From painting nails and crafting jewelry to baking fresh goods, the possibilities for student entrepreneurship are endless. Many students at Midtown have created their own small businesses, teaching important skills that prepare them for future careers.

For many students, businesses can originate from a single idea. For senior Izzy Kaiser, inspiration struck after her cousin shared the story of a successful, young nail artist.

“What really inspired me to start this business was actually my cousin,” Kaiser said. “I’ve always loved the art of doing nails but never thought of starting something with it, until my cousin was telling me about a girl in her dorm that does her nails, and how it’s a fun way for the girl to meet people and make some extra money. I decided that this is something I wanted to try and take with me to college and do exactly as she did.”

Like Kaiser, junior Violet Verdi began creating jewelry, t-shirts and other products to pursue her passion for art while also making a profit. 

“I was inspired to start my small business because I had a lot of art that I had made, and I wanted to make a little money on the side,” Verdi said. “I find it really fulfilling to give my art away to people who are willing to buy it because it shows that people actually like what I’m making.”

For junior D’Eric Mitchell, starting a small baking business meant pursuing his culinary interests and taking inspiration from others.

“Originally, it just started off as a hobby,” Mitchell said. “One day I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to make a loaf of bread.’ [I] made a loaf of bread, and then [my] classmate had [brought] in some brownies that she had baked, and I was like, ‘you know what? I’m going to make some brownies.’ So, I started making brownies. People [liked] it [so I started] selling them; that’s how we got started.”

For Kaiser, running a small business has helped her develop time management skills. She believes this has contributed to her success within the nail industry. 

“I would say I have really worked on my time management skills to be able to provide the best services [in] a short amount of time,” Kaiser said. “With higher demand, I want to make sure I can fit everyone in and give fair opportunities, and I have done so by practicing and understanding the time I need so I can fit everyone in.”

Mitchell says running a small business has taught him to accept and embrace criticism.

“Not everybody likes certain stuff,” Mitchell said. “I had made some brownies for my first batch [and] not everybody liked it … So, you’re going to have some criticism, some people who don’t like [your product, but also] some people who love it … You can’t necessarily please everybody, [but] you can try to change it up.”

Because Kaiser wants to pursue a career within the marketing industry, her experience with running a small business has shown her the value of creating a personal brand.

“I want to work in the world of sports media and sports marketing, and while these don’t match nail art, marketing myself via Instagram has really helped [me] understand the importance of your content and making sure things look good to attract people,” Kaiser said.

Student entrepreneurship can incite creativity. Because of Verdi’s experience creating art for her small business, she has aspirations to one day own a jewelry store.

“Running a small business has definitely inspired me to pursue the products I’ve been making because I find it really enjoyable,” Verdi said, “The whole process is really good for me, and it keeps me really productive in my days. If I can work for a jewelry company and eventually get my own jewelry storefront, I will be a very happy and successful business owner.”

Kaiser believes supporting small businesses is important because of the intention and passion behind each product.

“I think it’s very important because you are helping those out around you that have a passion they want to pursue,” Kaiser said. “Whenever a small business is started, a main intent is just love for what they do, and I think it’s important to support that to help them continue on. Not only is it good for the business owner, but I also believe the consumer is winning with quality goods that are truly cared for.”



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