Lessons From The Small Business Expo

Last week on Wednesday I went to the small business expo down in Dallas. I got to skip school for it too which made it even better. I had heard about this event since June over the summer and without thinking much into I signed up then and there since the ticket was free. As the date came closer and closer I talked to my parents and after they agreed to let me go, I started preparing a small speech and introductory to introduce myself and my business. On the day of, my dad picked me up from school after my first class and got me the new Starbucks holiday drink which was very delicious as always. As we had a 40-minute drive I sat in the back getting ready and going over my introduction making sure I was confident.

Once we got there I checked in and went to a couple of different events and workshops. Everywhere I went I never spotted anyone my age. That wasn't very surprising since after all this was mainly for adults. After all there were not many kids that were willing to skip school to do something like this. Being the only kid there definitely made me a little scared. I was scared that people wouldn't take me seriously or would ignore me. To my surprise it was quite the opposite, either people didn't realize or they were more interested in hearing what i had to say because of my age. One of the biggest things I learned while I was there was that people will usually overlook your age if you show your capabilities. This further motivated me to continue to increase my knowledge and expand my skills. I was able to use my age at times to get people to get more people to help me. For example, I would go to a marketing firm and tell them about how I was a small business owner that was looking for ways to market my business without spending any money.

While I was there, I got to talk to a lot of other business owners and learn a lot from them. I also got to introduce myself to some of the keynote speakers and workshop speakers there. From them I asked specific questions that would help me grow and expand my business. Throughout talking to all these people, I gained valuable insights and things I needed to do to take my work to the next level.

When listening to David Charest talk, I noticed he talked a lot about a company called Constant Contact that he used pretty often to his full advantage. Later as I was exploring the booths I saw the booth for the company and decided to take a look with my dad. As it turned out they were a company that connected all your platforms together and helped you with your marketing. After talking to them for about 20 minutes I decided to do a 1-month trial period with them to see what they were like and if it was really worth it.

As the expo was ending, me and my dad decided to take a few photos and head home for the day. Reflecting on this, made me realize how much I had learned and how much I needed to take action now. Once I got home, I made a plan on what to do and got to work.

Attending the Small Business Expo, made me realize something, opportunities don't wait for the right age or time instead they wait for the right mindset. At first walking into the large convention center surrounded by hundreds of adults who did this full time was very intimidating. After all I was a 14-year-old in middle school, skipping school to attend an event that was targeted for adults. But instead of thinking of it that way, I thought of it as just another opportunity to connect. If I wanted to succeed, I would have to learn to be uncomfortable. Seeing all these businesses made me realize I am nowhere near the end, instead it's just the beginning.