“Starting a business is hard”. That is what you will hear from anyone who has never attempted to start a business. The truth is that starting a business is next to impossible. The difficulty of entrepreneurship is a test reserved for the few who are crazy enough to try it. For young entrepreneurs, the road may also appear uphill, slippery and obscured. Though however difficult, here in the “land of opportunity,” starting a business as a young adult is at least possible; which is not the case in many other countries.
America says “go for it”. Fill out the paperwork, file your taxes and you are in business. While this may be enough for a few incredibly lucky entrepreneurs, (see: 1 in 1,000,000), the rest of us might need a little help. This is where USYCC comes in, the United States Youth Chamber of Commerce (USYCC).
A nonprofit organization specifically for young entrepreneurs, the USYCC picks up where the government leaves off. USYCC offers a wide range of services to young entrepreneurs including training, workforce development, consulting, even start-up capital in the form of volunteer help. USYCC can help you become a better public speaker, a teacher, and a better leader.
Of all the services that the USYCC provides, the most important is the opportunity to network with other business owners. Networking is intangible. Though it is the single most important aspect of business, it is often overlooked in the face of all the “real”, very tangible problems a company faces in its early stages. USYCC believes that networking should be an integral part of any start-up, not something that is reserved for larger companies who often have entire teams devoted to expanding their business network. USYCC provides a way for young entrepreneurs to discover each other. It is easy to find others in similar fields, some who are facing the same hardships your business is facing, as well as others who have overcome them. By listening and exchanging ideas with individuals from similar schools of thought, better decisions can be made, professionally and otherwise. Most do not even realize that organizations like the USYCC exist. The road is long and many young entrepreneurs make the mistake of walking it alone.
