Young and in Charge

May 18, 2007 — -- Jasmine Lawrence is about to finish her sophomore year at Williamstown High School in southern New Jersey. What is she going to do on her summer vacation? Make her first million.

That's because Lawrence, who is only 15 years old, is the founder and CEO of a line of all-natural hair and body care products called Eden Body Works that she started mixing in her basement four years ago.

Since then, her business has taken off. Today Lawrence sells her products through her Web site and at select Whole Foods stores. Soon they will hit the shelves in beauty supply stores and Wal-Marts across the country.

"I want to go worldwide," said Lawrence. "I want to get the products out there, the information out there. I want to encourage natural, healthy lifestyles around the world."

It all started when Jasmine used a chemical relaxer and lost much of her hair when she was just 11. "It was horrible," she said. "I tried to hide it by combing the hair that I had on top down the sides, but it was noticeable."

Fearing harsh over-the-counter products, she researched all-natural ingredients on the Internet and started mixing her own hair oils, shampoos and conditioners.

When friends and family started asking for her mixtures, she knew she had a hot product.

"My favorite thing about the conditioner is the herbs inside it," she said. "There is sage, thyme, chamomile -- all good for your hair."

By the time she was 13 years old, she had developed a business plan, filed a trade name certification with the state of New Jersey, and was officially in business.

Lawrence is not alone. A recent poll, conducted by the nonprofit organization Junior Achievement Worldwide, found that 70 percent of teenage respondents said they would like to start their own businesses.

"The list goes on of companies that are now well-known and started by young people," said Randall Pinkett, author of "Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multimillion Dollar Business."