Jews in the D
Kid
Entrepreneurs
LEFT: Alex Gross biscuits and dog toys. BELOW: Emma and Brendyn Tischler with chains.
Pandemic propels kids to start businesses that help others. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
lthough the pandemic has presented many challenges to the community, it has inspired young people to create businesses that also help the community. Here are some of these young people making a difference. “TWIN TREASURES” RAISES FUNDS FOR CAMP COVID-19 dashed Brendyn and Emma Tischler’s plans for their first trip to sleepaway camp when Camp Tamarack stayed closed this summer. The nearly 8-year-old twins needed something else fun to do. They thought about a lemonade stand outside their West Bloomfield home, but that didn’t seem practical in the pandemic era. Since they enjoy creative arts, they settled on making beaded chains for face masks. They had made beaded necklaces and bracelets in the past, and Brendyn thought it would be cool to clip chains onto the face masks everyone now has to wear. The twins were inspired by their father, Jeff, a senior vice president at Fifth Third Bank. There was always lots of money talk at home, said their mom, Elissa, a kindergarten teacher at Hillel Day School, where the twins will enter second grade this year. They each have a college fund, and they knew whenever money came their way, they had to save some of it. They asked their father lots of questions about building a business and what to do with their earnings. Because tzedakah has
22 |
SEPTEMBER 10 • 2020
been a strong family value, they wanted to give some of the money from sales to a worthy cause. They settled on the Send a Kid to Tamarack fund, which provides scholarships for campers. The chains are made to order, with customers describing the colors and/or style they prefer. Their dad created an Excel spreadsheet for them to keep track of their orders and sales. Brendyn and Emma named their enterprise Twin Treasures. Their mom started a Facebook page for them — EmmaBrendyn Tischler — where customers can see their products and order chains. Sales boomed through word of mouth. To date, the twins have raised more than $130 for Tamarack. Elissa Tischler says there have been a lot of little lessons along the way, including
“At first I thought having a business was easy, but it’s really hard work.” — BRENDYN TISCHLER pricing and profit margins. The twins sold their first creations to family members for $5 apiece, and soon discovered that after accounting for their expenses, they’d have only $1 per piece left to donate. So they raised their price to $8, with $2 from every
sale going to help needy campers. They enjoyed working together and doing something creative, said Elissa Tischler. But they also learned that business owners have to put in an effort even when they’d rather be doing something else because their customers are relying on them. “At first I thought having a business was easy, but it’s really hard work,” Brendyn said. “It’s not about just making money for ourselves. It’s about giving money to other people, too.” Emma said it makes her feel good to give people something they want. “It makes me happy that people are using our product,” she said. DANDY DOG BISCUITS RAISES FUNDS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE Two summers ago, Alex Gross, then 8, learned to make dog biscuits while attend-
