Young entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses know that it may take more than work experience on a resume to guarantee success in today's tough marketplace. Now, a new initiative has been launched to encourage more consumers to buy from companies started by entrepreneurs ages 35 and under. Organized by the non-profit, non-partisan Washington D.C. group Our Time, the Buy Young program kicked off its new campaign last July with a series of meetings attended by lawmakers and young entrepreneurs. Mehdi Farsi, the 27-year-old co-owner of State Bicycle Company, which is featured on the Buy Young website this month, told USA Today that many young people are hoping to start their own businesses instead of waiting for the right job to open up in today's tight economy. "It looks bleak for a lot of people out there. Jobs are hard to come by," Farsi told the news agency. "But there is another way to make it right now. You take matters into your own hands." Small businesses featured on the website each offer special monthly discounts up to 75% off their products and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 2.5 million jobs were created in the U.S. last year by new establishments. |