In a time where economic success has become rare, thrifty high school and college students in the Murfreesboro area have found ways to make their own money.
Many turned a love of crafting into a trade.
MTSU student Kelsey Young has done just that.
In fact, for one year now she has sold homemade headbands and belts to help support her through college.
A leader in the Young Life organization, a nonprofit Christian ministry for high school students, Young stays very busy, but she has found time to expand her small business, Happie Reading.
What once started as just a pastime has now become a supplementary source of income.
Young, an aspiring missionary, would like to take her craft to better underdeveloped countries by teaching them a profitable trade.
“Pairing a taught skill with the gospel gives them a current hope as well as a hope for everlasting life,” Young said.
These amateur businesses have made their way into high schools as well.
Evane Stoner, a student at Siegel High School, began selling a variety of homemade and antiques earrings in August of last year.
The Little Imaginary Girl, as she calls herself as well as her line of accessories, has had much success.
Starting out only selling at school, she has now been picked up by Carla and Co., The Attic, and has long-term plans of working with Cracker Barrel.
Unlike Young, Stoner would like to become an entrepreneur upon graduating high school.
And as with any business, there is risk. Stoner has surprisingly experienced an increased amount of competition with people her age.
“The competition has helped me adapt and make a better product,” Stoner said “It’s made me try harder.”
Kay Blasingame-Boike, an instructor in the Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship at MTSU finds what these young women are doing is immensely important in the development of their futures.
“Get the word out and talk to everyone you possibly can about your product,” Blasingame-Boike said, adding business cards are a cheap and great way to spread the word.
With the economy slowly recovering from a recession, small businesses are beginning to help improve the situation.
“What we’ve seen from data indicates that (small businesses) are where the growth is coming from,” blasingame-Boike said.
Through trial and error these two entrepreneurs have figured out what works and what doesn’t in the business world.
They have shadowed aspects of successful companies and created different ways to advertise, appealing to all sorts of age groups.
Both sell their products online and have used social networking to target customers.
For Kelsey Young’s headbands and belts can be found at happiereading.etsy.com and Evane Stoner’s earrings at littleimaginarygirl.etsy.com.
|
Email
Print
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!