Press

You’re the boss: 10 entrepreneurs under 30

It’s a rare 20-something who is in a management position, and an even rarer 20-something who is running an entire company that he had the hutzpah to create all by himself.

We found 10 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 who are all from the suburbs and are all working hard to turn their dreams into reality — and make money at the same time.

If you’re interested in following their footsteps, know this: Running your own business is no easy task. The hours are long (really long, like working on Thanksgiving and Christmas long), the challenges are many and the risk of failure is just as high as the possibility of success.

Kathryn Kerrigan
Age: 27
From: Libertyville
Now lives: Libertyville
Business: Kathryn Kerrigan Shoes in Libertyville

Kathryn’s story: As part of her MBA program at Loyola University, Kathryn Kerrigan had to come up with a business plan for a niche market. Her idea: Sell shoes to women with big feet.

It all seemed like just a school assignment, until Kerrigan, who’s 6 feet tall, had to find shoes to wear to a wedding. “I basically had an adult meltdown,” Kerrigan says. “And dealing with that for the last 10 years, I thought … no other company is making this product, so there’s no reason why I can’t do it on my own.”

Kerrigan launched her Web site in December 2005, which specializes in high-fashion shoes for women in sizes 6 to 13, all of which are designed by Kerrigan herself and are handmade in Italy and Spain.

Kerrigan now has a staff of four, and she runs a storefront in Libertyville in addition to the Web site. She’s also planning to launch a clothing line for tall women beginning in 2008.

Kerrigan says she loves being able to help women feel good about themselves. “(I like that) we’re putting out a product that’s missing in the marketplace,” she says.

Kathryn’s secret for success: Have mentors you can trust. Kerrigan still gets advice from her former basketball coach. “It’s really good to have those relationships you can turn to for help,” she says.

She also says you can’t just go into a bank with a good idea; you also need to back it up with lots of financial data to show when you think you’ll be able to turn your idea into a money-making venture.