RACHEAL ALVSTAD / Scroll
Chickens were means children used to earn money. Baydn Killian, a sophomore from Kennewick, Wash., bought chickens as a child and sold the eggs.

Growing business avenues discovered through life

From children ...

Tina Bosen
BOS05003@BYUI.EDU
scroll staff

The sun is hot, the putts are dropping and the money keeps coming.

Bryson Smith, an 11-year-old entrepreneur from Pocatello, Idaho, knows just how to sell ‘em.

He runs a business with his sister Mandy. They set up shop in their grandma’s backyard near the tee box of the 16th hole on the Highland Golf Course in Pocatello.

Some of their best-sellers are Sprite, Root Beer, Coke and Diet Pepsi.

Bryson likes selling soda and golf balls because it is how he makes extra money. He learned the trade from his older brothers, who have moved on to mowing lawns.

“I have to mow our lawn now,” Bryson said. “Because they mow others’ for money.”

Bryson’s father, Barry Smith, said he encourages Bryson to work.

“It teaches them to deal with people,” Barry said. “And the value of money.”

Lemonade stands run by young entrepreneurs are often found on residential corners. Doors are open to children selling cookies or offering to walk dogs.

Sharla White, a freshman from Evanston, Wyo., set up a lemonade stand in front of her house when she was young. One glass was priced at 15 cents but people usually gave her a dollar.

“Looking back now I realize even little things can make someone’s day,” White said.

She made someone’s day while across the country Baydn Killian, a sophomore from Kennewick, Wash., was making some money.

When he was 10 years old Killian ordered 50 chickens and built a coop for them. He took care of the chickens and sold the eggs to his neighbors.

“After all the hard labor was done, it wasn’t very hard to care for them,” Killian said.

He sold the eggs for a dollar a dozen and made about $15 to $20 a week, “which is a lot for a 10-year-old kid,” Killian said.

Killian learned a lot from his childhood endeavors, which he continued throughout his teens.

“I learned patience with business ventures and so forth,” Killian said. He also made money for his mission and got a head start on a career. Killian is an agriculture business major.

“My father taught me by example,” Killian said. “He let me handle things, so I had to learn for myself.”

In the book, The Developing Person, by Kathleen Stassen Berger, parental support is essential in building confidence in children.

“By middle childhood, maturation and experience combine to allow school-age children to be articulate and reflective,” Berger said.  

... to young adults

Kristin Morgan
STO02013@BYUI.EDU
scroll staff

It started with a need.

Kodi Holdaway, a junior from Mud Lake, Idaho, grew tired from years of performing the grunt work at his construction jobs.

For years he had worked for other people doing their dirty work. He began to imagine starting his own company where he could do the jobs he wanted.

With help from his father, who also worked construction, Holdaway started KLC Construction. It began as a local concrete construction company, but has since grown into a successful business, with new clients from Victor, Twin Falls and Jackson Hole, Wyo.

“It started as a way for my Dad and I to make some money doing what we want to do. The company keeps expanding, and it’s provided a great living for my wife and I,” Holdaway said. “The money we make from the business pays for school, the baby and all our living expenses.”

More students are taking the same initiative Holdaway did. Starting a business while in college can be a great alternative to waiting until you have your degree.

“College is a great time to start a business because you have university resources at your fingertips. There are usually no kids or family yet to tie you down and the creativity that comes with college minds is essential to creating a successful business,” according to Entrepreneur magazine.

Heather Hanchett, a junior from Sonora, Calif., realized the benefits of running a business in college when she started her own house cleaning company.

“I knew it was something I could do to help earn money while going to school. Cleaning over 10 houses a week, I was making more money than I would if I had a normal job,” Hanchett said.

The idea came to Hanchett by necessity. “I needed a way to make money. I started networking, asking everyone I knew for support and it just grew from there. Word gets around,” Hanchett said.

Holdaway and Hanchett agree running a business while in school isn’t always convenient. A lot of their time is spent away, and they are constantly looking for ways to improve their companies.

Thinking back on their successes, both Holdaway and Hanchett said they would do it all again.

“I think of all the experience this has given me. It may not be something I want to do for the rest of my life because of the toll it takes on the body, but it’s definitely helped me to avoid debt in school, provide a good living for my family and prepare for the future,” Holdaway said.