The kitchen is warm and crowded, filled with the comforting scents of flour, butter, and warm cookies. She mixes the batter until it’s smooth, rolls it into dough balls, and places it on the baking tray. Every careful and precise movement proves how much hard work Ellie Thornton (9) puts into her cookie business.
On the other side of town, Cherry Clair (11) is surrounded by beads, charms, and half-finished accessories. She carefully takes orders, writing them down before choosing the colors and materials to match every request. Clair (11) spends long hours focusing on every detail; her patience and dedication towards her business are clear.
Many students who own small businesses must balance running their bus inesses with their school life. Thornton (9) and Clair (11) are among those students striving to manage both their entrepreneurial ventures and academic responsibilities.
“I go home, and I set everything out, then I make sure I set time aside to do my homework, and then I take like an hour to just have time for myself to relax, and after that I use the rest of the night to make cookies, take orders, and track sales,” Thornton (9) said.
Similarly, Clair (11) also balances school with the responsibilities of owning a business.
“After school, I go home, and I typically get my station set up, which is a button maker and a printer, and I usually tend to work about an hour and a half every day after school on orders. I also work before school if I have time and even in class when I am able to,” Clair (11) said.
Making cookies isn’t just a hobby for Thornton (9); it is something that is important to her and helps her connect with her brother.
“My brother is a pastry chef, and he works in Covington. I’ve learned a lot from him, and my business encourages and gives me time to hang out and share a connection with my brother,” Thornton (9) said.
Clair (11)’s business is something that reflects who she truly is and who she wants to be in the future.
“I’ve always loved creating and making little projects, so I just decided to try to create and start up a small business where I make buttons and pins for people who enjoy adding accessories to outfits, and I love it. I plan to keep running my business in the future, and I hope to make it to 100 sales one day,” Clair (11) said.
Thornton (9) is deeply committed to her small business and brings strong passion to its growth.
“In the future, I want to go down to Finley Market and sell cookies down there and expand my range of clients and possibly create new products,” Thornton (9) said.
Clair (11) also shows passion for her small business.
“I was having trouble finding a job, and working was something that I wanted to do. And I’ve always had a passion for creating, so I just decided to do it myself and create a business where I can do what I love,” Clair (11) said.
Starting a business has presented significant challenges for Thornton (9) that require resilience and strength to overcome.
“At first, I was losing a lot of profit because I was using expensive ingredients, and it just got way too expensive. I was selling the cookies for way less than what it took me to make them,” Thornton (9) said.
Clair (11) has also faced challenges with her small business, which she has overcome.
“I have had a lot of issues with buying the right product, sending the product, and the product would even sometimes melt during shipping. There have been days when I had a ton of orders and just couldn’t get them done for weeks on end. There have also been issues with curing the products and various other problems. You just gotta keep on going,” Clair (11) said.
Creating and starting a business has opened many opportunities for Thornton (9) throughout her journey as a small business owner.
“It has given me the opportunity to create relationships with people in the community and school friends. It has also given me the opportunity to be more creative.”
Clair (11) has been offered many opportunities to help expand her experience in her small business.
“I recently got the opportunity to be able to create a website for my business, which has helped me learn how to navigate technology along with my business better. It also helped me make prices more affordable and get a lot more reach to my clients,” Clair (11) said.
Thornton (9)’s business of homemade cookies brings her family together and even helps bring the community together, whereas Clair (11)’s business lets people express who they truly are. Both students have stated that starting a business has helped them connect with people, learn how to be a leader, and develop skills in organization and taking charge. Their stories prove that with passion and determination, students can build successful small businesses doing what they love.
