As students, we find ourselves constantly relying on our parents for money. While not needing to pay bills looks great on paper, we all want our own money to spend as we choose. To make this money, you try to start some kind of business with your friend, but you get tired of it after two weeks, only to try and repeat the same process a few months later. Whether it be a clothing company, a lawn services or an online dropshipping website, entrepreneurial efforts never seem to get much farther than the planning phase. For the few students who turn the hard work into results, they have to combat the challenges of balancing their education and business.
Morgan Seibold (’25) is one of these student entrepreneurs, having her own pickle business. She makes and distributes pickles of varying flavors to the Vienna community and has been doing it since her junior year. Over the course of this process, Morgan has sold over 80 jars of pickles and continues to expand her business.
“At first I was only ‘selling’ to my family and friends, but after a few months I decided to post on the Vienna Virtual Community Page and it really diversified my clientele,” Seibold said. “I had hundreds of moms emailing me and purchasing 10+ jars of pickles. This huge influx of orders really made me broaden my flavor profiles and business.”
It’s critical that you expand your business along the way, because your business may die out once customers grow tired of your initial product. Make sure to keep your business updated and interesting to maintain and grow your audience.
“It was really challenging in the beginning since it was my junior year, and I had a lot of homework,” Seibold said. “I made a schedule where I would take two hours to make the pickles and then one hour for homework every night. I would do one day a week of delivery to help with my time management.”
While important, time management inevitably poses a challenge in high school. If you are someone who is looking to have your own business thrive, it is essential that you create a schedule for yourself and get your priorities straight. Whether that be limiting to one delivery per week or zeroing in on schoolwork, time management is one of, if not the most important, aspects of keeping your business up and running.
Lastly, if you’re ever thinking of shutting down your business, make sure to take everything into consideration. Do you really want to end something that you’ve spent so much time and thought on? What are the real reasons for shutting down? It’s important that you weigh each option and come to the best decision for you. Moreover, many people forget that a business may start off undemanding or have a slow period. Companies like Airbnb, Instacart and Uber, all had slow, rocky starts, but are now among the most profitable businesses. Remember to stay motivated and trust the process.
“I never really thought about shutting down Petite Pickles, but currently I’m taking a break to focus on my college applications, but as soon as I commit to a school the pickles will be back!” Seibold said.