Child Labor of Love
They may not be old enough to drive or go to prom, but “kidpreneurs” around the country are proving that when you have a great idea, age is no barrier to success. Here are three mini-moguls who are turning homespun businesses into gold with the help of e-commerce, supportive family and a bit of luck.
Ry’s Ruffery
As the founder and CEO of Ry’s Ruffery (rysruffery.com), 13-year-old Ryan Kelly is a successful kidpreneur whose dog treats are sold at PetSmart, Target and major retail stores across the country.
Ryan, who lives in Stamford, Conn., started his business three years ago after his family adopted a beagle they named Barkley. When Ryan opened some store-bought dog treats for his new pet, the tidbits smelled awful. “Even Barkley didn’t like them,” he says.
That’s when Ryan decided to try making his own all-natural treats with dog-licious foods such as cheese, peanut butter, pumpkin and blueberries.
Today, the ambitious seventh-grader has turned his idea for a better dog biscuit into a prosperous business with projected sales of six figures this year, says mom Daniela Kelly.
In May 2013, while on ABC’s Shark Tank, which features product pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs to a panel of potential investors, Ryan made a deal with New York entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran for $25,000 in exchange for 25 percent of his business. Corcoran helped Ryan craft a new logo for the treats depicting Ryan and Barkley and assisted in redesigning his website.
After the show aired, Ryan’s business skyrocketed. “It’s been absolutely life-changing,” says Kelly, who helps manage the business while Ryan is in school.
FishFlops
Madison Robinson loves to swim, fish and draw. In 2006, after spending the day at the beach in Galveston Island, Texas, 8-year-old Madison took a sheet of paper, drew a flip-flop sandal on it, and decorated it with vibrant sea creatures.
She printed “FishFlops” across the top of the paper and showed it to her father.
Dan Robinson says he thought the name was catchy so he purchased the FishFlops (fishflops.com) domain name that day.
Madison used her artistic talents to design a line of FishFlops for children, added LED lights to some models and started selling them online, at trade shows and at boutiques near her home in Cypress, Texas, in 2010.
Madison says her big break came two years later when she wrote a letter to a buyer at Nordstrom.
After the upscale retailer placed its first order for FishFlops, local newspapers and television shows featured reports about Madison.
Today, at 17, Madison has sold more than 100,000 pairs of FishFlops — which retail for $20 to $32 — and she says she is in the process of expanding her line to include slippers, canvas shoes, high tops, wedges and clogs.
Madison often gets emails from kids asking her for business advice.
“I tell them that to be an entrepreneur you have to take the first step on your own,” she says. “And you have to be really patient, have a positive attitude and learn to never give up because it can take a really, really long time for things to happen.”
Mo’s Bows
Moziah “Mo” Bridges has always liked to look sharp. “When I was young I would ride my bike in a suit and tie,’’ the precocious 13-year-old says.
That fashion sense led Moziah to start his own business at age 9 with the help of his grandmother, a retired seamstress.
“I couldn’t find bow ties that really fit my style and personality, and she had lots of fabric, so I asked her to teach me how to sew one,” says Moziah, whose colorful handmade bow ties soon made an impression in his Memphis neighborhood.
Moziah started out selling his bow ties on his website (mosbowsmemphis.com) and in local stores. He had sold 2,000 when he was invited to appear on Shark Tank in 2013. Moziah turned down an investment deal on the show and instead chose to have FUBU clothing line founder Daymond John mentor him.
Today, with John’s help, Moziah has five employees, including his mother, Tramica Morris, and grandmother, and has sold more than $200,000 worth of his bow ties and men’s accessories, says his mom, who calls herself “the CEO of Mo.” His bow ties are also carried by Neiman Marcus, where they sell for $50 each.
Moziah also has his own charity — Go Mo! — that sends kids to summer camp “because it’s hot in Memphis in the summer,” he says.
When kids ask him for advice, Moziah tells them to “figure out what they like doing, and how they can make money doing it.” Often they want to wait until they’re older but Moziah says: “Do it now.”