Thursday, April 14, 2011

Blog Tour: Starting a Micro Business for Teens By Carol Topp

Micro Business for Teens
KCWC Blog Tour - April 11-15
Blog Giveaway - See Below!


ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95
Starting a Micro Business For Teens is a practical and realistic book written specifically for teens that does not expect you to have a whole lot of capital for start up that others do.  It portray realistic examples beyond the lemonade stand for teens, by teens who have been successful in their micro business. 

A "micro business" is often run by and easily managed by one person, needs little start up money, often home based, and is low risk while teaching many important skills.  What I appreciate about this book is the practical examples given in the book along side biblical principles for starting and financing a business. There are worksheets for developing a marketing plan and financial plan. Pretty much everything you need to know to get started is included in this book.  This book is book one of a series of four books called: Micro Business for Teens.  You have a chance to enter to win the complete set!! Read on to find out!


From the publisher:

(Cincinnati, OH) With unemployment rates high, the teen population is finding it harder and harder to find work. Adults are competing for the same minimum wage jobs. But there’s an alternative—starting a micro business. What is a micro business? It is a very small, one-person business that you can start easily and quickly with what you already know or own. No money needed, low risk and no debt! Students can spend as much time running a micro business as they wish and can even close it down during busy times. The best advantage for teens to own a micro business is that it not only brings in extra cash (often more than imagined), but students end up learning a great deal about business, money and themselves. It may lead to an entrepreneurial life or at the very least, prepare students for higher learning opportunities.


Starting a Micro Business will help teenagers earn money while learning how to start their own business. A micro business is simple to start, usually home-based, low risk, educational and easy for a busy student to run. This book offers ideas, a business plan, starting with no debt, pitfalls to avoid and resources to get a teenager started making money running their own micro business.




Carol Topp, CPA advises teenage business owners though her Micro Business for Teens book series. Carol’s day job is accountant to business owners, and she enjoys teaching teenagers to succeed beyond their dreams. Students appreciate how she shares what they need to know in clear and helpful lessons. Her website is MicroBusinessForTeens.com



Spring Cleaning: A Time For a Teenager to Make Money

by Carol Topp


Here are some ideas for a micro business a teenager can start this spring:
•House cleaning: Offer to tackle large jobs like washing windows, moving furniture, etc. Many people are grateful for a young, strong teenager to help them with heavy lifting. What is easy for you might be very difficult for them, especially if they are an older person.
•Routine house cleaning: Some customers need regular house cleaning and may hire you on a weekly or monthly basis. Don't wait for them to ask: offer to come weekly or twice a month and see what they say.
•Attic cleaning: Offer to help people do a job that they put off, such as cleaning an attic.
•Garage cleaning: A big job that can earn you big bucks!
•Yard cleanup: Offer to trim bushes, pull weeds, plant flowers and spread mulch to spruce up a yard.
•Car and van cleaning: People spend a lot of time in their automobiles and their cars and vans need frequent cleaning. Melissa gladly paid to get her van cleaned inside and out every week because her four children could really make a mess in it. You can make some cash by offering to clean a van inside and out.
•Organize. Organize a house, playroom or garage. Charge the customer for any bins, tubs and labels that you purchase for them and then add on the value of your time. Take before and after photos to use on your advertising fliers.
•Declutter: Do you love HGTV shows on organization? You might be able to find someone to hire you to declutter their house like you see on TV.
•Garage sales: Advertise, organize and run a garage sale for your neighbors. Get several neighbors to participate together and really earn the bucks!
•eBay sales: Offer to sell your neighbors' stuff on eBay and take a cut for yourself. Combine the decluttering, garage sale and eBay tasks into a full package to help your customers profit from their excess stuff.

(This is an excerpt from Carol's article. Full article available at docstoc.com)


Win the complete set of books in
Micro Business For Teens Series!

(Winner will receive the four books shown below)


Money and Taxes in a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-3-2

Retail price: $9.95
The Micro Business for Teens Workbook

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-2-5

Retail price: $14.95
Starting a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1

Retail price: $9.95



Running a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-1-8

Retail price: $9.95
Everyone who leaves a comment below (however brief) will be entered into contest by the publisher for a complete set of these books.   Please sign in to leave a comment so I can see your email address.  You will be notified by email by April 22, 2011 if you have won.

Book received from Kathy Carlton Willis Communications for free for my honest opinion of the book and promotion on this blog.


3 comments:

Lori Watson said...

I would LOVE this! My kids all have that entrepreneurial mindset. My oldest (no longer a teen) pours over his marketing books. This would be an excellent fit for our family. Thanks for the review and heads up about these books! Here's hoping we win. ;)

Heartsong Ministries said...

I love your contests! Rusty wants to run a car detailing business over the summer, and Riesa is always thinking of ways to make money. Maybe these would make their ideas a reality!

Carol Topp, CPA said...

Thanks for joining my blog tour!

My book Starting a Micro Business has a lot of ideas of micro businesses that a teenager can start. It's followed by a second book Running a Micro Business and then a third book, Money and Taxes in a Micro Business. Students can read each book as needed and as their business grows.

I keep adding more ideas as I find them to my website http://MicroBusinessForTeens.com. It also has sample pages and a Table of Contents for each book.

Thanks for your help in spreading the word!

Good luck to all the contestants!

Carol Topp, CPA
Author Micro Business For Teens series