Raising Entrepreneurs

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Young entrepreneur Raquel Fuentes, 16, fries up her specialty called "empanadillas", a Puerto Rican dish, in her aunt's kitchen in Cleveland.

As a student in the E-City entrepreneurial program last school year, Cleveland’s Raquel Fuentes had to open and run her own business. The 16-year-old SuccessTech Academy junior created Comida Sabrosa, which translates into “tasty food.” Having learned to cook from her grandmother, she brought in samples of her signature dish, empanadillas, for her classmates and teachers. They loved them, and began buying them — lots of them — for $2 each. Soon, she was spending hours in her kitchen, in addition to keeping up with the schoolwork needed to stay an honor student. A year later, she has saved a decent chunk of money for college, where she hopes to eventually study law. She recently answered a few questions from PDQ’s John Campanelli.
What exactly are empanadillas?

Empanadillas are beef turnovers. They’re usually made with ground beef cooked with sofrito, which is a mixture of different seasoning that a lot of Hispanics use in their cooking. Then the beef is put into a dough, which is fried.

How healthful are they?

If you’re on a diet, I’d stay away from them. (laughing) That’s what makes them so good. They are very, very, very fattening.
How many have you cooked up at one time?

About 120.
How long does it take?

It takes a long time. When I first started, I was in the kitchen all the time. It takes a good two to three to 3½ hours, depending on whether my mom and sister want to help.
Do you pay them?

They get empanadillas. As long as they get one, they’re happy. I tried to charge my mom, but she wasn’t having it. (laughing)
What’s the key to making a good empanadilla?

I think the meat you use, and how you cook them. I hate greasy empanadillas. I’ve been to other Hispanic restaurants and I’ve had the empanadillas they’ve made and I hate how they’re greasy and nobody took the time to cook them the right way. Mine are not greasy.
What has running your own business taught you about life?

It’s taught me a lot. It’s taught me that either you’re going to be your own boss and make your own money or you’re going to spend the rest of your life working for somebody else. And that education is the only way out.
What kind of law do you want to specialize in?

Either criminal justice or women’s rights.
Why those?

I just feel like women are looked at like they’re secondary, even though we’re in the 21st century. A woman police officer isn’t looked at the same as a man police officer. I don’t think that’s right. A woman running for president, not a lot of people agreed with that. Which I don’t think is fair. It should all be equal.
Have you ever thought about a career in politics?

I could see myself doing it one day, but I’m not 100 percent sure. … In April we have class elections and I plan on running for senior class president.
Have you started your campaign?

I put the word out there to my class. Everybody knows I’m going to run but I won’t start campaigning until April. I can’t officially put up posters or anything until April.
Are you going to exchange empanadillas for votes?

I actually didn’t think about that. (laughing) That’s a good idea.

Raquel Fuentes’ Beef and Cheese Empanadillas

Sofrito
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
1 cup cilantro
1 clove chopped garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dough (see cook’s notes)

3 cups flour
10 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup water

Cook’s note: To save time, you can also use a store-bought dough such as Goya Discos.

Filling

½ pound ground beef
2 cups sofrito
1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese per empanadilla

Grind sofrito ingredients in a food processor.

In a large skillet, brown and drain ground beef. Mix in sofrito.

Sift flour into a bowl, and add salt and sugar. With knife, cut shortening into mix. Add liquids and beat until a soft dough is formed. Sprinkle some flour on the working area. Roll the dough thinly and cut into circles 3 to 4 inches across.

In a deep frying pan, heat 2-inch-deep vegetable oil. Place 1½ tablespoons of beef filling and cheese in the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half and press edges with a fork.

Drop empanadillas into heated oil and fry on each side until brown.

Source: The Plain Dealer

Young Entrepreneur Tanner Strunz

All the snow is making for a busy day for one area business owner who’s only half the age of some of his most fierce competition.

While the bad economy buries many, a Brodhead teenager is plowing full steam ahead.

The work is fast and furious for this team. The more white that falls the more green they see.

Strunz Lawn Care Owner Tanner Strunz says, “When I heard we were supposed to get up to 8 inches of snow I was really happy.”

They may not look any different than your average snow removal crew and if they don’t they’ll take that as a compliment. You see the boss here is only 17.

Strunz says, “I’ve worked very hard to get it this far and now that I’m this far it feels a lot better that I worked hard in the beginning.”

For Strunz things shifted into gear at a young age.

He started mowing one lawn for cash at 14 years old. Three years later he’s grown into a full fledged lawn care and snow removal business.

This winter he hired his first employee.

Strunz says, “I was sick of not having any money and I just wanted something to do.”

Many business owners are finding themselves knee deep in problems but Strunz keeps pushing ahead.

He says, “It feels weird that I’m young and I’m making money.”

Making money is something many people twice his age are struggling with in this economy but as his business continues to grow he’s got some simple advice.

He says, “Don’t get to big. Don’t get too cocky. Just keep it a small business.”

His mother Jean Day says, “When it started I thought it was kind of unrealistic and now he’s really built it up to a true business.”

A business successful enough to earn him Wisconsin’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, something this boss is taking in stride.

He says, “I have a job that’s fun.”

Source: NBC

Young Entrepreneur Blaine Mickens

Six Northeast Ohio teen entrepreneurs were profiled in “Who’s Your Boss?”, a new production developed by WEAO Channel 49.

It aired at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21.

Adult host Jeff Blanchard works for each young entrepreneur at jobs such as painting homes, sewing fur costumes and more.

The following teens were featured:

• Adrian Lindsey, 17, a senior at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Stow and resident of Akron. Adrian created All-Net Sak, a nylon basketball carrier.

• Blaine Mickens, an 18-year-old Clevelander who is a recent graduate of Whitney Young High School in Cleveland. Mickens owns a landscaping and residential painting company.

• Jake Penwell, 19, of Shelby, is a freshman at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He runs disc jockey company.

• Naomi and Noemi Romero, 16-year-old twins and seniors at John Hay High School in Cleveland, own their own fur-suit business.

• Jaizhou Yang, 17, a senior at University School in Hunting Valley and resident of Beachwood, wants to capitalize on video game trends by holding and promoting video game tournaments.

Image: Peggy Turbutt/The Plain Dealer

Two Wisconsin high school seniors have been named “Young Entrepreneurs of the Year” by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Public Instruction. The pair, Caleb Taplin of Ellsworth High School and Tanner Strunz of Brodhead High School, were recognized during National Entrepreneurship Week USA, February 21 – 28, 2009.

“I am delighted to announce the winners of this honor,” said Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. “Caleb and Tanner are both great examples of Wisconsin’s best and brightest young entrepreneurial spirit. Wisconsin’s economic future depends on the discipline and desire that these young entrepreneurs possess.”

“As Caleb and Tanner know, successful entrepreneurs use 21st century skills like self-direction, financial literacy, communication, and creativity,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “Congratulations to our 2009 Young Entrepreneurs for developing abilities that will continue to contribute to their own well-being and that of our society, for years to come.”

Taplin, of Ellsworth, is involved in the design of a line of clothing in operating Clarity Clothing. Strunz, of Brodhead, is the owner of Strunz Lawn Care, which provides lawn care, snow plowing and tree removal. They will each receive a recognition plaque signed by Governor Jim Doyle, as well as a free business counseling session through a Wisconsin Small Business Development Center near them, and an opportunity to receive business mentorship.

Strunz, who is now a 17-year-old owner of his own business, was a bored kid in the summer of 2006. “My uncle asked me if I’d like to mow his lawn to make some money. I used a push mower and made a little cash and I liked it.”

By the next summer, he had six yards to mow and decided to add snow removal for all of those clients. Last year he took steps to grow his business. “I decided I needed to get my name out there. Dad said he sees other lawn care businesses with sweatshirts and T-shirts, so I had some of those made and got business cards and did some advertising,” he said.

His clientele more than doubled and he added some commercial clients, including a local bank and car dealership with 2 acres in need of snow clearing. He also added several clients over the state line into Illinois. One of those homes is in a gated community where he’s meeting with management and may add five to eight yards to his to-do list.

Tanner said he’s done most of the work himself to this point, just hiring a few friends to help out when he wanted a vacation. But with the work he’s lined up for next year, he plans on taking on an employee, one of his best friends who has done some work with him in the past.

When he started Strunz Lawn Care, he drove to his clients’ homes on the lawn tractor, towing his push mower on a small custom trailer, since he didn’t have his driver’s license. Now he can drive his pickup truck and tow the new lawn tractor he purchased.

Read the full story in Wisfarmer.