Kids cash in at expo
By:
Jamie Hult, Staff writer
Budding scientist Braxton Saxer sold homemade bubbles and bath procducts to Kidpreneur Market customers Saturday. Held in conjunction with the Brandon Expo, the first-time venture featured 16 booths full of creative kids with big ideas. Jamie Hult/BV Journal
Rylan Rothenberger’s mini donuts went so fast at Saturday’s Kidpreneur Market that she sold out in just a few hours. Jamie Hult/BV Journal
Ten-year-old Julia Tinker tries to interest Kidpreneur Market customer Bill Thompson in some critter sitting. Jamie Hult/BV Journal
Youngsters get down to business at Brandon’s first Kidpreneur Market
Braxton Saxer sells bubbles.
In fact, between the 8-year-old’s homemade bath bombs and salts, bubbly Jell-O, Play-Doh and Mason-jarred soaps, you might say he offers the complete bubble bath experience.
“He’s been a big bath fan his whole life,” said his dad, Travis. “There are no complaints when it’s bath time.”
Saxer sells that experience well, too. By 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, his Kidpreneur booth had brought in $117, and the market had only been open half an hour. By noon, he’d made $200.
The second-grader began his bubblicious business last year with booths at Junk Fest at the Nest and The Warehouse.
“I started out selling bubbles, then I wanted to sell bubble stuff that fizzes,” said Saxer, who started experimenting in kindergarten. “In the third year my brain just popped, and I wanted to sell bath bombs.”
The kitchen scientist tops off his recipe with essential oils in yummy scents like blueberry lemon, peach pie and cotton candy.
His latest invention – Play-Doh soaps shaped like poop emojis – were also a hit with Kidpreneur customers.
“He’s full of personality – and who can resist those eyes?” his dad said with a grin.
Sporting an oversized suit coat, Saxer himself, charmed all who stopped.
“I remembered it from movies. It’s what people wear when they sell things,” he explained. “I wanted to look nice so people would buy my stuff.”
Saxer said he’ll put his Kidpreneur profits toward Legos and his savings account for college, where he wants to study to be, of course, a scientist.
When he grows up, Ben Livingston wants to be a stand-up comedian in New York City, but for now the 11-year-old is busy running Golden Leash, a pet care service.
“We take care of dogs, cats, fish, bunnies, anything,” said Livingston, who passed out business cards and dog treats to potential clients at his Kidprenur booth Saturday.
The sixth-grader currently cares for 15 dogs and recently expanded Golden Leash from a summer gig to a year-round business with a website and Facebook page.
“We try to make the pet’s experience the best we can make it and customize to what the owners want and need,” Livingston said.
Golden Leash’s services include walking, feeding and pet-sitting, both partial days and overnights.
“Oh, I wish I’d known about this sooner,” said Bev Pfeifle when she spotted the booth.
Although Brandon woman already has a sitter lined up for her shih tzu this weekend, she’ll be out of town, Pfeifle pocketed a card for the future and a dog treat to take home.
A few steps down at Rylan’s Sweet Shop was a very different kind of treat, and customers were eating it up.
In just a few hours 8-year-old Rylan Rathenburger was elated to sell out of mini donuts and collect her well-earned check from BVACC president Kim Cerwick in the amount of $45 – the exact price of the Baby Bjorn doll she’d been eyeing at Target.
View the photo gallery at brandonvalleyjournal.com
