The Kidpreneurs making waves in business

PART TIME work for kids and teenagers has traditionally been associated with jobs like delivering newspapers or babysitting.

However a new generation of ambitious young people is changing all that. 

“Kidpreneurs”, young business owners under the age of 18, are making waves as entrepreneurs. 

According to the Youth Economy Report published last year by GoHenry, the number of young people working for themselves has increased. 

Meanwhile, the appeal of entrepreneurship has captured the imagination of young and ambitious people all over the country. 

Under-18s are setting up their own microbusinesses, amassing sizeable online followings, and inspiring their peers while blazing new trails. 

In the world of business success often follows years of hard work and experience.

However a new generation of young and innovative entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules of business at an age when most of their peers may be preoccupied with the latest video game or Tik Tok trend. 

Among them is 14-year-old Zarah Cole, the creative force behind Heaven’s Delight, a cupcake business that has taken the taste buds of her customers by storm. 

She cooks the cupcakes in her family’s kitchen and her recipes range from Classic Vanilla, Red Velvet, and Chocolate Devine.

The talented Birmingham teenager has been baking cupcakes since she was seven years old. However, she only recently embarked on her entrepreneurial journey.

“During lockdown I realised I wanted to make my own money” she recalls. “I don’t want to be dependent on my parents by the time I’m 18. I thought to myself ‘I love to bake so how can I turn this into money?’”

The answer to that question led to the birth of her company Heaven’s Delight. 

FESTIVALS

“I created a business plan in Excel with my mum. The plan really impressed my teacher who had previously paid me for one of my cakes and this made me want to pursue baking as a business.”

She quickly found a customer base among friends and members of her local church. The young entrepreneur has also sold hundreds of cupcakes to customers at festivals she has attended across the UK. 

Running a business is tough for any first-time entrepreneur, let alone one who is balancing it with the demands of school. 

Zarah says she has faced her fair share of challenges. But with the support of her family and a little planning, she’s found a rhythm.

“My mum advised me to make a schedule and stick to it and that has helped. During the exam period or busy school weeks, I don’t take baking orders.”

Asked about what advice she has for other teenagers who want to start a business she says: “Be organised and have a positive mindset. I’d also  say balance your schoolwork with your  business, as education provides a safety net if the business doesn’t work out.”

POPULAR

11-year-old Agnes Larigo comes from a family of entrepreneurs.  So the decision to start her own elderflower cordial company, Agnes &Co,  felt like  a natural progression. 

However, it was seeing her mum Ade, who runs her own company, speak at the recent Black Business Show in London that provided the young entrepreneur with the spark to go ahead and launch her own business. 

Homemade elderflower cordial is a popular family drink and she decided it was the perfect product for her new venture. 

“My mum started making bottles of elderflower cordial and they’re made, give them away to people during the pandemic COVID times, like, just to help people a little happier” she recalls. “But after Covid I started thinking about having a little bit more pocket money to buy things myself. 

“And then I thought of my mum’s elderflower and realised I could make it and sell it to people as a way of earning more pocket money.”

CRAFTS

With unwavering determination, Agnes delved into research, learning the art of crafting cordials and sourcing the finest elderflowers. 

With the support of Ade and other members of the family she transformed her idea into a comprehensive business plan that would become the cornerstone of her thriving enterprise.

Ade, a big supporter of Agnes’ entrepreneurial efforts,  helps her daughter gather the elderflower which is in plentiful supply in between May and June in their local park in Sutton.

They freeze what they collect so they can later make batches of the cordial and bottle it. 

Initially, Agnes&Co’s customer base was family members,  neighbours and local people. But word of Agnes’s business quickly spread and demand grew after Ade made a short post on Linked In about her daughter’s business which went viral. It led to product enquiries from as far afield as America. 

As demand has grown there are plans to expand the business including building a greater presence on social media which will help her reach a wider customer base. 

Her tech-savvy older brother will help promote Agnes’s business on platforms like Instagram, sharing glimpses of her production process, from picking the elderflower to bottling the finished cordial. 

Asked about her top tips for other young entrepreneurs Agnes says: “When running a business  gets hard, keep pushing through, persevere. 

“Think about what you could do to make things better. And be creative. Don’t just go with what everybody else is doing. If it doesn’t succeed, try again.”