Twenty Dollars. Two Weeks. One Story.
We’re not handing you a shortcut. We’re handing you a starting line.
Take $20 of your own and put it to work. Buy supplies and flip them. Start a little service. Make something and sell it. There’s no single right move. The point is to prove that a small amount of money, plus your effort and the people you already know, is enough to begin.
Then here’s the real assignment: write it down as you go. The wins, the flops, the day nobody bought anything and the day it finally clicked. That journal is what turns a hustle into a story, and the strongest stories get featured in The Youngpreneur Journal.
Three Check Ins
The Start · Day 0
Sign up with your name, your age, and your plan for the $20. This is your first check in, and your two week clock starts the day you submit it.
The Halfway · Day 7
Send a quick progress check in: what you’ve tried, what’s working, what flopped, and where your money stands so far.
The Final · Day 14
Submit your finished story with photos, your final numbers, and the biggest lesson you’re walking away with.
What to Keep Track Of
Earn Your Feature
Finish all three check ins and your journey is eligible. We read them all, and the standouts, the most creative, most honest, most determined, get their own feature in The Youngpreneur Journal: your name, your story, your photos, read by our whole community.
It’s not about who made the most money. It’s about who showed up, figured it out, and told the truth about the road.
The Rules
Bring your own $20. Your starting stake is twenty dollars of your own. This is a do it yourself challenge, not a giveaway.
You get two weeks. Your 14 days start the day you submit your first check in.
Check in three times. Start (Day 0), halfway (around Day 7), and final (around Day 14). You get a 3 day window to submit the halfway and final check ins, so you’re not tied to a single exact day. All three are required to be eligible. No skipping to the ending.
Show your proof. Each check in needs at least one photo or receipt (up to 5). It’s how we keep every story real. Want to share more? Email us anytime.
Keep it legal and honest. Real effort, real numbers, real story. No made up results, and nothing that breaks the law or any rules where you live.
Stay safe. Do the challenge with a parent or guardian in the loop. No meeting strangers alone, and no handling anything unsafe.
Under 18? A parent or guardian enters for you. If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian must submit your entry and complete the media release before you enter or are featured.
Open to all ages. The Youngpreneur Challenge is built for young founders, so founders of any age can enter. Anyone under 18 must be entered by a parent or legal guardian, who completes the media release when they submit. It stays open all year, so start whenever you are ready.
For Parents & Guardians
The Youngpreneur Challenge is meant to be done with you, not around you. We ask that a parent or guardian help their young entrepreneur choose a safe, age appropriate idea, supervise anything involving money, materials, or customers, and give written permission before we publish a minor’s name, story, or photo.
The starting $20 comes from the participant. We don’t collect any payment, and there’s no fee to enter.
Take the Challenge
Sign up, grab your $20, and start documenting. Two weeks from now you’ll have a story worth telling.
Sign Up & Start →Challenge FAQ
Who can enter?
Anyone, at any age. If the founder is under 18, a parent or legal guardian submits the entry and agrees to the media release before anything is published.
What is the challenge?
Start with $20 of your own and grow it into a real little business over two weeks, documenting the journey along the way.
How long does it take?
Two weeks. You share a start, a Day 7 update, and a Day 14 finish.
Does my child need my permission?
Yes. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian submits the entry and completes the media release before we publish a name, story, or photo.
What do standouts get?
The most creative, honest, and determined stories are featured in The Youngpreneur Journal. There is no cash prize, the win is the experience and the recognition.
Is it safe?
Do it with a parent or guardian in the loop: no meeting strangers alone, and nothing unsafe.