This document profiles 6 teenage entrepreneurs and their businesses. It discusses Travis Bruce who started a worm farming business called T.K. Worm Factory. It also profiles John Lindgren who owns 20 beehives and sells honey under the name John's Bees. The document also discusses Blake Henderson who created the Bike Handler to help children learn to ride bicycles. D'Arcy Marlow is highlighted for her customized steel bench business. Regina Jackson runs a handcrafted jewelry business. The profiles show how these teenagers have started successful businesses in areas like technology, agriculture, manufacturing and crafts.

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A decade ago, the teen dream was to become afashion designer, rock
star or professional basketball player. OK, it's true: Some ofthe nerds
But the indomitable Internet andits soaring start-up culture have
changed all that. Today, youngsters -- whetherthey can drum, draw,
dunk or dnbbt
"Kids want to be in control oftheir own destiny," says Jim Hayes,
CEO of JuniorAchievement, whichteaches students aboutbusiness
andhas seen its membership skyrocketfrom 1 million to nearly 4
million since 1989. "Bill Gates and Steve Jobs andpeople like that
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For years, she watchedkids come to school withouttheright paper,
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to do something about it.
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began sellingprepackagedschool-supplykits bundled in backpacks.
The concept was a hit. And Tutson, who will enter Chatham College
year in business.
I Not all teen entrepreneurs are turning to technology, however. As the
Moments on following six profiles show, money can still be made the old-
usATODAY.com! fashioned way: raising worms,re-tooling bikes or selling school
supplies.
Tariq Tutson: Pre-packaged school-supply kits

2. her supplies at closeouts andmakes $10 on each $25kit she sells.
It's not going to be acompetitive threat to Staples anytime soon, but
S.S. Kits certainly has room to grow. Tutson wants to include
calculators in her kits.
And she hopes to tap into the college market by selling on the
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Says the young entrepreneur: "There are so many things students1 !!
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Travis Bruce got down and dirty afew summers ago, when he
Then the 14-year-oldninth-grader from Springfield, 111., logged on to
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His take: "Worms are goodfor things otherthan fishing."
So good, infact, that Bruce startedhis own company, T.K. Worm
Initially, the new entrepreneur operated from his basement, where he
filled buckets with soil, grain and worms. After several weeks, the
When demand prew. Rrnce moved his business to warehouse.
T.K. Worm Factory's fertilizer, whose brand name is Wiggle Worm
Soil now comes in three sizes: 4-1/2 pounds C53.99.. 15
Bruce's Web site has attracted customers from as far away as Hawaii.
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John Lmdgren: Honey
Oregonborder buzzing.
After studying the insects in one ofhis great-grandfather'sbooks, the

3. Today, Lindgren owns 20hives, sells $4,500 worth ofhoney each
yearfrom a Model T pickup and boasts sweet profit margins of90%.
But success definitelycame the hard way.
When Lindgren launched his company, John's Bees, he was forced to
lav out money for protective equipment and other paraphernalia.
Then he hadto endure two stinging seasons without much honey
"I didn'tunderstandbeekeeping back then," says Lindgren, who will
attend college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo this fall. "Iwas still
Lindgren's university studies won't interfere with his commercial. . i .11 i
Still, he's not sure ifbeekeeping will become his life's work.
"I'll decide whether to expand or tone my business down after I get
out ofcollege," says the fledgling entrepreneur, heading out to the
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Blake Henderson watchedhis cousin, Ashley, try to ride atwo-wheel
bicycle. It was apainful sight. And time she teetered and
"I was standing there trvins to think how to help."recalls the eidith-
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Ashley's precarious balancing act prompted Henderson to create the
Bike Handler, a 1-1/2-foot-long piece of PVC pipe that fits undera
make tracks on their own.
Henderson has sold 20 Bike Handlers at 3>20 each since last summer.
The first Bike Handlers were painted a garish black andgold marble.
the color scheme to bright yellow.
Now, he's harvesting a bountiful 1,500 pounds ofhoney a year.

4. D'Arcy Marlow: Customized steel benches
D'Arcy Marlow wanted to prove that a girl could handleheavy metal
just like the guys.
So the 17-year-old from San Marcos, Texas, bought some steel pipes
and borrowed a neighbor's welderand chop saw in late 1997.
Theresult was acustomized, folding art deco bench that spawned a
prowinp business
Marlow now has a waiting list of customers and isregularly selling
herbenches for $400to $1,000. Not bad, when you consider that her
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"I likewelding a lot," says Marlow, who will enter West Texas A&M
this fall. "It gives me a way to express myself. IfI mess up, I juststart
Marlowruns her company, D'Arcy's Benches, very conservatively.
She's plowed profits back intothe business and purchased her own
This summer, she plans to stay outside in the Texas heat and build a
bunch ofnew benches. And when she heads offto college in afew
months, her brother says he'd like to wield the welder andkeep things
Regina Jackson:Hand-crafted jeweliy
Regina Jackson is a gem.
And the 17-year-old from Washington has a glitteringiewelrv
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"Every time Isit down and make my jewelry, it calms me down,"
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necklaces alter getting a lew pointers irom her mother in
By 1997, sales approached $4,000, and protits reached $3,000.
Tokeep the bottom line sparkling, Jacksonbuys stones like jade,
plastic beads in her creations.
"Ifplastic beads look good," she says, "it gives it oomph, the kick."

5. $25 to $45 andsets ofearrings andnecklaces go for $30 to $60.
But prices will almost certainly rise if Jackson follows through on the
next stage ofher business plan and starts using silver and gold in her
iewelry.
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