Picture this: It’s the end of a frigid, gray January day. Desperate for a pick-me-up, you embark on a quest for a sweet treat or fun new sticker. You could speed straight to Amazon or Costco, but some Seahawks have created another option: student small businesses. 

Sixth grader Millie Newell caters to anyone with a sweet tooth. “I sell cakes, cupcakes and cookies . . . I’ve always liked to bake. My dad showed people at his work [desserts] I’d made, and they wanted to order them,” she says about her inspiration. Her business is called Seabiscuit Bakery, and she runs it primarily via Instagram. 

Freshman Elyse Hammann’s business is rooted in one of her favorite hobbies: art. “From eighth grade on, I wanted to start a business,” she says. “Over a few months, I started getting ready and getting all the products, and I opened my own Etsy business.” Hammann’s shop is called the Lavenderr Studio and sells paintings, keychains and stickers–“Minimalistic merchandise,” in Hammann’s own words. 

However, going commercial is not all fun and games, and Hammann has some tips for business newbies. “You need to make sure you’re actually making money, and you need to know what your audience wants. That’s a really big factor of it,” she says. “It can be a little overwhelming at times, because like in the rush right before finals I was getting four or five orders a day, . . . but other times I genuinely enjoy it.”

Newell also has some tips. “Take it step by step, and make sure you . . . have everything organized,” she says. Whether students are starting their own businesses or patronizing others, one thing is for certain. As Newell says, “It’s hard to go wrong with a really good vanilla cupcake.”