Posted by Kevin

Many young people have dreams of starting their own business, but factors such as fear and lack of resources and support dampen those dreams and often discourage young people from starting their own business.

22-year old Ooltewah High School graduate and business owner, Melissa Hicks, founded Project New Vision aiming to provide a network for young entrepreneurs.  The new project will also award a $2,000 scholarship to one Hamilton County high school student based on their academic success and entrepreneurial goals.

It’s about time something like this was started in Chattanooga!  I really commend Melissa on taking the initiative to get Project New Vision going.  Many young people have great ideas for businesses, but don’t have the resources or the support to get started.

The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce promotes their Small Business Development Center, but it does not specifically target young entrepreneurs.  The old saying, “it takes money to make money” is mostly true, but there are numerous ways to obtain startup capital and other resources that are rarely utilized.  Many times, encouragement from other successful entrepreneurs can be a catalyst for new businesses.

Again, thanks to Melissa for taking the initiative for providing a great resource for young entrepreneurs and young people who might be considering the prospect of starting a new business.  I’ll keep you posted as this story develops.