Pass the torch of business marketing tradition
Most of them are left to work things out as they go, often without any kind of real guidance, especially in the world of marketing. These small businesses are the foundation for future larger businesses when they grow up, and there is no better time to get their first experiences in marketing than when they are younger.
Many teenagers just do not think about marketing, or at least no major marketing other than word of mouth, because they are not as well acquainted with a larger marketplace. They do not have the same level of direct competition, and so why would they think about marketing?
Furthermore, people just do not expect the same kind of marketing from teenagers as they would from other businesses. All of this means that when they do market, it will have a larger impact than normal because it was not expected and it shows a person taking the time and financial investment to make their small business venture strong.
Take the time to explain to them different marketing possibilities. Often smaller marketing pushes are cheap enough to be within their financial means. Tell them to get an order of poster printing done and research different areas around town they can put them up.
This gives them experience with a number of different important factors in marketing. First, they get experience designing a poster, a skill that can be applied to a wide variety of advertising down the line.
Second, they get experience researching the market place. They will need to see where their customers are hanging out in order to place their posters up in the best locations possible. Research has always been one of the core foundations to strong marketing, and an invaluable skill to gain early in life.
Lastly, it gives them a firsthand look into the idea of balancing out the costs of marketing against the money being made. They can judge how much poster printing to be done with how much money they have and plan to make.
In addition, this is only one form of marketing I am referring to here. Business cards, postcards, and flyers are also great. These are simple yet effective and efficient advertisements that they can print and send out for them to experience how to advertise and do marketing campaigns that will help them a lot when they get older and start marketing for a larger business.
People learn best when they get to experience something first hand. A teenager will not have the same kinds of pressures that come with starting up a business later on in life, which means they can give their full attention to learning the art of marketing itself. That way when they do open up a business, they will have the experience already to make their business the best it can possibly be.
