Jenk Oz, aged 13, shares his tips on how to use the school summer holidays to start a fun and possibly lucrative project.

Lisa Salmon finds out more...

It’s all too easy for kids to spend the summer holidays staring at a phone or tablet. But while that’s safe and easy, it achieves very little.

Yet the long summer holidays provide a prime opportunity for children to try something new and potentially achieve something great.

Jenk Oz knows all about starting a fun and successful project. The 13-year-old became the country’s youngest CEO just over two years ago at the tender age of 11 when he started the online lifestyle magazine iCoolKid, aimed at children aged between eight and 15.

The site offers everything from information about new science and tech, and fun business stories, to news about the latest music, dance, extreme sports, and cool hangouts, and rakes in thousands of hits a day.

Here, he gives other kids tips on how they can use the summer holidays to kick start their own successful project.

1. Have a clear goal in mind

“If you want to launch a new project this summer, firstly, it’s important to think about what you’re passionate about and what’s going to motivate you to succeed,” he says.

“Whatever your goal, first and foremost you need to spend time thinking about how you see it working, and what success looks like to you. Don’t be afraid to think big - it’s always good to challenge yourself.

“Nailing the initial idea is so important. What makes your project unique, and how are you going to stand out from the crowd? Once you have this finalised, the fun can really start.”

2. Be organised

“Never underestimate the power of a to-do list. It doesn’t matter if you’re organising an event, or brainstorming ideas for your next blog post, it’s vital you’re organised and stay on top of your tasks.

“This will help to drive your ideas forward and realise your end goal much quicker than if you work on a more ad-hoc basis.”

3. Ask for advice

“Constructive feedback is essential and extremely useful as it will help you identify areas for improvement.

“When setting up iCoolKid, I had lots of questions and always made sure to speak to my parents and friends whenever I was in doubt.”

4. Go the extra mile

“When starting out on a new project, make sure you allow yourself enough time to research in detail, whatever the subject matter. If you’re committed to achieving something, there’s no point giving it 50% - you need to go the extra mile.”

“If you want to launch a blog or a YouTube channel, spend time sussing out successful influencers and seeing what’s worked well and not so well for them.”

5. Reward yourself

“Make a conscious effort to celebrate small successes and reward yourself by spending time with your friends or treating yourself to a lazy day at home.”