You can be any age to start a successful business, as long as you've got the passion for your chosen field. One such example is 17-year old Nehemiah Walker of Capitol Heights, Maryland, who spoke with gazette.net about his experiences starting up his company, Freedom of Expression Photography. Walker told the community news website that he started several years ago using 35 millimeter film as well as a digital camera, before upgrading to a new one last year. Entrepreneurship runs in the family, with his father and grandfather having owned carpentry businesses. He started his business with $150 and currently works from his basement with four backdrop stands and a printer producing photos of various sizes. The website noted that he recently had the opportunity to show his portfolio at the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Youth Showcase in Washington. According to SCORE, an organization that provides advice to small business owners, there are currently 27.2 million such businesses in the U.S., accounting for about half the nation's private sector workforce. About 637,100 small business opened in 2007 alone, about 31 percent of which will stay open for seven years or longer.  |