A machine makes the thing while you're at school.
A machine makes the thing while you're at school. That's the appeal, and it's real. You design or find a design, the printer runs for six hours, and you have a product to sell. Phone stands, desk organizers, board game pieces, custom keychains, replacement parts for things people broke. The trick is that the printer is not the business. Finding something people actually want printed is the business.
You almost certainly do not need to buy a printer yet. Most public libraries have one, and many schools do too. Some charge a dollar or two for materials.
Go print three things at the library and try to sell them. Ask:
"I can print custom [thing] in any color. They're [your price]. Want one?"
If you sell ten items using someone else's machine, you have proven the business and you'll know exactly which printer to buy. If you sell zero, you just avoided spending four hundred dollars on a machine that would sit in your closet.
If your library test worked and you're ready to own one, here's the real list.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We only list gear the guide actually calls for, and the skip list is there because most of it you do not need yet.
Sophie's biggest early advantage was that she started with nothing and had to be resourceful, so she learned what sold before she ever had money to lose. Use somebody else's printer first. It feels like the slow way. It's actually the smart way, because you get all of the learning and none of the risk. Then buy the machine with money the business made, not money you borrowed on a hunch.
The full Young Founder kit walks you through everything Andre and Sophie learned: how to test an idea before you fund it, price for your time, and find the customers who want exactly what you make. The book, the workbook, the videos, and more.
See what is inside the kitA kid walking dogs in their own neighborhood usually starts between $10 and $18 for a thirty minute walk. Professional walkers average about $21 for the same walk.
Read the answerLess than almost anyone expects, and for a lot of these ideas the honest answer is nothing until somebody has already said yes to a price.
Read the answerTen people who already know them, one prepared sentence, and an easy way for each of them to say no.
Read the answerFind out whether this is not working or just not fun right now. Those look identical from outside and they need opposite responses.
Read the answerThey are not buying feeding. They are buying a holiday where nobody is quietly worried about the cat.
See the ideaSmall money that arrives every single week without anyone having to be asked again. The cleanest lesson in recurring revenue there is.
See the ideaNobody puts it on the list, and everybody notices once it is done. The before and after photo does the selling.
See the ideaForty minutes, a bucket, and a customer who can see the problem from their front door.
See the ideaA program from Founder's Best Friend. Built for kids 8 to 18 who want something of their own.