Barely out of high school, 17-year-old entrepreneur, Taylor Dow, is already delivering a weekly profit of $10,000 with his tea company – BodyTea Australia.
The idea behind BodyTea Australia was born out of Taylor’s close links with dieticians, naturopaths and fitness professionals when playing high-performance basketball during his high school years.
He was looking for a weight loss aid; and upon further research on the health benefits and fat burning attributes of tea, he decided to begin his own brand. He spent 10 weeks and $300 preparing the mix of ingredients that would come to be known as BodyTea.
The tea is made from a herbal blend, and works by replenishing the digestive system. The purpose of the tea is to aid with weight loss by easing bloating and speeding up a person’s metabolism.
BodyTea Australia was launched eight months ago, while Taylor was in his final year of high school. He hit the centre of the dartboard when it came to market demand, because twelve hours later, BodyTea sold out – earning him $10,000 in profit.
Taylor admits that the early days were a challenge, but he was smart in that he sourced an accountant from McHenry Partners to look after the bookkeeping and guide his profits in the right direction.
While it’s easy to attribute his success to luck, the truth is entrepreneurialism has always been inherent in Taylor’s personality. He was a businessman at the age of 8, selling everything from shoes and t-shirts to electronics.
While most kids at that age would have hundreds of fleeting ideas on what they would like to become when they grow up, Taylor always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
“To start a large company like BodyTea Australia was something I always wanted to do … I believe that age is just a number and if you have an idea at any age should be taken seriously, as did mine and I am humbled to see it grow this quickly. The inspiration came from watching and seeing other people have success in the world of business,” says Taylor.
BodyTea Australia operates differently to other companies, according to Taylor. His main point-of-difference is that he knows “how to attract all ages on social media, and knows how to use the internet to brand BodyTea Australia”.
“We want to see our customers live a happy and healthy lifestyle; we put our customers first,” says Taylor.
His main mentors throughout this venture have been his parents.
“They taught me to learn from mistakes and guide me during my business venture. My idol and inspiration would be my dad,” says Taylor.
“The guidance for BodyTea Australia is very carefully planned; my mum actually helps guide my company in the right direction and keeps me on my two feet and remain humble.”
Taylor has been donating a percentage of his profits to children in Indonesia living in poverty – he considers this his one of his proudest achievements, along with seeing his customers benefit from his product.
His biggest advice to other young aspiring entrepreneurs is to stick to an idea they believe in.
“I’m sure someone else out there loves the idea as much as you do; and with hard work and dedication, anything is possible,” says Taylor.
This year is set to be an exciting one for BodyTea Australia. They’ll be releasing new products in the upcoming months, as well as a book.
For more information, visit bodyteaus.com.
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