Starting a Financial Life/how Did You Start Your Life

[gannondorf]

Hello,My name is sellva.


At this point in my life, i am suppose to be graduating from high school.

my only current assets are that I take high interest and skill in technology and computers, am armed with a family that is strained financially from bad choices and events in the past, and All I have to me is my knowledge and skill collected over the years from various,my electronic devices such as my laptop and my mobile phone and that's about it.

It is my own personal goal to one day become an entrepreneur and start my own business.

The problem, is that I know that even with 18 years of life and various experiences, I would describe my picture of how the world really is as incomplete, very incomplete.

to be perfectly honest, I have no idea were to go from here after high school.

One could say that collage is the next step, but I have heard that collage does cost a lot of money and that many people have gotten into a lot of dept that they just simply can not get out of.

And the last thing I want to do in starting out a life for myself is rack of a bill that I know I clearly can not pay for.

I am really not sure were to go from here from this point in my life.

So, i shall ask my question to you.

What should someone who is just getting out of high school,who is skilled in technology, has no work experience and has absolutely no money to get his life going in some direction do, all while keeping in mind that one day that someone who wants to be an entrepreneur who runs his own business do next in his life?


My second question is, What do you do,between getting out of high school and the life you have today?




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"Look at Me, No, plan,No Plan, No weapons worth a dam, and there another thing I don't have, Anything, to, lose."- Dr Who
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[Mercedes]

Well, I'd start with getting a job. It doesn't need to be anything glamorous but a stream of income's always good, and you can continue to look for a better job, or explore other avenues, while working there. For instance when I had just left my College, I worked at a supermarket and was still applying for jobs left and right, and left when I found a good one! But having some pocket money helped a lot. So, it might not be the most fun but, you need some cash to get your feet off the ground!

Since you want to start your own business, you can research and do this while working somewhere. Make sure you research hard! Look at the start-up costs, if you're entitled to any grants. My brother actually has his own business, he owns a bar now too and he had to buy about quite a few licenses, space, and an actual Government thing to be recognized as a company, but is pretty cheap he said. So, yeah, I'd say research what to do and then research more. And then more. It's not the type of thing you want to make mistakes over. I'm sure you have an idea in your head over what you want to do of course!

And I do a lot! I'm still at University right now, but I've worked at a supermarket, which I packed in when I found a better job as I said, and been doing odd jobs at places as a designer or doing bits of programming (boring!!) while maintaining my waitressing, since you need a steady income and freelance stuff isn't very stable!

I've always wanted to make my own studio, one day, but, as I said I want to be in a better financial time in my life since businesses can be quite expensive. So, I'm working for a few years before walking down that road.

 

[Justac00lguy]

all while keeping in mind that one day that someone who wants to be an entrepreneur who runs his own business do next in his life?

Join the club! I myself have always been fascinated by the "idea" of setting up my own business, I've even started roughly brainstorming ideas for when I'm ready to start doing so.

I'm also 18 and at this crossroads on whether to go to University or not, however I'm going to University to further advance my skills in Business management and also just to have a great time. The course that I'm choosing includes a year in Industry which basically means that I'll be getting paid while on a year on my course. Not only does this give you a sizable amount of money before you leave into the real world but it gives you the main and most important thing today and that is "Experience".

However this is just me I'm sure we all differ, anyone can set up a business, you don't need to have a huge amount of experience or even knowledge of business, though I would recommend it. Maybe take a small course (if you don't plan on going to University) this will teach you the basics and basically all you need to have is a decent business plan and financial management. The thing what I love about being entrepreneur is that you are your own boss and the whole risk factor, you could be amazingly successful or fail miserably. Of course the risk is what puts people off but if it works out then you can be very, very successful.

 

[Ventus]

Most definitely find a job. I'm in the same boat as you, bro; I have a skill that I'm interested in but no money and a bit of restraint on my part. Since I have to pay for my own education, things will be tough but find a good job to start. Doesn't have to pay $533/hour, just find a minimum wage job to start. Then, go to college. Apply for all sorts of financial aid and they'll recognize you're a struggling student so they may give you a scholarship or two. After that, let life set your course free.

 

[octorok74]

I got a job. Enough said.

 

[misskitten]

Even though the two of us come from two different types of lives, and what I personally did isn't really relevant in terms of your situation, here are some things that are important:
1. Get a job, any job. You need the income to live and to fund whatever it is you want to do with your life, be it school or attempting to start something on your own. Also, you need hands on experience to understand how the working world works.
2. Find out what you want to do - "starting a business" is not a goal in and of itself. What kind of business? What service do you wish to offer the world? What idea do you have that would make your service better than what's already out there? Find the idea first, do some research on how useful this idea will be for people, find out what is already out there (as in what will you be competing against).
3. Find out whether or not you would benefit from taking higher education. College is expensive, but it's also a great source not only for information, but also networking opportunities. You could find a partner among your fellow students, or maybe a funder through the alumni/faculty contacts.

Now, as for what I did, I took a year off after high school, worked three jobs, saved up money while also figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. Then I went to college, worked alongside my studies and during summers. I got a job straight out of college, stayed with the company for a while, but as they gave me little to do and I just felt I was wasting away, I decided to quit, start over with something else entirely. I took a chance, worked from scratch in a field where I had no experience or education to lean on, learned on the job, got sent on some courses, and sometime next year I will earn a promotion

 

[Wolf Sage]

Of all the great advice that has been given here, it seems most obvious that the best thing to do above everything else at the moment is get a job, and I couldn't agree more. No matter what happens, you're going to need the income...