What’s it like Being a Student Entrepreneur? by Angel Fuentes To become a young entrepreneur, you might want to ask yourself the following questions: What are the advantages of opening your own business? How do you manage a school/life/ work balance? What might I need to know? Are there successful examples? As our student entrepreneurs below demonstrate, there are a variety of skills to gain, including the opportunity to communicate and learn from other entrepreneurs, as well as hone in on soft skills like adaptability, problem-solving, and discipline. These can help you focus on your goals and help you make decisions in a calm and composed manner. Nylah White is a senior at Food and Finance High School with her own baking business, @ Nylah_Bakez, where she bakes cakes, cookies, and pies for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. According to Nylah, “A benefit of running your own business is that you can be your own boss, which is easier for someone like me to handle because I get to set my own working hours and have close to full creative freedom.” She suggests all aspiring young entrepreneurs should get their ideas together before acting. This could be writing them down on paper or even typing them in the notes app on their phones. She also believes fully that they should focus their studies on what they wish to pursue, and if that is not an option, take general business courses. While money was originally the motivator for starting her own business, as she relies on herself a lot by taking on all the financial responsibilities, she now loves seeing her customers feel satisfied with her work – it gives her pride. Thankfully, she receives a lot of support from her family, and they help keep her motivated, too. Another Food and Finance High School senior who runs her own baking business is Annalysse Melendez. She specializes in making cakes for all occasions, such as birthdays and graduations, and loves making theme cakes. She became an
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“A benefit of running your own business is that you can be your own boss, which is easier for someone like me to handle because I get to set my own working hours and also have close to full creative freedom.” Nylah White, Senior at Food and Finance High School
entrepreneur to show the world her potential as a pastry chef, showcase her unique flavor combinations, and of course, to have an incoming source of profit. She believes that her taste buds are unique compared to those of other pastry businesses. Her business has been challenging since she has had a handful of school-related activities keeping her busy, but she does make sure that she keeps in contact with her customers. Annalysse suggests that one of the most important things to keep in mind when running a business as a student is time management…“if you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior student, the main thing you always want to keep in mind is that you can balance out everything, and you should take time to do so, when it comes to your school work to your business-related stuff.”
