Making paper for paper

Sisters create businesses in preparation for young entrepreneur market

As summer progresses, more and more children are gearing up for the Young Entrepreneur Market, set for July 12. Among those youngsters preparing are Addison, Brilee and Makenzie Walker – all three of whom are setting up their own prospective businesses in anticipation for the event.

Between the three sisters, the event has given them a chance to develop their products, plan their budgets and create their own business with the help of their mother, Sara Baker.

“My kids are always creating things so when this came up and I told them about it, they were all in,” Baker said. “When this started, I actually had them create a business plan. I provided them with some questions and they had to give me answers before I would ‘invest’ in their business. Once they had a plan, I gave them a set amount of money that I had invested in their business and they had to track what they were spending.”

Each of the girls chose a business that was suited to their particular interest: For 15-year-old Brilee, she found inspiration for her “Painted Wonders” business through her own interest in creating decorated jars.

“I started my business because I love painting and I’ve always wanted my own business. I wanted to earn money off of what I like to do and it just happened from there,” Brilee said. “The process of making the items is that I collect old jars from spaghetti jars and Goodwill and I decorate and paint them to sell.

Addison took a different approach: she drew inspiration for her own business from her love of animals. That’s why the 13-year-old is creating homemade toys and treats for both cats and dogs as part of her business.

“My business is about selling things to pet owners like dog toys, cat toys and treats and many other things,” Addison said. “I got the idea because I have a lot of pets and I personally love homemade stuff for them because I love them.”

Makenzie, the youngest of the three sisters at 10 years old, is using her talent with drawing on and cutting up paper for her own business, which she calls Paperworks. Designed for both kids and adults, she is making small paper maps, bookmarks, dolls and more to sell.

“My business is Paperworks and I’m selling things to kids and adults. I make to-do charts, reward charts, bookmarks and magnets and little paper dolls,” Makenzie said. “It’s something I usually do, and it’s something I’ve always done for fun and now I can do it for other people.”

Between all three sisters, each went through the process of creating a plan for their business with the aid of their mother. On her side of things, Sara explained that each of the girls worked with her to establish the financial side of their business.

“They all had their calculators on their phones adding things up as they were walking through the aisles. I had them keep their receipts with their business plans to help them determine cost for their items. Long story short, they have learned a lot,” Sara said. “They learned how to create a business plan, how to work within a budget, what an investment is, how to calculate profit, and how to manage their time so that they can reach their goal.”

Brilee, Makenzie and Addison also said that they learned a lot while creating their business and that the process was fun.

“First we have to plan out everything, and I write out with a pencil. Then I trace it out with pens, then I cut it out, laminate it and then I put magnets on it or I put it on some rope,” Makenzie said. “I came up with my price from how long it took me to make it and how special it is.”

“The process of making my items involved a lot of felt and yarn and cooking for the treats,” Addison said. “I don’t know the exact number of all the things I’m selling, but I came up with the numbers from the price, how much it took me to make and the profit I need to make off of it.”

“My business represents me and it has a lot of my personality in it. It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed,” Brilee said. “I’m going to charge anywhere from $15 to $10, which I came up with for the price, since jars are glass which cost a little more. It takes about 20 minutes to paint on each item. I’m going to save up my money when I need it most.”

Sara echoed their enjoyment and said that not only was it a great way to spend time with her family, but it also allowed her girls to explore their creativity and constructively learn about business.

“I highly recommend this to other families. The learning experience is what you make it, so us parents need to make the most of these opportunities to benefit our children. I’m grateful for events like these that inspire creativity and entrepreneurship,” Sara said.

For more information about the event and to sign up for the event, visit pltx.org/yem.