My First Startup aims to inspire young entrepreneurs

Budding entrepreneurs need all the help they can get, even if it’s in comic-book form, says Rebecca Burn-Callander

A comic book that teaches kids how to become entrepreneurs is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The project, called My First Startup, aims to inspire young people to take the plunge and start thinking like entrepreneurs from a young age.

The two protagonists, Tanya and Kevin, both have a dream but need more money to make their dream a reality.

I had first sight of some of the drawings this week, and I was charmed.

Tongue-in-cheek achievement badges such as “Overworked!” and “If at first you don’t succeed…” highlight the challenges of building a new business, while the book highlights the emotional pressures that can be heaped onto the young entrepreneur – friends asking for freebies, or credit, for example.

The comic book attempts to bring to life real-world business concerns, such as customer acquisition, pricing, distribution, branding, and business loans. That’s no mean feat.

"Just like every start-up, their adventure has a lot of ups and downs,” explains co-founder David Kieve. “Kids can follow Kevin and Tanya’s every step in business and learn from the obstacles and creative solutions along the way.”

What I find particularly useful about this project is that the founders have signed up partners including Shopify, Instapage, Shippo, SendInBlue and others to give kids access to basic start-up services.

The comic book is also a tool for parents to encourage their children to stop asking for hand-outs and start thinking about entrepreneurial ventures to top up their pocket money.

“My First Startup will help parents teach kids an alternative to the nine-to-five career, as well as a reasonable response to ‘buy me more presents’,” says Mr Kieve.

“If they want that new game console, they have to earn the money for it. Ultimately, we’re helping parents raise kids who will feel empowered and comfortable in the world where running your own business is as welcomed and rewarding as having a traditional job.”

The number of under-35s starting businesses has risen by more than 70pc since 2006, according to research from Duedil and Enterprise Nation. But starting a business is one thing – surviving in business is another.

In My First Startup’s Kickstarter pitch video, David Kieve and co-founder Russell Geyushev both talk about unsuccessful businesses they have started. “I paid kids to shoot funny videos for my website,” says Mr Kieve. “I was half successful – they took my money.”

Now, as founders of custom comic book start-up Your Comic Story, they are successful – or so they claim. “But we want to make sure other kids get the head start in business we wish we’d had,” says Mr Geyushev.

It’s difficult to judge whether a book like this could really make a profound impact on a budding entrepreneur, but it is true that young business people need all the support they can get. If this project gets funding, the comic book it creates will be aimed at 8-12 year olds – the perfect age to get kids excited about business.

At a minimum, the comic book helps kids to think about time management and creative problem solving. Thumbs up from me.

For more advice on preparing your business for the tech challenges of the future, visit HP BusinessNow