by Adam Toren 26 Mar 2021

1.) First, tell us a little bit about your background and experience. What, or who inspired you to pursue your ideas?

My parents are both entrepreneurs and so was my grandfather. Last summer I supported my friends who are also kid entrepreneurs. I bought one of their products and wondered if I was too young to own my own business. My mom told me I could start a business at any age and so we started thinking of ideas for a kid business. 

2.) What was the first business that you chose to pursue and what process did you go through to start it?  What did your friends and family think?

JoyPins is my very first business. Well, actually when I was 5 I sold some of my art online but didn’t think of it as a business. But officially this is my first business. The kidpreneur book was a big part of helping us get organized and simplify starting a business. My mom was the biggest help in organizing everything and helping me get the materials I needed. We began with a few pins, sharing on social media just to test the market. The response was more than we expected. 

3.) What obstacles, challenges, or setbacks did you face as you began to learn the in’s and out’s of entrepreneurship?

We are still new so we haven’t had any big setbacks. The only thing I can think of is. We got busy fast and weren’t prepared for all the initial sales we got. We had to move fast in setting up a workstation, getting back up supplies, and setting up a website. A lot of people were asking “where can we buy pins” it would have been better to direct them to a website than working through messenger. 

4.) How did you celebrate your milestones and successes?

We gave everyone their first paycheck. I run JoyPins with some awesome kids. No one expected to make money. They just wanted help. We paid everyone cash but made them commemorative checks.

5.) What kind of feedback have you heard from your customers/clients/community and how does this make you feel?

A lot of people say our photos don’t do the pins justice. They’re prettier in person… They also love the idea of the business being run by kids. 

6.) Can you tell us about one of your proudest moments as a kidpreneur?

My proudest moment is our current project. Along with my class, I’m writing kind notes to kids at PHX Children’s hospital and attaching a “made with love” pin

7.) What advice would you give to a young person who has the kidpreneur spark and wants to start their own business?

#1 believe in yourself and your ideas 2 ask for help – your parents are great but also talk to your friends for ideas too. 3 keep trying. every time you fail you learn something new

8.) What three words describe you and/or your work ethic?

Kind, Creative, Leader

9.) Who is another (or more than one) entrepreneur that you admire? 

My dad and mom are my biggest influencers. They have both created several successful businesses.

My friends in Atlanta, the Love twins who are young entrepreneurs. 

Also, my grandfather who lost his parent at a young age and learned English as a teen when he moved from Puerto Rico to Florida. 

10.) What’s next for you in terms of your goals and projects?

I really hope JoyPins will start making enough money to help support young artists. It would be cool to maybe one day become an organization that brings in young kids like a camp to learn different parts or of running a business, from making pins to creating/running a website 

11. ) What is the most important thing you have learned by being a Kidpreneur? 

I’m really surprised at what a kid can do. Kids can do big things. We have good ideas and learn fast. 

12. ) How did you get the idea or concept of your business?

My mom helped me with this. I love art and wanted to do something creative. She kept telling me a great idea will come to us! … and one day it did. She found an old pin she bought years ago that has a little heart on it. 

She showed it to made and we started coming up with ideas to modify and make it better. 

13. ) Do you have other employees or helpers that work for your business?

Yes! This is one of the best parts of my business. I get to work with my friends and my cousin. I knew right away who I wanted to help me with different parts of my business. 

I love working with them and hope I can add more friends one day. 

14. ) What are the roles your business needs to fill to have a successful business?

At JoyPins we have designers who create pins and others that draw artwork for the cards we send with each order. Someone keeps inventory and does the shopping and another person helps with setting prices for each pin, which is not a simple process. For now my mom does the website and all social media posts.

15. ) How do you advertise or promote your business?

For now, I am only sharing/promoting through social media. IG and FB. We have a TikTok page but haven’t had time to create contect for that yet.

16. ) What’s your company’s goal(s)?

My goal right now is to keep people interested in JoyPins but my future goal is to create some type of a program or camp for kids to learn how to create and run a business. I want kids to be able to Join the JoyPins team and go through a program where they spend time in each role learning different parts of a business. JoyPins is a simple business so it makes it easy to teach kids my age the basics

17. ) What are your responsibilities as the business owner?

I know my mom is mostly responsible for everything but as a Kid entrepreneur, I am the boss and responsible for all parts of my business with her help. With my mom’s help, I work through the tough responsibilities of being a business owner. The hardest thing right now is turning kids away that want to be a part of JoyPins… 

18. ) What made you choose this type of business?

I wanted to be creative in whatever business I started. I love art and fashion so the idea of fun accessories ties in both creativity and fashion. JoyPins are simple enough to make and coming up with new pin ideas seemed fun. Most of all I wanted whatever I made to bring people Joy… which ties into the name JoyPins… My friends who are also kid entrepreneurs, the Love Twins came up with the name for my business and I loved it. 

19. ) Does your business help any charities or offer volunteer time to non-profit agencies that are important to you and your vision?

Not yet. I really really hope my business does well enough to help others in some way. I really look forward to helping other kids learn and helping other young artists in some way.

BUT, I am hosting a fundraiser (ends March 31, 2021) on our site to make pins and send notes to children at PHX Children’s Hospital. You can learn more on our site. For $5 we create a pin and a personal note is attached for a child. All extra money will be donated directly to PHX Children’s. We hope with the notes and pins to make something personal and loving for as many kids as possible. I asked my 3rd-grade class to help out with this project. 

20. ) If you had one piece of advice to a kidpreneur just starting out, what would it be?

You really have to believe in yourself. Kids can do big things too.