You Don’t Need Money or Age to Start a Business
Here’s what I’ve learned after 13 years in business: you don’t need a lot of money to start—and you don’t need to wait until you’re older, either.
When I started my first business, I was young. I had no big savings. No rich family. No connections to powerful people. What I had was simple: an idea and the energy to make it happen.
I never told myself, “I’ll start my business when I have enough money.” Instead, I just started.
Why Young Entrepreneurs Are Winning Today
Look around at successful businesses today, and you’ll see many are run by young people. In fact, many of today’s most dynamic companies were started by young entrepreneurs.
Why does this happen?
Because young people have energy. Not just physical energy, but mental energy too. When you’re young and passionate about something, you can push through challenges that might stop others.
That energy is like fuel. It keeps you going when things get hard.
My First Business Failed Completely
In April 2012, my co-founder and I opened our first business—a small bookstore. I used money I saved from working two jobs: one at a bookshop and another at a printing press.
We were excited. I thought I knew what I was doing.
But we were wrong. After a year and three months, our bookstore failed, and we had to close it down.
It hurt. I lost money. I felt embarrassed. But looking back now, that failure taught me more than any business course ever could.
The Expensive Lesson About Cash Flow
My biggest mistake? I spent too much money buying books from publishers up front. Books are expensive, especially when you’re paying for them before you’ve sold anything.
I ran out of cash. No cash means no business. That’s the harsh reality I learned.
A Life-Changing Lesson in Singapore
My business was on the verge of collapse—we were down to our last 3 books. Right as I was about to quit, I got some encouragement from a business couple, and then in late 2014, I attended a workshop at the National University of Singapore. The instructor said something that stuck with me forever:
“Use what you already have—to the fullest.”
They gave us a simple challenge: create the longest possible line using only what we had with us—pens, notebooks, belts, bags, even our clothes.
The group with the longest line would win a prize.
This simple exercise made me realize something important: I was always looking for what I didn’t have instead of seeing what I already had.
How I Rebuilt My Business With Almost Nothing
After that workshop, I sat down and made a list. Not a list of what I needed. A list of what I already had:
- I knew a printing house owner from my hometown.
- I had a friend who sold printing machines.
- I owned a car. (Not fancy, but it was mine.)
- I could possibly get a small bank loan if my parents helped guarantee it.
None of these things was perfect, but together, they were enough.
The Hard Decisions I Made
I decided to use everything I had.
First, I sold my car. It hurt to let it go, but I needed the money.
Second, I applied for a bank loan. I borrowed about $8,000 — a lot of money for me back then. My parents agreed to guarantee the loan, which meant that if I couldn’t pay it back, they would be responsible.
Third, I talked to the printing house owner. I asked if he could give me a discount since we were from the same hometown. I also asked if I could pay him in installments instead of a lump sum.
He said yes.
Starting Wardoh Books for the Second Time
With that money, I started working on six book manuscripts. I had written all of them myself, but never published them.
I edited and prepared them myself, then sent them to print.
The books sold slowly at first. Honestly, they weren’t of great quality. The design was basic. The writing needed improvement. But people bought them.
That’s when I realized something: if I keep improving, I can survive. If I keep getting better, I can grow.
Building a Small Team
As sales improved a little, I had enough money to hire a few people. We started a campaign called “A Life of Change.”
Slowly, Wardoh Books began to grow again.
But I noticed a problem. Every time I printed books through someone else’s printing house, I had to pay their prices. It was expensive.
So I made another big decision: I would buy my own printing machine.
The Friend Who Changed Everything
Remember that friend I mentioned who sold printing machines?
I reached out to him. His wife was also an entrepreneur, so they understood my situation.
He offered me something incredible—a printing machine at a much lower price than market rate. Even better, he let me pay for it later.
It felt almost like getting it for free.
That machine changed everything. Now I wasn’t just selling books—I was printing them too. I had more control. I could keep my costs low.
From Books to Real Estate
Books didn’t make me rich. Let me be clear about that.
But they gave me something more valuable: trust.
Banks saw that I could run a business. They saw that I paid my loans on time. That trust allowed me to borrow more money later to buy land and expand.
I’ve always loved businesses that create long-term income. Not quick money that disappears. Real, sustainable income that lasts.
You Don’t Need to Be Rich or Old to Start
People often ask me: “How much money do I need to start a business? How old should I be?”
My answer is simple: stop waiting.
You don’t need a specific amount of money. You don’t need to reach a certain age.
What you need is to start with whatever you already have.
Why Sharing My Story Matters
Some people believe that successful people should stay quiet. They think talking about your success is showing off.
I disagree.
If I learn something valuable but keep it to myself, how does that help anyone?
Imagine a martial arts master who teaches his students nine techniques but keeps the tenth one secret. When he dies, that technique dies with him. Nobody benefits.
That’s why I share my story. You might not care about my words today. But maybe in the future, someone will read this and learn something useful.
The Real Problem Isn’t Money—It’s Fear
Here’s the truth that most people don’t want to hear: While money matters, your mindset often matters more—especially when you’re starting with very little.
Your biggest obstacle is your mindset.
When you’re young and you fail, you have time to try again. You have energy to start over. You have years ahead of you to learn and grow.
Every failure teaches you something. Every mistake makes you smarter.
Think of it this way: life is like a long rope — even if one part breaks, you still have plenty left to climb.
What Stops People From Starting
I’ve met so many people who want to start a business. They have ideas. They have dreams.
But they don’t start.
Why? Usually, it’s one of these reasons:
- “I don’t have enough money.”
- “I’m too young.”
- “I’m too old.”
- “I don’t know the right people.”
- “What if I fail?”
I understand these fears. I had them too.
But here’s what I learned: you’ll never feel completely ready. There will never be a perfect time. You just have to start.
Start Before You Feel Ready
Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker, said something brilliant:
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
That quote changed how I think about business and life.
You learn by doing. You get better by trying. You become great by starting—even when you’re not ready.
My Biggest Fear
People sometimes ask what I’m most afraid of in life.
My answer surprises them.
I’m not afraid of failure. I’m not afraid of losing money. I’m not afraid of criticism.
What I’m afraid of is simple: not starting.
Not taking that first step. Not trying. Not giving myself a chance to succeed.
That’s the scariest thing to me.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you’re reading this and thinking about starting a business, here’s my advice:
Stop waiting for the perfect moment. It doesn’t exist.
Look at what you already have. Skills, connections, knowledge, tools—you have more resources than you think.
Start small. You don’t need to launch something huge — just start with one small step.
Expect to fail sometimes. Failure is part of learning. Every successful entrepreneur has failed many times.
Keep improving. Your first attempt won’t be perfect. That’s okay. Get better with each try.
The Truth About Success
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built step by step, day by day, failure by failure.
When I started, I had almost nothing. I saved money from my job. I borrowed from the bank. I asked for help from friends and family.
People laughed at me. Some people didn’t believe in me. That hurt.
But I kept going. I learned from every mistake. I got better with every attempt.
And slowly, things started working.
Your Age and Money Don’t Matter
Let me say this one more time because it’s important:
Your age doesn’t matter. Your money doesn’t matter.
What matters is your decision to start.
What matters is your willingness to learn from mistakes.
What matters is your commitment to keep going even when things get hard.
I was young with no money when I started. You might be in the same situation. Or maybe you’re older and think you’ve missed your chance.
Either way, you’re wrong if you think you can’t start.
You can. Right now. Today.
Final Thoughts: Just Start
Thirteen years ago, I took a chance. I started a business with almost no money. I failed. Then I tried again.
Today, I run a successful business. Not because I’m smarter than everyone else. Not because I had advantages.
But because I started.
That’s the secret. That’s the whole thing.
Just start.
Your idea might fail. You might lose some money. People might doubt you.
But you’ll learn. You’ll grow. You’ll get another chance.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll build something amazing.
The only way to find out is to start.
Ready to start your business journey? Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Look at what you have right now and take the first step today. Your future self will thank you.
