per year and live a comfortable life some where but my main problem is procrastination, I'm one lazy barstool.

I like many other young people was a huge music person. I started posting on forums when I was 15 or 16 and then was writing reviews when I was 17.

I just enjoyed writing in general and that's when my dad introduced me to copywriting. I did some of that and I've actually learned some things about the process through mentors and people like that.

Unfortunately it's fair to say I have the attention span of a goldfish and haven't done that much with it. Which is going to change soon since I'm actually going to be working in a real estate office at the front desk but I'm also going to be setting up e-mail campaigns, marketing pieces, SEO for their sites, etc. which helped to get me the job and will also earn me extra money from any leads that come in and close. All of this, thanks to IM.

I would say that if you really wanted to get someone into it, find something that will keep their attention span and will be easy and practical so that they can build upon the first easy success and just move along from there.

Hey Rebecca!

I think IM is an opportunity to good to pass up. Ask your daughter what she wants to do after college or what are her plans? If time freedom is what she seeks then IM might be perfect for her. 6 Months working at a normal retail job gets you no where, 6 months in IM can possibly have you making residual income.

Run that by her.

Good luck!

-Jared

I have bad luck I am trying from last one year but not able to make single panny. Can anybody help me to get my first click bank sale. I will send that money to you for your service.

How does a 16-year-old get interested in internet marketing, especially enough to do all the research and whatnot you've obviously done and use it to create a successful income-generating business?

I'm 21, and I wasn't as successful as I would have like to
have been at a earlier age (my teens), but in hindsight I'm
glad I wasn't...because I would have squandered almost
everything.

I make good money online, but I make thousands offline,
and I can honestly say that from years of doing business...
what got me interested is a very natural affinity for doing
business, making deals, and making whatever currency we
have to support myself, family, and causes dear to my heart.

So, I don't know if that counts, but it is just a drive to
succeed at doing something I've been good at since I
was in elementary school. It's a passion. And I love the
challenges, successes, mistakes, lessons, and all.