Small businesses in the community are not only run by adults but also by students and their families. Some students run their own businesses, while others help their families run their businesses. This is a clear indication that the Del Mar community fosters a culture of hard work from a young age.
Small businesses also play an important role by bringing people together and offering opportunities beyond the classroom. Being part of a business can prove to be a learning experience for many students. It teaches them responsibility, time management, and perseverance. These experiences help them to learn beyond their school subjects while still keeping their academic responsibility and personal lives in balance.
A current junior, Sofia Mendoza, owner of Sweetsby.morenaaa, balances her business with her school life. As a full-time student, she manages homework, exams and extracurricular activities white also running her growing cookie brand.
Balancing both responsibilities requires dedication, organization, and strong time- management skills.
She states that her major difficulty lies in ensuring she meets all her orders, which has taught her to stay focused and responsible.
From her business, Sofia has learned how to efficiently manage her time. What makes Sweetsby.morenaaa unique is that all her cookies are bake-from-scratch, and Sofia aspires for people to perceive her business as a good cookie brand. She advises “don’t ever let anyone put negativity into your head. If it’s something you really wanna do, do it.”
Deana Bakach, a senior and owner of her nail business Nails by Deanna has achieved success with hard work and confidence in her abilities. It was not easy for Deanna as many other similar nail-related businesses owners in her neighborhood had already achieved a large following, making it hard to get new customers.
However, Diana did not get discouraged and with a short period of time, she was able to master the basics. She also possessed the confidence to get her workout in front of people. Through her experiences, Deanna states “not every client is built for every nail tech. I had to learn that the hard way and lose them in the end. People come and go for the better or worse.”
Deanna’s business is known for her willingness to take on a challenge, staying creative and passionate about what she does. She advises, “Be yourself to the people who will be paying you.”
Nickolay Duque, (grade level) is learning vital life skills by working with his family business that offers food meals for sale. The family-owned business is likely facing a challenge posed by increasing price demands for products in supermarkets. With the increasing prices, it is becoming harder for them to set a reasonable price for their products. Nickolay is also learning vital life skills by managing the deliveries in his family business and helping with decision making.
He realizes that money management is crucial for a family business to maintain a healthy profit margin while providing quality flavor for sale with reasonable prices as a differentiating factor for his family business. Nickolay says, “Let people talk about how good our product is.”
These student-owned and family-operated businesses illustrate the influence of determination, responsibility and resiliency on the development of young entrepreneurs. Through these students who balance academics, work, and personal development, one sees small businesses not only as a source of income but as a vehicle for personal and community strengthening.
