Maddie is one of our frequent fliers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area! We first met her at a market in Little Elm, and we were blown away by her delicious brittle. Here’s what she had to say about her unique business!
CEM: Tell us about your business. How did you first get the idea?
Maddie: My name is Maddie. I love to cook and crochet. I make three types of homemade old-fashioned brittle: peanut, pecan, and cashew. It’s actually our family recipe. My mom had only always made it during the holidays for friends and family. Last Christmas, my mom was asked to help a friend by selling homemade brittle at a small pop-up shop for my brother’s school. They didn’t have enough vendors, so she agreed to help. She taught me how to make brittle and I loved helping her. It turned out to be a big hit and everyone loved it! The cashew and pecan brittle were the favorites. I loved going around offering samples to everyone I met and talking with people. It was super fun and I wanted to do my own market. We searched online and found the Children’s Entrepreneur Market. Needless to say, we signed up right away.
CEM: What supplies and resources did you need to get going? How did you get a hold of them?
Maddie: We got the ingredients to make brittle from grocery stores. The labels were a bit trickier to design and print but my mom loves to do that stuff and was able to turn what I wanted into something that I loved. I needed food safe bags with silica gel packets to keep out moisture. Nobody likes sticky brittle!
CEM: What are some challenges you’ve faced in business, and how did you overcome them?
Maddie: We found out that trying to make brittle on rainy days is NOT a good idea! Also, learning to manage my time and money was a bit of a challenge. It’s a struggle to keep working to get ready for a market when friends want to play. I always want to spend my money buying things for my friends and for my siblings too. So, I’m learning to manage my money so that I can put it back into my business and also be able to buy stuff for people I love. Using a calendar helps me plan out what I should do each day.
CEM: Do you have any advice for other aspiring kid entrepreneurs?
Maddie: I realized it’s important to take breaks so you don’t get tired of what you’re doing. I also love to crochet and sell some of that too, but find that I get tired of it if I don’t take enough breaks.
CEM: How can potential customers get in touch with you?
Maddie: I’m currently not on any social media or online store, but you can find me at more Children’s Entrepreneur Markets.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Maddie! We’re excited to see your business continue to grow.
Comment (1)
Chad Penney
That’s my beautiful, smart, and caring little niece !
Way to go Maddie !
Always proud of you !