A Community for Young Founders, Freelancers & Side Hustlers
Where do I begin?!
The past couple of years into entrepreneurship has been a long journey.
Fun? Sometimes.
Hard? Always.
Worth it? Definitely.
Along the way, I have often wished I had someone in a similar situation to talk to, get advice, support, guidance, and in all honesty, help. That's not to say I haven't had help at all.
Of course, I have, though it was always from someone who has at least 10+ years of work experience in comparison to me. Someone who has been a manager before. And, most of the support I've had I've paid for. I am forever grateful for the support I have had.
Notable mentions for some supporters I’ve had (giving business, pricing, strategy etc., advice, or helping with hiring)
Terry - Founder of Botfield Associates
Moiz - Founder of MZN Consultancy
Stacey - Founder of Goho
Oana - Founder of Marele Accountancy
The Young Founder Struggle
There are differences with being a young founder that makes it even harder.
We're not always taken seriously (don't get me started on being a young founder, let alone a young woman). Other companies *sometimes* view us as an easy target to rip off (I'm not just saying that, I have been BURNED). I've had some employees, freelancers, and interviewee candidates not take me seriously.
(Story time for another day).
We don't have extensive working experience therefore, whilst we're navigating running a business, freelance career, or content creating, we're also working out 'work life' in general.
I started my business 1.5 (ish) years after graduating from University… so that will tell you how much work experience I had.
We're less likely to get funding.
It's harder to get support. You either have to rely on a small network or pay for it. Going through your twenties is a strange time. It's hard to find someone you relate to being self-employed in your twenties. There are very few resources for young founders. There are resources for running a business in general or generic resources for us, but nothing that targets us specifically to help.
Also, sometimes, the best part about work colleagues is being able to have a good old moan. And you see, if I did that to any of the other business owners I know, I would come across as very unprofessional.
Twenties Legacy
So, now you've listened to me moan, it now brings me to the reason why I created Twenties Legacy. To give others what I didn't have. It'll be a platform of ongoing resources to help young business owners, freelancers, creators & side hustlers - generally anyone who works part or full time self-employed. And to anyone wanting to step into this world.
A safe place where you can ask questions, get advice from others who are very similar to you, network and talk amongst yourselves in an area dedicated to you. As well as an information hub where you can continuously learn as a twenties founder. No one tells you how to handle specific client/customer situations, nor do they say how to get clients/customers as a young founder.
Believe me, it often works differently, especially when you're closing sales.
No one tells you what to expect, and how to navigate through certain situations without it being very generic. I wanted a community group just for us. For all of this.
There are many small business communities, but I wanted a platform that helps explicitly those in their twenties (even teens). I also wanted to tackle issues we face as young business owners. Such as glamorising hustle culture. Sometimes I can't believe I bought into hustle culture, and I quite literally made myself ill from it.
Burnout is real. And, it's unhealthy.
I have so many stories from my journey, and I'm sure you all do, too, so it's a great place to share these. Email me yours!
What you see now is just the beginning.
For the past few months I've been planning the content I want this community to offer, but as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day!
Every month, I'll be releasing more content, more stories, and resources to help any young, self-employed individual.
Mostly importantly, I want to help you self-manage self-employment.
I've been in business for over a year now therefore, I can give tips and information on the rest of your business - accounting, planning, strategy, HR, sales etc. I'm not an expert in those areas, but I can certainly say from my experience, what has helped me, and what I've seen work well for others. We will have experts in these areas give their input too, to ensure you're getting the best advice.
I've been building my network and have some trustworthy companies I can recommend if you require particular services. I have done my best to select those willing to give that extra support to those young and self-employed that won't rip you off or treat you negatively. I'm going to be active on many platforms so that you can enjoy a variety of content across them all.
To finish off, I'm more than happy for any young founder to message me. I'll help in what ways I can. I'm so excited for this community, and I hope it is helpful to those who want that support, like me. Keep an eye out for future resources, they're made to be helpful in your business.
Hey, this is at the start of the journey. It would be cool if you would follow the social platforms and join the Facebook Group.
Daily advice, chats, moaning and more.