Managing high school is one thing but managing a business is a whole other level of complexity. Many students at WJ have decided to spend their free time merging marketing and their passions, creating the small business they have always dreamed of.

For most, their desire to start a business derived from their time during the pandemic. Instead of being bored with nothing to do, senior Miriam Bernstein decided to capitalize on her love of baking by creating a website and Instagram page to sell baked goods. She sells cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies and muffins.

“I have always really liked baking and mostly what I like to do is cake decorating. I started cake decorating like over the pandemic and so I wanted a way to make a profit off of it and do it sort of professionally,” Bernstein said.

The main challenge is remembering that they are students before entrepreneurs. While making your own money and building up clientele is definitely gratifying, having to also study, do homework and extracurriculars can cause pressures.

“I definitely did a lot more over the summer as opposed to the fall especially when I was busy with college stuff. But I try my best to do a lot on the weekends and block off dates where I know I will have a lot of school work and be busy so I don’t get orders then,” Bernstein said.

Junior Isabel Chomas also decided to turn her love for painting nails into a job. While starting the official business recently, Chomas has been into the art of doing nails for many years.

“I use dip powder and tips for peoples nails. I have like six clients currently but I have done them all many many times. More people like to come to me to get their nails done because it is a lot cheaper than what salons sell. I usually charge like $20 to $50,” Chomas said.

Overall, while the main incentive of running a business seems to be the money, it has also allowed students to help others. For senior Erik Austegard, his business is committed to providing comprehensive yard maintenance services in the Kensington area. According to his website, the rage of tasks he provides include ‘mowing lawns, weeding during the summer and spring seasons, shoveling snow in the winter, raking leaves during the fall and pressure washing.’

Since starting in 6th grade, with his website “Erik’s Lawn and Leaf” and posts on the listserve, Austegard has built over 30 loyal clients.

“I really like this job because I have done it for so long. I get paid on average $40 an hour but it depends on the house and the job. I really enjoy having this business,” Austegard said.

Having a business may be challenging at the start but overall brings endless opportunities and benefits. It is an efficient way to be able to earn money from doing what you love.