Benjamin Lang, a 15 years old eBay business owner and young entrepreneur came on Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews segment this week.
Benjamin caught my attention when I read another interview that he had with Shonika Proctor, a close friend of mine in the online entrepreneur space. Benjamin is not just any young entrepreneur. He has had TV appearances under his belt and people actually requested him to sell their cars on eBay. Amazing?
In this interview, you may notice some chuckles among ourselves. Do excuse us for that because I really had so much fun during the interview and had learned a lot from Benjamin.
Benjamin Lang Interview, 15 Years Old eBay Seller
Wayne: Hey Benjamin! Before I start the interview, I would like to thank you for willing to take out some time to share your entrepreneurial insights about running a business as a young entrepreneur.
Benjamin: No problem, I’m honored to be with you.
Wayne: Benjamin, I know you had a TV appearance on Channel 12 and had definitely introduced yourself over and over again on a few other interviews. Even so, there might be readers that don’t have any clue about who you are. Can you do a brief intro about yourself and the main business that you are running?
Benjamin: So, I’m 15 years old. I live in New York currently. I’ve lived in a few different countries and speak 3 languages. I started an eBay selling business about 5 months ago, the real spark came when I was on Channel 12. From there business grew and I started working on web design. So now I sell stuff on eBay and I am starting to design people’s sites.
Wayne: It is always interesting to read about how young entrepreneurs get their ventures up and running. Tell us your story. How does the idea of running your own business came about?
Benjamin: I started by selling my grandfather’s camera equipment online. The cash started pouring in because it was quite an expensive equipment. So I thought, maybe if I sold other people’s stuff I could make even more… which eventually lead to the creation of my business.
Wayne: Cool. How long did it take for you to set everything up and have your first customer? I mean, was the initial stage hard?
Benjamin: Well, the first customers were mostly friends and family so it was really only word of mouth. It did take a while to get some clients who were strangers. I did so by constantly posting ads on Craigslist, putting flyers up locally and building a website. After that it got easier and easier. Now, most of my customers are people I have never met.
Wayne: In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of running an eBay business, especially when you are just a teenager?
Benjamin: Age I think is the most difficult issue. First of all, you’re really supposed to be 18 to sell on eBay and have a Paypal account. Also meeting strangers to pick up their stuff is not ideal for a teenager. But there are ways to surpass these problems. I do so by using an eBay account in my mother’s name. I also make sure that the person I am meeting is safe and trustworthy beforehand.
Wayne: That is very interesting. In fact, I have to use a debit card to get started when I was a minor due to strict credit card requirements. I also understand that apart from your eBay business, you offer consultation for aspiring teenage entrepreneurs. Tell us a little bit about that and what you wish to achieve by offering the service.
Benjamin: So that’s newer and haven’t had luck yet. I am trying to offer my advice to other teenagers like me, who are interested in starting a business. I think that it’s a great opportunity to network and maybe I’ll meet the next Bill Gates 
.
Wayne: You’ll never know. 
There are a lot of young potentials out there who just don’t know how to start. What do you think are the common obstacles that are stopping teenage entrepreneurs to have their own ventures?
Benjamin: Age and confidence. It’s definitely not easy starting a business at this age when you know other kids won’t be doing anything similar for 5-10 years. In some ways it may even seem abnormal which is why kids don’t have the confidence to set up a business.
Wayne: Being a teenage entrepreneur also makes us different from the rest, which sometimes can be intimidating for most. If a kid or a teenager with a business idea comes to you, what will be your Top 3 advice for him/her?
Benjamin: Networking, perseverance and creativity. I’ve been working on networking very hard. It takes a lot of effort but pays off. Perseverance I feel that I’ve mastered, I try very hard to be successful at everything I do. Creativity is very important and I’m still working on it. 
Wayne: Networking, I would say, is crucial for entrepreneurs since we are so different from "normal human beings". 
Benjamin, if I have not mistaken, you are still a sophomore, right?
Benjamin: Right.
Wayne: OK, so this is a must ask question. Do you think school has played a huge part in preparing you for your business? Do you think that things that are taught in school are useful for student entrepreneurs?
Benjamin: No, not at all. For some reasons in my school, art and music are in place of business and computers. I honestly don’t understand why, in fact it’s pretty sad. I wish that we could learn about business in school!
Wayne: You actually have the same thoughts with another young entrepreneur, Jason O’Neill, whom I interviewed last week. He said that his school weren’t supportive about entrepreneurship AT ALL!
Benjamin: What a coincidence!
Wayne: Where do you see yourself stand 5 years from now? You can always reveal some secret projects that you are working on if you want to.
Benjamin: Ha, 5 years from now I’ll be starting a company to compete with Google.
Wayne: , what do you think the next level of your current eBay business will be? Selling cars and aircrafts perhaps?
Benjamin: Don’t think so. But I’ve actually been asked to sell a car twice! Maybe I’ll start my own creative e-commerce site. eBay is just the basics.
Wayne: Cool. I, of course, will be paying close attention to your progress. Benjamin, it was fun having you on Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews and you definitely gave a lot of advice for young aspiring entrepreneurs reading the blog. Before we end this, how can readers get in touch with you?
Benjamin: Great.
Email: b@langonline.com
Sites: http://www.EbayBen.com and http://www.Ben-Lang.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/entrepreneurpro
Phone: 917-734-1927
Enough?
Wayne: Wow, one will have no excuse on how they can’t get to you. Benjamin, thanks for your time. I wish you all the best in your current and future ventures.
Benjamin: Thanks so much, really appreciate it.
Afterthoughts on Interview with Benjamin Lang
From this online interview of mine with Benjamin, I learned that sometimes, it is good for us to let our imaginations wander beyond our wildest dreams.
When we start to perceive things maturely, rationale and logic forms a big part in our mindset. We tend to forget about imaginations that we used to have when we were young.
Have you thought of nurturing another Bill Gates or setting up a company that will directly compete with Google in recent weeks? Most adults will say that it’s crazy but nothing is impossible, right? Reality comes from ideas and ideas come from imagination. This is why entrepreneurship is so fascinating to me.
What are Your Thoughts About the Interview?
After reading my interview with Benjamin, what are some of the thoughts that spring into your mind? Are you inspired to take some actions? Will you be spending more time imagining or perhaps, brainstorming (a more mature word ) for ideas?
Tell me about what you think in the comments section because hearing from you is priceless.
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