by Kelly Kandra Hughes

Ambition, dreams and parental encouragement have led to a wealth of young entrepreneurs in Norfolk. For seven-year-old Mia Heller, the desire for her own business began with wanting to start a nature club focused on “unpolluting water.” Mia imagined a place where she and her friends could meet, play and think of ways to clean water. Her parents offered up a corner of their property for a tiny clubhouse/cabin but told her she would have to raise some money for it herself. Thus, a friendship bracelet and necklace business was born. 

“Making bracelets is fun,” says Mia. “It’s quiet and peaceful.” She also enjoys selling. “It’s fun putting money in the cash register and meeting new people.” Mia and friends plan to sell friendship jewelry over the summer at locations to be determined. 

Another young entrepreneur is 10-year-old Belle Bracken. Belle, who dreams of earning enough money to have a horse someday, also considered selling jewelry. Her mom, Janet Byrne, suggested she make the jewelry herself and offered to invest in a MyIntent jewelry stamping kit for Belle. “Belle is focused and driven,” says Byrne. “She took the idea and ran with it.” 

Belle now has a spreadsheet to track sales and a fundraising proposal to take to a local non-profit. “I find learning about business interesting and fun,” says Belle. She’s also confident that she’ll have a horse someday. “I believe if I work hard enough at my dreams, I can reach them.”

Belle is also a partner, with 9-year-old Gudrid Johnson, in 9-year-old Farrah Fitzgibbons’s Furry Friends pet sitting business. They are all “addicted to horses” and recently wrote to First Selectman Matt Riiska about opening a stable in town. In the meantime, they’ve set a goal to earn enough this summer as pet sitters to buy a horse and a Raspberry Pi computer so they can learn programming skills. 

Farrah says they’ll watch, walk, play with, wash and brush “any animals, even snakes. But not boas,” she amends. She has experience with cats, dogs, hamsters, bearded dragons and hermit crabs. Gudrid has been around “a lot of animals in my life. I really have a good connection with them.” Find Furry Friends flyers around town or call 917-981-5343 and say you’re calling for Farrah’s pet sitting. Hilary VanWright, Farrah’s mother, has been provided with a script of exactly what Farrah wants her to say to potential customers. “It’s a pleasure to support the Furry Friends’ team of passionate and dedicated pet sitters,” says VanWright. “I look forward to receiving your calls.” 

For the past four years, 13-year-old Hazel Kochman has been selling eggs through Hazel’s Backyard Biddies with her mother, Heather Kochman. Hazel also makes and sells potholders and bracelets. A desire to attend summer camp, which can cost upwards of $2000, led them to look for ways to raise money. “I thought raising chickens would be a good experience for her,” says Kochman. They started with ten chickens in 2017 and are now up to 67 chickens and four roosters. Hazel is responsible for their feed and water, checking for injuries and collecting eggs. “I like being able to hang out with the chickens,” says Hazel. “They’re always kind to me.” 

In the past, Hazel has managed sales all herself at the Norfolk Farmer’s Market. Local artist Karen Rossi has seen her in action. “Hazel is an excellent salesperson–a natural,” says Rossi. Hazel hopes to return to the farmer’s market this summer, but also has a stand on Route 44 across from Litchfield Hills Mobile Vet, and her mom offers delivery in Norfolk and Canaan. 

Sixteen-year-old Ilona Gundlach’s business aspirations came from TikTok. “I kept seeing videos of people starting small businesses. I thought it would be pretty cool to have one myself.” Through an exploratory program at Oliver Wolcott Technical School in Torrington, Ilona learned about making stickers. She searched the internet for copyright-free images, created designs, printed inventory and opened her own online Etsy shop, DesignMoonlightArt (www.etsy.com/shop/DesignMoonlightArt). Her current stickers include dogs, cats, lunar phases, dragons, hiking, camping and social justice slogans. Her father Kevin Gundlach is impressed with her commitment. “I’m very proud of Ilona for taking this idea and running with it on her own, even finding and buying a used color printer.”

Ilona likes being her own boss and working on her own time. She would love for her business to take off and is reaching out to local businesses about their branding needs for stickers. “I always wanted independence,” says Ilona. “And I always liked stickers. You can stick them anywhere!”