There are three types of things you can sell: physical products, services, and digital goods. Most young entrepreneurs start with one of the first two.

Physical products are things you make or buy and ship to people — handmade jewelry, baked goods, art prints, or custom maps. Services are things you do for people — photography, lawn mowing, tutoring, coding help, dog walking. Digital goods are files people download — presets, templates, music, or artwork.

Each type has different requirements. Products need materials and shipping. Services need your time and skill. Digital goods need upfront creation but can sell repeatedly.

The best starting point is whatever you can already do or make with what you have right now. The fastest path to your first dollar is selling something you can deliver this week with what you already have. You don't need to wait until it's perfect.

• Physical products: make or resell — you control the inventory
• Services: your skills and time are the product — low startup cost
• Digital goods: create once, sell forever — great for designs, templates, music
• If you can't explain what you sell in one sentence, it's probably too complicated — simplify.

A lot of new businesses fail not because the product is bad — but because the owner never figured out who they were actually selling to. "Everyone" is not a customer. The more specific you get, the easier it is to find real buyers.

Ask yourself: Who has this problem? Who would spend money to solve it? Where do they hang out? What do they care about?

A customer isn't just an age or a location. It's a real person with a specific situation. "Parents of athletes in my town who want a unique gift" is way more useful than "adults who like art."

Use this Customer Profile framework:

• Age or stage of life (e.g. parents of young kids, high school athletes, homeowners)
• What problem they have that you solve
• Where they spend time (online and in real life)
• How much they're willing to spend

Pricing is one of the most common mistakes young entrepreneurs make — they charge too little because they feel awkward asking for money. But if your price doesn't cover your costs and your time, you're not running a business, you're running a hobby that drains your savings.

Use this pricing table to build your price from the ground up:

The ×1.25 gives you a 25% profit margin — the minimum to make it worth running a real business. Don't look at what others charge and go lower to compete. Compete on quality and your story instead.

• List every material — even the small stuff adds up
• Value your time — even $10/hour is a start
• If your price feels 'too high', that's normal. It means you're used to not valuing your work. Charge what it's worth.

Before you invest time or money, do a quick test. The goal is to find out if real people — not just your friends being nice — would actually pay for what you're offering.

Here's how: describe your idea to 5 people who aren't close family. Tell them what it is and what it costs. Watch their reaction carefully. There are three signals to watch for:

• They ask HOW to buy — that's a yes.
• They say "that's cool" or "I love that idea" — that's a polite no.
• They suggest someone else who'd want it — that's a warm lead. Follow up.

You're not looking for compliments. You're looking for genuine interest. If three out of five ask how to order, you're onto something. If everyone says "that's cool" but nobody pulls out their wallet, you need to rethink either the product, the price, or who you're talking to.

Your business name is the first thing customers see. It doesn't have to be clever — it just has to be memorable and tell people something about what you do.

Avoid names with numbers, random capitals (like xXSofiaBakesXx), or that only make sense as an inside joke. You want strangers to remember it.

Run every name through this checklist before you pick it:

• Can you say it out loud without spelling it?
• Is the Instagram handle available? (Check @[name] right now)
• Does it still work if your business grows or changes slightly?
• Would you feel proud putting it on a business card?

A sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure. It means you and your business are legally the same thing — you own it, you run it, and you're responsible for it. There's no paperwork to form one; you're automatically a sole proprietor the moment you start selling something.

Here's the most important thing to understand: when you're a sole proprietor, there's no legal wall between you and your business. That means if someone sued your business (rare for small operations, but it happens), your personal savings could be affected. This is exactly why keeping records and being professional matters from day one.

Most young entrepreneurs start here. It's simple, free, and easy to understand. As you grow, you or your parent might eventually want to form an LLC. Here's how they compare:

This is general educational content, not legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation.

This depends on where you live and what you sell. Some states and cities require a general business license for anyone selling goods or services. Others only require one for specific industries (like food). Many don't require anything for very small operations.

The honest answer is: you need to check your specific state and city's requirements. We can't tell you what's required for your situation — that's why this step involves your parent looking it up with you.

Food businesses (like baking) almost always have additional requirements — look up your state's "cottage food law." Service businesses (tutoring, photography) usually have fewer hurdles. Product businesses (handmade goods, resale) sit in between.

The SBA has a tool that lets you search by state and business type. Start there.

DBA stands for "Doing Business As." If you want to run your business under a name that isn't your legal name, many states require you to file a DBA — also called a fictitious business name.

For example, if your name is Sofia Reyes but you're selling under "Maple & Co.", some states require you to register that name so customers and the government know who's behind it. It usually costs between $10 and $50 and is filed with your county or state.

Not everyone needs one — if you're selling under your own name, you probably don't. But if you have a business name, it's worth checking.

Filing a DBA is usually one of the first "official" things you'll do as a business owner. It's a small step but it makes your business feel real — and it lets you open a bank account in your business name later.

Now that you know roughly what you'll charge, let's make sure you're actually covering your costs. This is called your break-even point — the minimum you need to sell before you start actually making money.

List every cost you have before you make a single sale: any tools, equipment, packaging, or setup costs. These are your fixed costs. Then list what it costs to make each unit or deliver each service (materials, supplies). These are your variable costs.

Your break-even formula: Fixed costs ÷ (Price per unit − Variable cost per unit)

Your business description is the first thing customers read on your storefront. It needs to do three things in two or three sentences: tell people what you sell, who it's for, and what makes it worth buying from you specifically.

Formula: [What you make/do] + [who it's for] + [what makes it worth buying from you]. Every sentence should earn its place — cut anything vague.

Avoid vague language like "quality products" or "great service." Be specific. What do you actually make? Who is it for? What's special about how you do it?

• Read it out loud. Does it sound like a real person wrote it?
• Would a stranger understand it in 5 seconds?
• Does it make someone want to know more?

Make a list of everything you're selling. Keep it simple at first — 2 to 4 offerings is plenty. Too many options can confuse customers. You can always add more later.

For each product, include:

• Product name (specific, not just "Custom Bracelet" — try "Initial Friendship Bracelet Set")
• One-sentence description (what it is + why they'd want it)
• Price
• Any variations (colors, sizes, custom options)
• Turnaround time (how long to make and ship)

Your first product listing is your pitch in text form — write it like you're trying to convince someone to buy, not just describe what it is.

Your photos are doing most of the selling. Customers can't touch or try your product — your photo is all they have. Good news: you don't need a fancy camera. Your phone is fine.

You don't need a camera, a ring light, or a fancy setup. The top sellers on Etsy (the world's largest handmade marketplace) started with phone photos in natural light. What matters is: clean background, good light, sharp focus. That's it.

This is the step you've been working toward. Before you open the builder, have everything ready: your business description (from Step 1), your product list (from Step 2), your photos (from Step 3), your contact/payment info (from Step 4). The builder will walk you through each section.

Take your time — every word on your storefront is selling for you 24/7. Treat it like a first impression, because it is. Your reflection answers from earlier in the course will pre-fill some fields.

• Reread your description one more time before submitting — typos make customers trust you less
• Make sure your pricing matches what you decided in Week 1
• Your parent should be sitting next to you for this step

Your first customers are almost always people who already know you or know someone who knows you. Before you spend any time on marketing, personally reach out to 10 people — text, DM, or tell them in person. Tell them what you're selling, share your storefront link, and ask if they know anyone who might be interested.

This is called warm outreach and it's how most first sales happen. Here's the script: "Hey [name], I just launched a small business — [one sentence about what you sell]. I'd love it if you checked it out, and if you know anyone who might be interested, please send them my way." That's it. Short, direct, no begging.

• Text or DM is fine — you don't have to say it in person
• Reach out to people who know people: a neighbor who knows other neighbors, a coach who knows parents
• Don't send a mass group text — one-on-one feels personal and gets better responses

You'll get asked "what do you do?" a lot. Have an answer ready. A good pitch is: what you sell, who it's for, and one thing that makes it special. Use this fill-in-the-blank formula as your starting point:

The goal isn't to memorize a script — it's to be able to say what you do confidently without stumbling. Practice it 5 times out loud until it feels natural, not rehearsed.

When your first order comes in, follow this step-by-step order flow:

• 1. Receive the order or message.
• 2. Confirm within 24 hours: what they ordered, the price, how they'll pay, and when they'll get it.
• 3. Make/prepare the product.
• 4. Collect payment BEFORE you ship or deliver (always).
• 5. Deliver or ship.
• 6. Follow up 3–5 days later: "Hope you love it! If you have a moment, sharing a photo or telling a friend would mean the world."

That last step — the follow-up — is where most young entrepreneurs drop the ball. It's also where most referrals come from.

Keep your parent in the loop on every order. Show them every message. This isn't just a rule — it protects you.

Record it in your tracking spreadsheet the same day. Note: what you sold, the total payment received, your cost to make it, and your actual profit. Then ask: was the profit what you expected? Was the pricing right? Would you do anything differently?

Your first sale is as much a lesson as it is income — learn from it. Once you've made your first sale, come back and record it here. If you haven't yet, write down your plan: who are you targeting first, and what's your goal for week 1?