Cake Decorator
Description:
I made cakes for special occasions. Weddings, birthdays, special occasions were where I did the most work. I baked home-made cakes and decorated them according to what the client wanted.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I have always loved to bake, especially cakes. When church members in my church found out that I could decorate cakes well, it spread just by word of mouth. Since I was good at it and the cakes tasted good, it was easy to make connections with people who wanted my cakes.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
It is sort of stressful when you make someone’s wedding cake since so many things can go wrong and wedding cakes are usually looked at pretty closely so even minor flaws can be noticed. It’s also time consuming. I learned to work at my own pace so that I made fewer mistakes so that they were rarely, if ever, noticed by others.
What I learned:
I found that if you find something you love and you do it well, people notice. I started without even an idea that it would turn into a business venture. I made cakes for family friends and people attending their events were so impressed with my skills especially since I was at a young age. I also learned that since I have special recipes for my cakes that no one else has definitely contributed to my success. My small “business” if you can even call it that, started by word of mouth. Never think that one small thing won’t have an impact on your success. Do everything the best you can, it will be noticed.
Entertainer for little girls’ birthday parties
Description:
My roommate owns her own business in which she dresses up as a Barbie princess or as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and entertains at birthday parties. This includes teaching dances, telling stories, playing games, taking pictures and signing autographs.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
She has always been a beauty and the beast fan which includes collecting lots of memorabilia. Because of this she already had a dress and accessories with which to use as a costume. A co-worker gave her the idea of using her love of beauty and the beast as a profitable business. She first began entertaining at birthday parties of friends and family. After the party, she would hand out business cards and flyers to the birthday girl’s parents as well as to the parents of the other party guests.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of her biggest challenges is that she doesn’t own a car. To handle this problem, she requires that the customers must either provide for her transportation or pay a fee so that she can provide for her own transportation. Another challenge was the length of time it took to obtain a business license which took about four months.
What I learned:
She learned how to keep children focused and entertained which is not always easy. She also learned how to demonstrate her worth as an entertainer and a business owner. This especially was necessary when negotiating her contract and fees with the parents.
Filing and editing Wedding Videos
Description:
Del Valle Productions:
Me and my best friend filmed wedding rehearsals, toasts and speeches from friends and families, the wedding ceremony, and wedding reception.
We then edited the videos, made several copies and sold them to the families and friends.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My friend and I loved making videos for fun. He was an amazing film editor and I enjoyed acting and editing as well. We were always making vidoes for school classes or just on the side. One day a teacher who knew us very well asked if we could film her daughter's wedding. We of course accepted the offer and later came up with the idea of a business.
During the course of the summer we filmed a few different weddings, and even created business cards and a promotion video to play at a local photography meet.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One challenge which we faced was the fact that both of us were teenagers with relatively no experience. Most of our business was just from word of mouth or friends. We overcame the challenge of getting our name out there, and showing our capability by making a promotion video which demonstrated a variety of shots with music and effects. We also gave out business cards to people who knew us so they could pass them along.
We did a lot of research of other companies who did several weddings at a time. We compared our product to theirs and realized there was very little difference. In comparing we also set our prices at half of those of our competitors. We made in total $1000 per wedding. This included about 8 hours of filming, and another 10 hours or so of editing. On top of that we bought all the DVDs and burnt copies.
What I learned:
I learned a lot about how to start a company. I also learned a little bit about advertising and acting professional around older people seeing as how I was about 17. I learned that you can make money off of small ideas. In the process of all of this I learned how to work with a co worker. It was fun watching our company grow and actually receiving that first pay check.
Harpist for weddings and special events
Description:
In high school, I played the harp at several weddings and church services. Each “gig” brought in between $150 and $300 for between 30min and 3 hours of playing time. Once I prepared for the first “gig,” I only had to brush up on music for future engagements. I typically prepared 1 hour’s worth of playing time, and repeated the music as necessary. I did not employ anyone else; my father or a contact person at the event helped me to transport my harp. My expenses were only gas money and business card printing. Advertising was mainly done by just telling friends that I was interested in playing at these types of events, and they would refer me when they heard of an opportunity. I also passed business cards out to music lessons places and wedding retail shops.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I got the idea from my harp teacher, but only really started pursuing clients after my high school band teacher approached me to play at his cousin’s wedding. After that, he also referred several people to me, and other people at the weddings asked for my card in addition to my advertising methods listed in the description section. My harp teacher helped me to develop a sufficient and appropriate repertoire, and also advised me as far as what rates would be appropriate for someone at my level of playing.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
My challenges were mainly related to transportation, but I ended up working out to be stronger (and therefore less dependent on others for help). I also invested in a sturdy harp cover with my earnings (actually from a competition I won where I played a piece that I had played at a church gig) to protect my harp.
What I learned:
I learned how it was satisfying to advertise and see how my reputation brought me business. I also learned about how to network with people and find clients. I also learned about hard work and how putting investments (time for practicing, money for my harp cover) brought great rewards. I ultimately made around $2000 over two years and only playing at 20 hours of actual events.
Musician
Description:
My Father started a high school band that was very profitable back in 1968-1972. Through this band he made a lot more than you’re average high school job and was able to make money doing something that he and his friends enjoyed. Plus they traveled across Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho to perform at functions. They used high school dances, church socials, and community events to perform for their band, so they were not performing for large sold-out arenas, but had a very profitable niche before my dad left for his mission.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My father simply realized that he in his friends were young, talented musicians, and had the confidence to tell his Junior High that they had a band and would play for the dances. The Junior High tried them out and paid them, and then they expanded to play at LDS Church balls, which were the norm at the time. As they expanded, they started to advertise more aggressively by sending fliers to schools all around Idaho, putting fliers in Churches, and placing fliers and business cards at music stores. From these they gained a steady slot of weekends performing for high school dances, church balls, and other local functions. They eventually talked to an agent that allowed them to have opportunities in Wyoming and Utah, so that they became an even bigger operation.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
I think the major opportunity that my dad faced was simply getting started. A lot of times it is easy for a teenager to feel that they are not talented enough to have something to offer, but my dad had the confidence to try his ideas out. At that time, live music was used at all sorts of school, church, and community functions, so he simply recognized the need and had to go from there. I think that gaining credibility and advertising was the second obstacle, yet through word-of-mouth recommendations, and publicizing at churches, high schools, and music stores they were able to get a good base of performance opportunities.
What I learned:
What I learned: I think that music provides opportunities to make money in ways other than touring the nation and putting out records. As I talked to my dad I was remembered that there was a jazz quartet from my high school that would play for receptions and other functions. It is possible to utilize the skills and talents that one develops as a teen and turn them into a profitable venture.
Party Entertainer
Description:
The person I interviewed was an entertainer for parties, especially birthday parties, for small children. She would dress as a Disney princess and act as one at each event. The little girls loved the idea of their favorite Disney princess coming to their own birthday party, like bringing a little bit of Disneyland into their homes. She lived in a very affluent community so parents were willing to pay generously for only an hour or two of work. Costs of the project were small. There was the initial price of several costumes, but she found that through networking she could borrow some of the necessary supplies from friend’s Halloween costumes. She also initially bought Princess books to read to the children. She also distributed party favors to the children, which was the only real fixed cost. She also spent some money on advertising to build up a client base. Hours were flexible and she could take jobs based on her own schedule.
The most important thing was to keep the children entertained and happy. She had to be friendly and in character even on days when she wasn’t feeling as well or was stressed about other things.
As she built up a client base the financial returns were substantial compared to the minimal hours she worked. Overall, it was a successful and creative financial venture which is why I chose to report on it.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
The person I interviewed knew she needed a job with flexible hours to supplement the job she was already working in order to pay for college. It was actually an internet search for Halloween costumes that triggered the idea. She was looking at costumes and one of the descriptions hinted at the idea. She also considered the reaction of children to Disney Princess at Disney Resorts and the fact that for the 8 and under crowd, meeting the princesses was a primary reason for going.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The person I interviewed knew she needed a job with flexible hours to supplement the job she was already working in order to pay for college. It was actually an internet search for Halloween costumes that triggered the idea. She was looking at costumes and one of the descriptions hinted at the idea. She also considered the reaction of children to Disney Princess at Disney Resorts and the fact that for the 8 and under crowd, meeting the princesses was a primary reason for going.
What I learned:
The person I interviewed improved their acting skills, which is a field of study she is considering. She also had an opportunity to spend more time and interact with children, which is something she wanted to do as she someday hopes to be a mother. She also learned the value of networking, one of the most important things to getting a job and improved her skills at it.
Singing Entertainment
Description:
My sisters and I have been blessed with musical talents. We decided to combine our singing and performing abilities in order to provide an entertainment service for the elderly and make some money. We put together a 50-minute show, featuring Broadway hits from throughout the ages: we included choreography, costumes, and props. There was no initial cost for any preparation as the costumes and props came out of our basement. We then began calling convalescent and rest homes in the towns near our home and after convincing them of our talent, booked several shows. We were paid on $100 for the hour and our only costs were our time and gas (driving to and from performances). Each facility loved us so much that they booked us for one if not several return engagements. It was a profitable endeavor. I was very interested in pursuing a performing career and so this not only provided good performing practice, but a possible business avenue to explore.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My mother is involved in a service-singing group that does very much the same thing. We have watched them perform all through our childhoods and knew that they were offered money for their services. So, one summer as my mother was scheduling her appointments, we began asking the same facilities if they would be interested in a different kind of entertainment (the four Sedgwick sisters!). The steps to getting booked include finding out who is in charge of scheduling (usually an Activities Director), establishing your credentials (in our case we needed to flaunt our connection to my mother’s singing-service group), presenting your service in an attractive manor, finding a date and time that worked for both parties, and presenting a polished product so to secure an invitation back.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One of the greatest challenges was to create a program that would be well rounded and polished. This included haggling with my sisters to figure out who would sing which songs and doing research on the different songs to make sure that we had a spread of Broadway hits from every decade. We wanted songs that the old people with Alzheimer’s disease would remember. We also encountered difficulties with adjusting our choreography to each different room that we performed in. It was also difficult to maintain an exciting level of performing energy throughout the entire hour. We had to make sure that our “product” maintained its quality. This just took practice. Our endurance level increased with each performance.
What I learned:
I learned that for any business venture to be successful, each member of the plan needs to be actively engaged and doing their part. I learned that it is important to create a plan for how you are going to accomplish each part of your idea or else it won’t get done. I also learned that it is important to present something of quality so that your idea can be effectively seen and valued; that is what generates perpetual interest.
Wedding Photographer/Filmer, DVD maker
Description:
For a few years, my brother had a small business taking photographs of couples for their engagements and weddings. He eventually expanded this into filming wedding day activities and recording these things onto a wedding DVD. The DVD's included slide-shows of the couple's pictures set to music in addition to live footage from the wedding day.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
After having taken a high school photography class, my brother became interested in photography and got a fairly nice camera. He then started taking engagement photos for family members and friends. Through references, he expanded his clientele. Eventually, he invested in a semi-professional video camera and began to shoot wedding day footage in addition to taking photographs. He used his computer knowledge and a free DVD authoring software to create quality DVD's for the couples.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
Inexperience was probably one of the biggest challenges he faced, but the more he worked, the more experience he gained. Finding customers was also difficult, but he used family members and friends to network and find interested couples. Purchasing the equipment was a challenge, too, but our parents helped him with this.
What I learned:
Wedding photography and film-making is an interesting and challenging job. The hours are not steady and can be long, but the work can also be fun and it is always different. One day of shooting is usually followed by long hours of editing and formatting of the DVD. Networking is a valuable tool to have in order to find new clients. The more aggressively you market yourself, the more customers you will have. While this particular job doesn't relate directly to his career pursuit (dentistry), he does hope to own his own practice one day. The skills that he learned in managing his little photography/filming business helped him to understand some essential aspects of running a business.
Wedding/events singer
Description:
A wedding/events singer provides entertainment music at special events, such as a wedding, wedding anniversary, social gathering of employees of a particular company or members of a particular club, or gatherings associated with holidays, such as Christmas. This is something my sister does. She is currently 18 years old, and started this business when she was 16. The job typically involves being hired by the person organizing the event, and singing, playing the guitar or the piano, solo, or with a band for a designated amount of hours to entertain the members of the party while they dance, talk, and eat. The responsibilities of this job are to entertain the guests of the party and keep them happy.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My sister got the idea when someone told her she had a talent for singing, playing the piano, and playing the guitar. The person referred her to someone who was having a wedding, and my sister proposed to provide the entertainment. She worked with the wedding organizer on what type of music and certain songs she would perform. Since then, she has also been hired by various other people who are having weddings or other events.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
You must be very open and confident in your ability to perform. Events (such as a wedding) are some of the most special and important days of a person’s life. You must consult with the event organizer which type of music to perform. You must adapt to their needs. This job also deals with a lot of networking and knowing people. The more events you perform at, the more people hear about you, and the more people you meet want to hire you. Another challenge of this job is that it does not have a set schedule. You must work when the person who has hired you wants you to work. Since most weddings and other events are on the weekend or in the evening, this is when you mostly work.
What I learned:
My sister learned that this is a very fulfilling job. It made a good amount of money for her in a very short amount of time. As she performed more, she became more in demand, and thus she could raise the cost of providing her services. It was a significant opportunity to get to know other people and network with people. She is still currently doing this, and it has greatly affected her future career goals. She wants to study music, specifically jazz, in college, and eventually have a job connected with music. She has capitalized on one of her talents and most importantly, she has found satisfaction and enjoyment in her work.