Sebastian Martinez, 15, and his brother Brandon, 17, are trying to give back with their business. In 2014, the brothers, with the help of their mother, launched Are You Kidding?, a company that sells unique sock designs and donates his 20 percent of profits to charity.
Since first selling at a shoe store booth near his home in Miami, he has sold more than 500,000 pairs of socks at trade shows, markets, school events, and online. Additionally, through philanthropic events and partnerships, he has raised more than $400,000 for childhood cancer treatment, diabetes research, and other causes.
Sebastian is the CEO and Brandon is the sales manager. But Brandon says because of their age, it took time to convince potential partners and manufacturers to take them seriously.
“At first, they were like, 'Oh my God,'” he says. what are they doing? they don't know anything. But, he added, “We earned their respect when they saw how dedicated we were.”
When it comes to running a business, experts say teens may actually have an advantage, at least in some ways. They already know how to use Instagram and TikTok and are capitalizing on trends.
But there's a lot more to being an entrepreneur than what you see on social media. For example, there are legal procedures to follow, from applying for a business license to paying taxes, and some laws may be different for minors than for adults. (See “Legal content” below).
