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Young entrepreneur draws customers with colorful craft Mary Paramore
Take Max Anderson, an 8th grade student at South Hampton Middle School who took over Aqua Art, a part-time show and festival based craft business started by his mom and continued by his brother Jared, a C. Milton Wright High School graduate who gave it up this summer to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Florida. The Aqua Art booth targets fellow kids, drawing them in with tubs of colorful rocks and seashells they can play with and touch, even without paying. With parental approval, and the purchase of a glass or plastic bottle, kids layer rocks, shells and various floaties into their chosen container, then top it off with colored water and a cork for the trip home. Although the craft itself is simple, Max said there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work required to get ready for a show. He mentioned keeping the gravel sorted, making sure he has many colors in stock and getting the car loaded with the tent, tables, chairs, gravel bins, bottles and jugs of colored water. And then there is acquiring his bottle inventory. “I collect bottles from the neighbors and then I let them soak,” he said, mentioning he often adds a glue solvent to the water to aid the process. “I have to scrape the labels off and make sure they are nice and clean.” Mom and dad help out with bottle collection, too. Mary Lou Anderson said she saves every bottle that comes into the house, while his dad, Ray Anderson, said his son’s business impacts his purchasing decisions. “I buy beer based on whether the label will come off easily,” he said with a laugh. The young entrepreneur got his first taste of running the business by himself at the Bel Air Barbecue Bash in August. He learned a few things. “After the water goes in I dry it off, so they won’t walk around with a wet bottle and drop it and then want a replacement,” Max said. He also learned about employee management. Max hired his friend Grant to help him operate the booth, as well as his soccer buddy Kevin to fill in for a few hours on Saturday, while Grant had football practice. A few other soccer buddies made themselves available to help out during peak hours, and Max learned to keep his payroll in check while providing good customer service. Jared Anderson earned enough money from running Aqua Art to buy himself a used car. Max Anderson’s first goal was a bit smaller. After paying his parents back for supplies and after paying his employees, Max earned enough money to buy a pair of customized, personalized soccer shoes he designed at popular shoe company’s Web site. As for the future, Max would like to be in the NBA, but said, “Considering my mom is only like four-eight or four-nine, I’d have to work a lot harder than everyone else. Or maybe lacrosse. People tell me I’m a good goalie.” Ray Anderson feels confident his son will choose something in the sports field, however. He said, “Maybe sports management. He’s very good at sports.”
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Big. Small. Minority-owned. Franchise. Mail order. Brick and mortar. Online. Sideline. Businesses in a capitalist society come in all shapes. It should come as no surprise, then, that business owners come in all ages and sizes.