This one goes out to all those young entrepreneurs in need of some tips. In fact, no, this goes out to anyone who would like to learn from the best. From people who have been there and done it.

I’m a firm believer in learning. You never stop. There’s always someone with a new angle, a new insight, a new piece of advice that can help you on your way. I reached out to the following 16 experts and asked them for help. This is what I asked:

If you could offer the 18-year-old you one piece of advice, what would it be?

I hope the following advice will help, Mr/Mrs Young Entrepreneur. These are successful individuals, so get out your pen & paper and start taking notes.

 

1:Chris Brogan

“Untangle – value your own opinion and your own judgment over all others. Don’t let others write the script of your life. Work on your own success and ignore the responses from others.”

Website: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/

Twitter: @chrisbrogan

2:Guy Kawasaki 

“My advice would be to finish college before you start a company. Most people need that base of knowledge.”

Website: http://www.guykawasaki.com/

Twitter: @guykawasaki

3:Mitch Joel

“For years, I spent my life trying to be the person that I thought everyone expected me to be in the industry. If anything was holding me back…it was that.”

Website: http://www.twistimage.com/blog/

Twitter: @mitchjoel

4:Leo Widrich (Buffer App)

“Don’t listen to your parents, move out as soon as you can, stop reading mainstream news.”

Website: http://bufferapp.com

Twitter: @leowid

5:Danny Iny (Firepole Marketing)

“Building a business isn’t something that you do in one giant leap, so don’t try to go for broke in one shot. It’s done in a lot of small steps – so whatever you want to do, go for it, but validate your assumptions as you go, and course-correct as necessary.”

Website: http://www.firepolemarketing.com/blog/danny-iny/

Twitter: @dannyiny

6:Chris Guillebeau

“As much as possible, avoid debt or anything else that limits your options in the future. (But don’t avoid making decisions to start something now)”

Website: http://chrisguillebeau.com/

Twitter: @chrisguillebeau

7:Jonathan Fields

“Wrap your mission around service to a community with whom you connect deeply, not any particular product or solution.”

Website: http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/

Twitter: @jonathanfields

8:Jeff Bullas

Twitter: @jeffbullas

 

9:Natalie Sisson

“Stop sweating the small stuff and worrying about trivial things, and start thinking about the legacy you want to leave. The sooner you get clearer on that vision of what you bring to this world, and how you can impact and change peoples lives, the better.”

Website: http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com

Twitter: @nataliesisson

 

10:Corbett Barr (Think Traffic)

“Be more confident in yourself, your ability to add value, and the possibility of creating your future instead of relying on an established entity to provide it for you.”

Website: http://thinktraffic.net/

Twitter: @corbettbarr

11:Tea Silvestre (The Word Chef)

“Find a mentor. It should be someone you’ve read or followed for a while who resonates with you and where you want to be. Make friends with them. Reach out and start a conversation. (Don’t rush it — it’s kind of like dating.) And when the time is right, ask them if they’d be willing to mentor you. If mentoring is part of their business model, you might have to pay for this — but if you choose the right person, it can shave years off your learning curve.”

Website: http://thewordchef.com/

Twitter: @teasilvestre

12:Jim Hopkinson

“Be incredibly receptive to change. Not just accepting change, but going out and seeking it out and embracing it wholeheartedly. This could be new jobs, new places to live, new people in your life, or new technology. Be curious, adapt, and always keep learning.”

Website: http://www.thehopkinsonreport.com/

Twitter: @hopkinsonreport

13:Carly Ward (Young Entrepreneur Society)

“Make sure you have enough savings/income before you devote all your time to running your business. You will probably need to double or triple the amount of time you thought it would take to start earning a living. Be persistent, don’t give up through hard times – be prepared for setbacks, have no fear of people in high places – if you don’t ask you don’t get…but most of all, take positive action and make things happen because no one else will!”

Website: http://www.youngentrepreneursociety.org.uk/about/

Twitter: @carlyyes

14:Sean Platt

“Start building assets sooner. Create work that will pay you forever, and trade your time for money for as few minutes as you possibly can.”

Website: http://ghostwriterdad.com/

Twitter: @seanplatt

15:Brian Gardner (Copyblogger)

“Getting rejected is the first step in a new business direction.”

Website: http://www.briangardner.com/

Twitter: @bgardner

16: Michael Hyatt

“You’re never as smart as you think you are when you are winning and never as dumb as you feel when you are losing.”

Website: http://michaelhyatt.com/

Twitter: @michaelhyatt

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Extra Awesome tip via Scott Dinsmore (Live Your Legend):

“Surround yourself with the passionate people who make the seemingly impossible not only possible, but normal. That will change your world. Environment is everything, and it’s fully in your control. Control it.”

Website: http://liveyourlegend.net/

Twitter: @_scott_dinsmore

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There we go, 16 pieces of advice from 16 successful entrepreneurs.

It’s tough being a young entrepreneur, in fact, it’s tough for anyone starting out and still finding their feet. I hope this will help you on your journey. I hope there are a few tips that are perfect for YOU.

Which was your favourite?

If you could offer the 18-year-old YOU some advice, what would it be?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below…

Turndog Millionaire – @turndog_million