Monday, April 11, 2011

Starting a Micro Business {Review and Giveaway}

I was recently asked to review "Starting a Micro Business" by Carol Topp. It is an extremely practical book for teens that want to earn some money and would like to learn and grow. Running their own business can be a great learning experience, one that will be very practical when they reach adulthood and Carol Topp gives some great easy to understand advice in doing that.

  Both my husband and I own our own businesses and so from that vantage point I can see how extremely useful this book would be.  Here is some more information on the book:
 

 

 
ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95
  
(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.

 

AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
All who comment on this post will have their names entered into a drawing for this blog tour (That means it will be a combination of several blogs). The winner will recieve not just the book mentioned but rather
The Complete Set of Carol Topp's Micro Business for Teens Series


  • Starting a Micro Business 
  • Running a Micro Business 
  • Money and Taxes in a Micro Business 
  • The Micro Business for Teens Workbook
So start commenting! Please leave contact information. And be sure to comment before April 20th.

  

 

 

3 comments:

Cheryl Moore said...

Hi Abbi! Please put my name in the drawing for your book titled "Starting a Micro Business" for teens. I can be reached at www.databasedesigns4u.blogspot.com and dirtshoney (at) aol (dot) com.
Thank you!
Cheryl Moore

Travis said...

I think we could use that book series around here. Thanks, Anna

Carol Topp, CPA said...

Thank you Abbi, for your kind words. As a fellow business owner, I appreciate your review!

You read the first book, Starting a Micro Business. 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.

The Micro Business for Teens Workbook is designed for a student to apply what they read in the Starting and Running books and works great in a group or class setting.

I taught 10 teenagers using the workbook last semester and we had a lot of fun. One boy recently told me he is making $100 a month giving guitar lessons.

My website http://MicroBusinessForTeens.com has sample pages and a Table of Contents for each book.

Thanks for your help in spreading the word!

Carol Topp, CPA
Author Micro Business For Teens series

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin