It is always better to be an
employer than an employee, if you are disciplined and able to devote time and
money. Learn all you can about running a
business. Take a class. Ask an experienced business owner for advice. Be
careful, though. Many businesses fail, especially in their first year. You
could end up with considerable debt, no savings, and no benefits. Get help!
You don't need to be the only person
in your business to avoid having someone siphon off the profits from the
contacts and goodwill you generate. If you can work efficiently with someone
with complementary skills who is very honest and reliable, you could start a
business as co-owners.
Entrepreneurs make up the majority
of millionaires, it is high risk, but it is also the most likely way to become truly
wealthy. Few people amass great wealth
through other means. Less than 1% become a millionaire through
"other" means such as being a rock star, winning the lottery, etc. So
unless you inherit wealth your best shot is doing this.
Note that you can start your own
business part-time. For example by going into real
estate, tax sale investing, purchasing, renovating and selling homes is a
common way for building wealth for people without money to invest.
Learn about budgeting, credit, and
debt. Learn how credit cards work! If
you get into debt early it can sabotage your progress.
Put an amount of money in the Credit
Union monthly. 10, 20, 30 dollars is good - $100
is better. By the time you get old, retirement would be easy. (See segment
about compound interest).
If you are in college and can't
afford an apartment and don't like those nasty dorms, then gather with 3 or 4
people, and buy a good sized house while splitting the payment. It'd probably cost less than a apartment. Better yet, buy
yourself a home using a mortgage and pay yourself instead someone!
Listen to your instincts and don't
be afraid to go against the flow.
If someone tells you that they have found a sure-fire opportunity to make YOU
rich, it usually means that they have found a sure-fire opportunity to make THEMSELVES
rich by convincing you to buy their product. So stop and think, there are
millions of great opportunities out there. You just have to filter out all the
background noise to find those opportunities because, in the real world, no one
else is going to find them for you.
Various unforeseeable problems can
lead to people trying to take your money.
Try to protect yourself against them before they happen. Make sure you have
adequate liability insurance, and a consult a lawyer about protecting your
assets and those you want to put aside for your children from problems that may
arise.