NFIB's 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist: Tech Gone Wild

Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edit: September 07, 2016

What once started as a fun hobby for Sam Hendren has turned into a successful business with more than $500,000 in sales.

Sam Hendren was in middle school when he started doing what
he loved: shipping things. He began by shipping things he found around his
house in Scottsdale, Arizona, to family members, but eventually, Hendren ran
out of items to ship. So he took his entire savings at the time, $250, and
purchased 10 iPad cases to sell online through his eBay account. From there,
his company began.

“I sold them just so I could ship them to people,” says Hendren,
now 18 years old. “As it turns out, I like more than just shipping. I like the
sales and business side of it too.”

Since that first batch of sales, Hendren’s company has moved
from an eBay account to its own website that deals with more than $500,000 in
sales. Hendren used his eBay username and created a company bearing the same moniker:
Tech Gone Wild.

Hendren works with third-party businesses, including a
shared warehouse and call center, to take care of his customers’ needs, as Tech
Gone Wild ships electronics all over the country. He says outsourcing this operation
is the most cost effective option for his growing business. The huge growth his
company has seen was somewhat unexpected, but Hendren has learned to adapt.

“I have learned that there are always ups and downs,” he
says. “You never really know because things can change quickly. You never know
what to expect.”

He faces some extreme obstacles at times when making sure
his electronics are arriving at the right destination. Since Hendren gets a lot
of his products from overseas, dealing with a language barrier is one of his
greatest challenges.

“I’m often up until three in the morning trying to talk to
[some factories in China],” he says. “You can only talk to them on [instant
messaging online], and there’s a lot of miscommunication because their English
isn’t always the best. Just making sure they deliver on what they’ve committed
to is always a challenge.”

With a successful business that continues to grow, being a
student and running a business at the same time can pose challenges. Hendren
says this just means he spends a lot of time planning ahead. And, the rewards
of being a young entrepreneur are worth it, he says.

“I like being able to do things on my schedule and being
able to take it where I want to go,” Hendren says. “I like not having anyone
tell me what to do.”

To other teenagers who want to start their own business,
Hendren says: “Do what you love. Don’t just start something to start something.
Make sure you’re actually passionate about it; the business will grow itself as
long as you have a genuine interest in what you’re doing.”

Hendren plans to attend Arizona State University to study
business law with an international focus.

“I currently plan on continuing [the business], but I don’t
know how long I will try to do that through college,” he explains. “I might try
to sell it or something like that. It’s still up in the air.”

Even if he does decide to sell his company during college,
Hendren says he’s caught the entrepreneurial bug for life. 

“Whether Tech Gone Wild continues or not, I will definitely
be doing something on my own when I’m out of college. I can’t imagine doing
anything else.”

NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Foundation established its scholarship program to raise awareness among the nation’s youth about the critical role of private enterprise and entrepreneurship. Since 2003, YEF has awarded over 2,500 scholarships worth more than $2.5 million to graduating high school seniors who own and/or operate their own small business. Meet the other 2015 winners and learn how to get involved.

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