maybe 18

You have to be 18 to start a business by yourself. There are ways around this such as have a consenting parent be a co-signer on the business as well as every bank account, etc. It can be a real pain but it can be done. You may want to consult with a business lawyer to see how you can do it the most effeciently.

I don't think there is an age limit. [Ever heard of AGE discrimination?]. You can start a business at any age as a sole propertier and just start filing income taxes as you earn money. I don't think you can LEGALLY work for someone until you're 16 [Some jobs are younger, ie paper boy], but you shouldn't have any trouble starting a business. Beside's, who's going to stop you? lol

If you are entering into contracts as a normal course of business then you need to be the legal age of 18. Now if you are just selling hot dogs or mowing lawns or something where there are no contracts necessary, perhaps there may be no technical age limit barring the rules of juvenile delinquency or other labor laws regarding the working conditions of minors.

I opened my first business checking account when I was still in elementry school. Of course that was, ummm, a couple of years ago. I would think there could be issue with states or international business. but once you are the officer of a company, you are signing agreements on the companies behalf, not on yours so you, yourself are not entering into agreements, the company is. A company is a legal person in contrast to a real person and has no age barriers. I'm not an attorney but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Everyone, thanks for your input on this thread. Based on the conversation here, we recently added a blog post on the legal considerations for Young Entrepreneurs. Please read on: Young Entrepreneurs: Advice for Starting a Business as a Minor

Thanks a lot for sharing NicoleD. Though an 18 years old person can run a business without fearing any legal complications, I think we should take more time otherwise; you might end up facing disaster because of the sheer lack of practical experience. regards shiuml website design

I started my first business in Washington State when I was 10, delivering papers for the local Paper....I'm not sure if it matters legally, you just have to report you income.

Couldn't resist: http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/business/article/374372--trump-in-the-ma... Talk about a young entrepreneur! :-) Message Edited by NicoleD on 12-03-2009 10:51 AM

I started working for a small appliance company in Illinois when I was 16. The laws in some states may be 18 though, so you may want to contact the labor board in your state.