When you think of a young entrepreneur, you usually think of someone like Mark Zuckerberg or maybe even my dude Michael Dunlop. How many people think of the really young people? The kids? I’m 16 myself, and there are probably hundreds of other 15–16 year old entrepreneurs. But how many of you would think of an 11 year old kid as a young entrepreneur?

I know first hand that it’s not always wise to judge someone by their age, but what were you doing when you were 11? I bet no one was doing the things my friend Gloson Teh was doing. He is a blogging superstar and yes, is only 11 years old.

He was willing to answer some questions for the Young Bloggers series I have going on Asnio, and he shares some very insightful and inspirational answers. Be prepared to be amazed.

To start off, can you tell us about yourself and your blog?

First of all, I would like to thank Alex for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed on Asnio. My name is Gloson. I’m 11 years old, and I blog on Gloson Blog.

I started blogging when I was 10 in July 2008. But I only got serious in November. At that time, I blogged about ‘Anything Interesting that I Learn’.

But since I found myself mostly blogging about social media, blogging, and tech tips, I decided to change the tagline to ‘Social Media, Blogging, and Tech Tips from a Kid’.

By the way, I’m also on Twitter.

What got you started in blogging at such a young age?

My mom heard about blogging because it was very popular. Since I could design websites when I was 8 (to promote one of my mom’s products) my mom encouraged me to start a blog as a new hobby when I was 10 because I was so free.

I decided to go with the flow and started a blog. At first I didn’t really know what to do. But in November, I read Problogger and DailyBlogTips. And so, I got inspired and started to blog more frequently.

Do you have more than just a blog? If so, tell us about it

Besides blogging, I am a funny poet who writes funny poetry for kids.Poetry Talents is my poetry website (that I created using wordpress) where I post my funny poems and news about it.

I have also authored and illustrated Creative & Funny Poetry for Kids (in May) and recently Creative Row Your Boats (in November). Here is one of my poems from my second book (To be sung to the tune of ‘Row Your Boat’):

See the raindrops fall
like they were ice creams.
Now I’m going off to bed to
eat them in my dreams.

In about a paragraph, what would you say your blog means to you?

Oh, it means a lot. Since I started blogging, my writing skills have increased and also my communication skills and people skills. I have also made many friends through blogging, and it also has gained me publicity on the web.

So, I will say that my blog is a tool for me to build my brand on the Internet and also a tool to explore, discover, and network with people from all over the globe.

I’ve also written a post called 22 Reasons for You to Blog, most of which are the reasons I blog too, and most of which are the reasons YOU should blog too!

How do people react to your age on your blog?

Well, usually people will say that they can’t believe that I wrote the articles on my blog. Some say that I’m an inspiration. I want to say thank you to those guys because they are the people who encourage me to keep on blogging. =)

What limitations do you face as a blogger well under 18?

Well, I need help from my parents to pay for my hosting and domain because you need to be older to be able to pay for it yourself.

Are your parents aware of your blog? If so, what do they think of it and what impact do they have on it?

Yes, my parents are aware of my blog, and they think that I do a very good job. My parents help me to pay for my hosting and domain, as mentioned above.

My mother also frequently encourages me to do research for my posts. My parents sometimes even help me to promote my blog to other people.

What are the advantages of blogging young that “older” bloggers don’t have?

One advantage is people will be amazed by the fact that we, young bloggers, are young and successful and so we’ll get more attention from other bloggers.

Another advantage is that we are starting young and so, we will have more knowledge of blogging when we get older because we kids learn very fast.

Because we are young, we are also an inspiration to many that ‘if we can, so can you!’

What is your biggest accomplishment as a young blogger? What kind of things do you see yourself doing by next year? How about 3 years?

One of the many newspapers Gloson has been featured in

I also went to a blogging carnival in Malaysia. I joined a quiz contest about Internet security and blogging, and won the 1st prize! — An Acer Aspire notebook!

On 10 July 2009, I met the Prime Minister and the First Lady of Malaysia, and the Prime Minister read my post, A Beginner’s Guide to Getting the Most out of Twitter. He also read my first poetry book, Creative and Funny Poetry for Kids.

I also got a lot of Stumbleupon traffic to my blog post, My Former Blog Host ‘Accidentally’ Deleted My Blog (and How I fixed it).

And well, by next year, I would have probably wrote an ebook or a book about blogging.

And by three years, I would have probably earned some money from Gloson Blog (because now I don’t really focus on making money from it) and also have started another blog.

What is your one best piece of advice for those under the age of 18 who are looking to start their own blog?

Firstly, stop procrastinating on whether you should blog or not and start a blog right away! Age is really a huge advantage for you and you should start as early as possible because you will learn a lot of things on the way.

Blogging has many benefits too. I have written a post on 22 Reasons for You to Blog. Please read it if you are still not convinced .

Then, be patient if you don’t succeed immediately. When I started my blog, I got only a few daily visitors. But now, I get a lot, about 70–150 daily (According to Google Analytics). And I’m sure, the number will go up as I focus more and as time goes by.

A big thanks to Gloson for taking the time to answer a few questions. I hope you guys learned something from him, and have found inspiration from his answers. You can read interviews from past young bloggers, or if you would like to be interviewed here — contact me.

Here we are on week two of this series with a great blogger who I have just found out about a few weeks back. Her name is Liane, and she has a really great commitment to her great blog.

As a matter of fact, she has been writing on the same blog for two years now. That is the longest commitment to a blog that I have seen from someone under 18 yet, and I jumped at the chance to get an interview from her!

Luckily she was able to answer the questions for this post quickly and filled her answers with great information (especially question #8). Enjoy!

1. To start off, can you tell us about yourself and your blog?

My name is Liane and I run Better Blogging for Bloggers Dot Com.

I’m currently 17 years old, a freshman collage student at a premier university (see, blogging and school are compatible). Just celebrated my birthday recently and as you can see, I’m still alive and blogging. Kidding. I’m a blogging guru and a pro writer.

2. What got you started in blogging at such a young age?

It was mostly curiosity. Someone just told me about it, I had no idea what that guy (which is a friend of mine) is talking about so I ended up Googling everything. The rest, as they say, is history.

3. Do you have more than just a blog? If so, tell us about it.

I only run one blog (Better Blogging for Bloggers Dot Com). But I’m open to blog consultations and content creation/contribution. Back then, I used to work for designing projects but it was cut-off since I’m without a laptop as of now (I hope to buy one within the next month).

4. In about a paragraph, what would you say your blog means to you?

That’s a tough one. Well, as time grew, I can say my blog is almost like my virtual hub, a place so close to me that I can’t resist not checking it at least once every 24 hours. It is like… an extension of myself.

5. How do people react to your age on your blog?

Haha. I like this question. I never fail to get a “wow, you’re so young to be so good” (or something along the lines) every once in a while. People are usually surprised, especially the older ones who have been around for ages here in the net. It’s cool. I mean, I get to prove that “age doesn’t matter” and you can succeed as long as you believe you can. The best part, I get to say “if I can do it, what more can you?”

6. What limitations do you face as a blogger under 18?

A lot. But I can say my limitations have been lessened as time passed by. Back at 15 years old was the real tough times. If I get to face the computer for more than 3 hours without any homework whatsoever, they [my parents] wonders what I’m up to – again! Financially, was the real issue. The first time I went to PayPal, I was really sweating. I didn’t have a clue of what I’m supposed to do, and I’m dead scared if there will be fees for creating an account. Haha. Memorable times.

7. Are your parents aware of your blog? If so, what do they think of it and what impact do they have on it?

Yes, they aware of it. But only as much as I want them to be. Good thing they’re not over lookers. I don’t get any support but I’m not discouraged as well. So I was just fine by myself. There was that time though when I said I wanted to buy my own domain. I was so nervous, I didn’t know how to properly explain. In the end, I realized I could buy the domain with just my PayPal money. Haha. Geez. If I had known sooner it could have saved a lot of unnecessary talks.

I tried to explain blogging though once, I think they got a vague idea. I settled to the explanation that “I write online”. They’re more comfortable with that one. Lol.

8. What are the advantages of blogging young that “older” bloggers don’t have?

On the serious aspect, I think our main advantage is that we don’t feel a certain “need” to do this. Most bloggers turned to blogging as their substitute to earn their daily living. Unlike them, there’s no need for us to rush things in order to make money online. Sometimes, I just treat blogging like my daily Facebook blog. Majority of the older bloggers’ target is to really earn, and we can’t blame them. We still have our allowances in the first place

Our generation are the hardcore “techies” so I think we have more skills in handling the technical stuffs. For example, I did my own blog theme, like how many kids now know their way around Photoshop. Most older bloggers just buy their own since they have little clue on how to build one from scratch. We’re good at those kinds of stuffs.

Also, we learn fast too, good and friendly communication skills (thanks to Facebook) and are easily loved because we show respect to the older ones. Plus, they usually are a lot kinder when talking to us young ones.

Best of all, we know to have fun!

9. What is your biggest accomplishment as a young blogger? What kind of things do you see yourself doing by next year? How about 3 years?

My biggest accomplishment? My success in blogging I believe. I’ve been running a great blog and people turn to it for advice. It’s so good to get that feeling of helping others, even at a young age.

I can see myself probably running a small blogging company within the next three years. I’m trying to learn internet marketing right now and hopefully, I’ll be successful in it too within the coming years.

10. What is your one best piece of advice for those under the age of 18 who are looking to start their own blog?

The best piece of advice? Go ahead, blog and have fun! Blogging is great, it enhances a lot of skills and enriches you as a person. Don’t be afraid to try new things, the online community is so full of opportunities.

Lastly, don’t get discouraged by your age. The young bloggers group are actually coming as strong competitors in different niches right now! Just believe in yourself, if we can, then so can you!

With myself being 15 years old, I love when I find other bloggers around the same age as me out there to connect with.

I figure with this being a blog that covers young entrepreneur stuff, I should bring these bloggers I meet up front and show you the people who I have been connecting with.

So here is the second series I have added to Asnio. Every Saturday, a new young blogger under the age of 18 will be interviewed. I wonder how many I can find?

To kick off the series, I am starting with my friend Simon Rogers from Teenius.com, a “how to make money online” blog. Simon is a huge contributor on both this blog and my other blog. We chat all of the time through MSN Messenger and have just become great pals over the months of our blogging careers.

I have asked him 10 questions below. Enjoy.

1. To start off, can you tell us about yourself and your blog?

I’m Simon Rogers, a 15 year old from the UK. I run two projects at the moment: Teenius.com is my main project and is a blog all about making money online. Although recently it’s turned in to more of a blogging tips blog. I also run BrainBite.com, which has different posts that are designed to inspire.

2. What got you started in blogging at such a young age?

A few summers back I needed some money as I seemed to be going out practically everyday so needed to be able to fund it. After searching around a bit, a friend told me about his proxies where he earned $5/day with no effort at all. It seemed stupid not to join in, so I built some proxies that (as promised) earned a decent amount.

Whilst searching for tips to improve the proxies, I stumbled across a forum thread about blogging and decided it was for me!

At first I was just doing small flips where I’d earn a reasonable amount of money, and it wasn’t really until I discovered the make money online niche that I decided to actually build a long term blogging project, and that’s where Teenius came from!

3. Do you have more than just a blog? If so, tell us about it.

As of yet, no. That said, I am currently in the process of starting affiliate marketing and am planning a joint venture with a friend which should be pretty good. Once I build some more experience in more aspects of making money online I plan to start some sort of consultancy business… I did just that on a small scale a while back and it went reasonably well, but decided to try and expand my blogs a bit more.

If I’m honest I’m not sure how well a forum or something like that would do on either of my websites, but if they continue to grow at this rate it may be something I considered trying out!

4. In about a paragraph, what would you say your blog means to you?

Surprisingly, quite a lot. When I first started I thought it would just be one of those phases and that it’d probably die any day soon, but I’ve had to adjust the way I do a lot of things to allow time to write posts and the similar. Most the time I spend on my computer nowadays is related to my websites, and it’s become a pretty big commitment.

5. How do people react to your age on your blog?

Very positively! I’m forever getting comments that include things such as ‘it’s remarkable for someone of your age to be doing this’ or something similar. It gives me a great feeling to get comments like that as it shows

6. What limitations do you face as a blogger under 18?

At the moment, not very many. I’ve just finished school so I’m currently midway through three months of holiday, which means that I don’t have to worry about a lack of time! I think the main problem for me has come when signing up to programs such as Adsense where I’ve been too young. Still, my dad usually helps me out with that sort of thing!

7. Are your parents aware of your blog? If so, what do they think of it and what impact do they have on it?

They know I run some blogs, but they don’t know what they are. I think it’s best that way as it’s great to have some independence and go off and do my own thing. I’m old and sensible enough now not to do anything stupid like give my details out openly, so my parents know they don’t really have to worry about me in that sense. Besides, my mum still thinks that anything where you make money online is a scam!

8. What are the advantages of blogging young that “older” bloggers don’t have?

I think there are quite a few things actually. For a start, I feel there’s a great sense of community between younger bloggers where it’s easy to connect and make friends with someone of a similar age. As well as that, we’ve got plenty of time to improve, try new things and ultimately learn.

9. What is your biggest accomplishment as a young blogger? What kind of things do you see yourself doing by next year? How about 3 years?

My biggest achievement would be running Teenius, which in my opinion is pretty successful. Hopefully soon I’ll be making a good income from the internet, and within a few years I’m hoping to not only make a good income, but also do it with minimal work. I have a few ideas on how to do so, but it’s just actually implementing them that seems to be the biggest problem at the moment!

In three years time I should probably be on my gap year, which will either include me lying on a beach in some paradise or sat in front of this computer screen trying ambitious new ways to make money to fund what I hope is a pretty cool lifestyle.

10. What is your one best piece of advice for those under the age of 18 who are looking to start their own blog?

Just enjoy it! Try and learn as much as possible and try different things. If I’m honest I’m not sure the tips for an under eighteen would differ that much from anyone else: just remember to advertise and drive quality traffic, as well as networking. Do those two and you should do pretty well in my opinion!

A big thanks to Simon for promptly filling out these questions and patiently waiting for these questions due to my negligence!

Stay tuned for next Saturday with more young blogger interviews.