Teenagers aren't lazy. I should know: I am one - Charlie Morton

Overview

As a teenager and a business owner, I discovered that finding people who want to employ students - and finding teenagers who want to be employed - is a lot harder than you think. Yet teenagers are cheap, they're pro-active and they're flexible.

The challenge

I own numerous businesses targeted specifically at teenagers. From my events company White Noise to magazine Shizazzle. My mother also owns a sports shop for kids. We were looking for young, excitable people to come and work for us but it wasn't that easy. The only way we could find people was through friends.

The problem goes both ways, though. Finding people who are willing to employ teenagers can be hard work. We have a reputation for being lazy, rude and dull, but I tell you what, if we've shown the initiative to submit our CV to a website and scour through various job openings and have chosen you to be our employer, we're not there for the hell of it.

In my limited years of business (I'm 16) I have had hundreds of teenagers working for me and they've created a real buzz and are really vocal about their opinions.

The solution

Social media is the place to be. If you're looking for young people, Facebook is a one-stop shop! Most businesses don't have those connections. Being 16 comes in handy sometimes - I had a ready-made network of teenagers!

I publicised my new business, Job or Two, on Facebook. When the site launched we had several thousand people on our site, browsing through jobs from top brands around the world. We were top of SEO for some of these big brands, (did I mention I love Wordpress)?

With Job or Two, you have a captive audience of teenagers that are looking for work. I solved the problem of tapping into teenage networks as an adult - and launched a new business in the process.

Since launching we've introduced CV submission and employer browsing, featured jobs and much more.

Our only issue us monetizing it. At the moment our service is free for anyone to use with a charge for premium listings which have something like 300% better traction. But that's another case study...

Key lesson

Teenagers will often work for free to be involved in something worthwhile.

Use Wordpress and Facebook to drum up a following.

Work on your network first, then launch your product or service.

Top tip

If you want to hire a teenager, have a look at our site. Sure you'll get a few silly applicants but what does it take to say no? When you find the person you're after, just remember not to stick them in a corner. We can be vital, we have a lot to say, we are very perceptive and we have a fresh outlook.

Take the plunge.

Find out more about JoborTwo.com

Smarta Business Builder

To help you on your business journey, we've created Smarta Business Builder, the complete online tools package for growing your business. Website Builder, Business Plans, Accounting Software, Legal Documents and Email - all in one place - from just £20 per month with no contract! Try it out today.