kids-in-biz.com

If you want to have a website, then you need to look into getting your very own domain name. Your domain name is your web address. Just like people find your house by using your address, they will find your website the same way.

There are domain names everywhere. Do you have any favorite sites? The chances are that you type in their domain name in order to get to the right page.

Some popular examples of domain names include:

• www.Google.com
• www.Amazon.com
• www.CNN.com

When you know you want to head to any of those websites, you type their domain name into your web browser.

You can get your own domain name too! It’s actually a lot easier than you think. There are many different services to choose from. The good news is that you can buy your very own domain name for under $10.

First things first, you need to know how to go about choosing your domain name. Your name is something that should stick with people so they remember how to get to your site. It’s also helpful to think about how your domain name will show up in a search engine like Google. The better your domain name, the more traffic (or, site visitors) you will get.

Here are the steps to choosing a domain name:

1. Why do you want the name in the first place? Is it for a hobby, business, personal blog, celebrity or TV show fan site? The name you choose should reflect its purpose.

2. Do you want the search engines to “understand” what your site is about? When you do a search in Google you type in what is called a keyword. Google then pulls up WebPages that are related to the keyword you’ve typed. Sometimes, registering a domain name that is similar to the keyword can help you show up higher in the search engines (which is a very good thing!). So, if you are creating a site about doll clothes you might purchase the domain, www.awesomedollclothes.com

3. Do you mind if your domain name has a .com, .net, .org or other extension? These are called “Top Level Domains” and can make a difference. If you can register a .com it is usually better since that is what people remember the most. The others are just fine, and you might have to get one of the others if someone else has already bought the one you really wanted.

After you’ve chosen your perfect domain name, it’s time to register it. There are many different places where you can register your domain. Many of these have very good service, so your choice might come down to where you can get the best deal.

Here are some options:

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Dynadot
• Yahoo Domains

After you register your domain name it will show up in your domain account. After that you will need to have the domain name point to your web host so your website can show up. This is called changing the DNS settings, and your domain registrar will have detailed instructions on how to do that.

Buying your first domain name is a very exciting process. You’ll finally have your own place on the web! It’s also easier and cheaper than you think, so get started today.

Are you hoping you’ve got your own Bill Gates in the making in your home? As a parent you can probably tell pretty easily whether or not the entrepreneurial spirit is evident in your child. Some kids make it very obvious that the regular nine-to-five will not be a part of their future. For others, you might need to investigate a bit further to see.

Ask these simple questions about your teen to see if your teen has the entrepreneurial spirit. If your answer is “yes” to one or more, you probably do.

1. Does she ask what she can do to earn more allowance? Is she willing to take on jobs around the house instead of hanging out at the mall with her pals? Does she do her chores and work with vigor and excellence?

2. Did she have the best lemonade stand on the block? Did she go the extra mile to make sure that her stand was profitable and her product and service brought back customers over and over again?

3. Does she value flexibility and independence more than the “sure thing” of an hourly job? Does she make comments about wanting something “more” than just flipping burgers or selling pink t-shirts?

4. Does she work well on her own? In her free time is she thinking of other ways to make money or start a business? When you give her a job or chore around the house does she jump in and do it quickly and efficiently?

5. Is she a self-learner? ? Does she spend time researching and reading for her schoolwork and outside of that? Does she enjoy finding out more about how to use the computer to her advantage?

If, indeed, you do have a young entrepreneur budding in your midst, you might want to start her off now in a business of her own even now, before the college bills start piling up! It will serve her well now and in the future!

Joelle Davidson welcomes you to http://www.showkidsthemoney.com where you’ll find plenty of free information to help your kids start their own businesses.

It’s not big news that teens are often much more tech-savvy than many adults. Truth is, many small business owners don’t even know where to begin and therefore will not be advertising that they need help in this department. Why not check out some of the local businesses in your town? You can begin by doing a search to see if they even have a web presence. Grab your home-town newspaper and see who is advertising. Read local articles featuring small businesses in your area.

Start with a local restaurant - perhaps your favorite pizza joint. Does it have a website? Was it easy to find? Can you easily get a phone number, hours, directions, and a menu? Does your town have it’s own website? If so, is there a listing of local businesses? Is it listed there? If not, you may have a golden opportunity awaiting you.

Web designers can charge thousands of dollars to create a website, but with today’s technology, spending that much money may not be necessary. Buying a domain, inexpensive web-hosting, and creating a simple site or blog can be well-worth the investment.

You don’t have to know everything to begin, but you do have to have some basic skills. If you’ve never done a blog or site before, summer is the perfect time to try! Remember, starting a business is going to take some work on your end but if you put in a little work up front, you won’t have to be fighting for the few-and-far between camp jobs that every other teen in town is applying for.

Choosing a business idea often comes from frustrations in your own world. We started Pre-wrap.com because we couldn’t find colored pre-wrap in our local area. Seventeen-year old Celeste discovered that finding a job is not an easy task for a teen. She learned that lesson quickly when she ventured out to find work. She realized that she didn’t even know where to begin! The whole job world was open to her, which was a bit overwhelming and even intimidating. She sought help from her older brothers who have earned paychecks doing everything from mowing lawns to serving ice cream, but soon expanded her questioning to a broader circle of acquaintances.

Celeste decided to help her friends by passing on what she learned about first jobs to others through myfirstpaycheck.com. It is a slow process but Celeste and Austin are constantly trying to make the site better. Along with job, internship, and volunteer opportunities, Myfirstpaycheck.com provides advice and resources, including a dynamic resume builder, to help young people have a more successful job application process.

Myfirstpaycheck.com is also a valuable resource for companies searching for an online outlet to hire temporary, seasonal and part-time employees.

Keep checking myfirstpaycheck.com for job advice and job postings for teens like you, and please feel free to pass on any suggestions you have. You can get some tips about your first job and help a teen entrepreneur grow her business! Check it out today!

Well, of course that’s not true. But a Kindergartener can surely be involved in internet marketing. I just got off the phone Christina Lemmey from MultimediaVA. She told me that her six-year old daughter wanted her own website just like Mom! At first, Christina didn’t pay that much attention to her daugher’s request, but after repeated begging, she decided to give in.

“I decided to build a Squidoo lens with her. It’s easy. It’s free. And it’s fun for kids, too,” Christina explained. It wasn’t hard to come up with a topic for this Hannah Montana fan! Gifts For Girls was an easy topic for this mother-daughter team! “All you have to do is look in her room!” she laughed.

Since Kindergarten typing, writing, and computer skills are limited, Christina set up the lens. She let her daughter pick and choose the products to feature from Amazon and eBay. She focused on her two favorite things - Hannah Montana and American Girl. Earning money wasn’t the main concern for this lens, her mom explained. She wanted to respect her daughter’s desire to have her own site and toss in a taste of learning about business at the same time.

“How will people know about my site, Mom?” she asked.

Out of the mouths of babes…

(Check out her lens at Gifts for Girls and feel free to leave an encouraging comment so that she knows that she’s had visitors! Who knows, maybe you might even need a gift idea!)

Is this fantastic or what?

Champlain College in Vermont actually allows you to bring the business to college with you! So if you are a young entrepreneur, you don’t have to choose between going to college and growing your business. At Champlain, students learn from successful entrepreneurs and other experts about the strategic, financial, legal, technical, operational and managerial matters you’ll need to know.

In addition to a network of entrepreneurial mentors, they even can put you in touch with angel investors and venture capitalists who can help you learn the ropes.

Janey Hair is one great example of the kind of student Champlain has enrolled. Janey founded Rosey Pink Cosmetics when she was fifteen. She handles many aspects of her business while still attending classes and living the life of a typical college freshman.

Other students have businesses selling t-shirts and sweatshirts with original designs, ice cream sales, urban style hoodies, ipod accessories, auctions, and web design. Even if you aren’t quite ready for college, check out this inspiring program! Champlain College just might be the place for you or your business savvy kid!

I know, I know…school is out and you long for the days that you can sleep in and lounge around without worrying about anything! Starting your own business doesn’t have to take up all of your time. Think of it as a labor of love! If you put a few hours a day or even a few hours a week, you can be on your way to earning money doing something you love to do!

Summer is the perfect time to explore your entrepreneurial options. Check out the library or your local book store on topics that interest you. If you have required summer reading, perhaps you can include a business book. Although there are many books out there on kids in business, don’t limit yourself there. If you love to take pictures, grab a book on photography. Love sports? Read an inspirational book on a favorite athlete or coach - many of these people are truly motivational. Like computers? Why not choose your favorite software program and really master it? Or choose a new one! Love kids? Then really show it by taking a CPR course. Summer is also a great time to volunteer your time. Offer your services to a local small business in exchange for some experience.

Here are some words of wisdom. If you want to make a lot of money - you need to have valuable skills that people will pay for. It’s really that simple. As a kid, you’re probably thinking that you are too young or that’s what college is for. Wrong! People don’t pay you for your degree - they pay you for what you can do. For what you have to offer.

Summer is a great time to start a blog. Learn to build a website. Take an online Photoshop course. Write articles for website owners. If you want to work, you must let people know you are available and interested! Want to pet sit, dog walk, babysit, mow lawns, type, or write? Make up flyers or business cards and take a walk around your neighborhood and hand them out. No one is going to find you unless you let them know you exist!

What are you doing this summer?

Check our your high school club listings and see what is offered right in your own school! DECA has over 4500 chapters and over 180,000 students participating!  Students that are interested in hospitality, finance, sales and service, business administration and/or entrepreneurship are encouraged to join.  DECA programs are co-curricular, meaning that they learning coincides with classroom curriculum, and goes further by incorporating realistic educational experiences not available through classroom instruction alone.

Sure, a business club like DECA will look great on your college resume.  Local businesses will be impressed, too.   But don’t overlook how much fun you can have! Students with entrepreneurial spirit are great to be around!  Local and national competitions are a great way to meet new people and gain some real-life experience. Check it out.

Let’s face it. Kids love to spend money! What better way to start on the road to financial success than to start earning money at a young age. Gone are the days when babysitting and raking leaves are the only way to make a buck! (Don’t count these out, though. There’s still great money to be made that way.)

Many parents and kids alike are looking for some extra cash. While a successful internet business is a cool thing, kids don’t have mortgages to pay and usually don’t have to feed a family. If you are involved in extra-curricular activities, committing to a part-time job is often impossible. Most of these options allow you to work as little or as much as you please.

There are really only three basic ways you can make money on your own. You can offer a service. You can sell a product. You can provide information.
Offering a service is probably the most common way that kids make money. Babysitting, lawn mowing, and snow shoveling are classic examples. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Remember, people are willing to pay others to do what they (1) don’t want to do themselves (2) can’t do themselves (3) don’t know how to do themselves.
Selling a product is also fairly easy to grasp, but more complicated to start up.  You can create your own product to sell, such as jewelry or other hand-crafted items. You can buy items in bulk and resell them. It can be as simple as buying a cooler full of water and Gatorade and sitting at a soccer field on a hot day. You can also be involved in Direct Sales, where you sell products for someone else, don’t have to keep inventory, and get paid a commission. Think of Avon and Tupperware where you have a catalog and take orders. Most direct sales companies will need you to be 18 or older, but this can be a great way to earn some money as a family.
If you plan to start an online business, there are two really important concepts to learn up front - Affiliate Marketing
and Pay-per-click advertising. We’ll be talking about these soon, so be sure to check back!

Be sure to poke around http://www.internetbasedkids.com for some inspiration.