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Armed only with an idea, a social media account and background knowledge from the Entrepreneur Academy at Dublin City Schools, Emma Cheng and McKenna Reynolds are both running growing businesses after school.
Emma resells clothing that she buys at second-hand clothing stores around central Ohio. She posts a picture of each item on Instagram on Saturday, then takes bids through Sunday night.
“Our mission is to reduce the amount of clothes in the landfills by reusing pre-worn clothing,” she says.
Cheng and her older sister, Emily, started RewearEm – a play on their first names – in 2020.
“My sister was like, ‘Hey, what if we started a business?’” Emma says, “I’m like, ‘No way.’ I shut it down so fast.”
Emily was adamant that her idea was a good business opportunity, though, and Emma was eventually convinced.
“We were bored, it was COVID, and we were like, ‘Hey, sure, why not?’” Emma says. “It grew beyond what we could’ve ever thought of. Not to mention that an Instagram business has (very little) risk. … It’s not like a real in-store business where you pour thousands of dollars into rent.”
Though the sisters have experienced setbacks – Instagram has twice shut down their accounts, mistaking the two for scammers posing as them, which cost them 15,000 followers the first time – they have since rebuilt and are above 5,000 followers.
The low cost of entry for an Instagram business has made this type of endeavor popular among students who want to earn a little spending money.
“Places like Etsy have very high fees, so I didn’t want to deal with that,” says McKenna, operator of DazzleByKenna, “I know a lot of people spend a lot more time on social media, where they can find me.”
McKenna sells jewelry that she makes by looping together necklaces, earrings and more with
charms and crystals she buys in bulk online. She started DazzleByKenna after she realized she’d bought more charms for her own jewelry than she knew what to do with.
Her favorite part, she says, is seeing people in public or on social media wearing her jewelry. She often reposts pictures of customers’ outfits to show other potential buyers how people are styling them.
Posting consistently to maintain engagement is a major part of both businesses’ success, McKenna and Emma agree. Both girls take classes through the school district’s Entrepreneur Academy, through which they have learned guiding principles for furthering their success and building their businesses.
“Every time I tell one of my teachers or classes, I feel like it’s super encouraging that they get excited,” Emma says. “Entrepreneur Academy is a good motivation for me with my business and learning all these new things.”
The academy has also helped them learn how to keep track of their money, promote themselves and build connections. Through the academy, they meet local entrepreneurs and get tips on how to grow their businesses and run them smoothly.
Both Dublin Coffman High School students are planning to use their experience to inform their future careers, as they have been enjoying the entrepreneurial landscape thus far.
“If you have a dream, or just any idea, just go ahead and put it out there and advertise yourself,” Emma says. “TikTok and Instagram reels are both a great way to advertise.”
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.
