Ever since I was young, l've loved the idea of running my own business. In elementary school, I started a homemade heating pad business, and later | launched a reptile beading company with my cousin. I came up with several other small business ideas over the years, but none of them were very successful each made only around $100 to $300 in profit. Even though those early ventures didn't grow much, they helped me realize how much I enjoy being an entrepreneur.

Everything changed when Junior Innovators came to my high school. I had always loved baking, but I had no idea how to turn it into a real business. At first, I experimented with selling different baked goods like cookies, cupcakes, and mini cakes to see what people liked. Over time, I learned which products sold the best and which didn't. I discovered that my mini cakes were by far the most popular, so I made them the main focus of Savannah's Bakery.

Junior Innovators played a huge role in helping me get my business off the ground. They taught me how to price my baked goods correctly, manage my costs, and understand profit and loss. I also learned how to track all my receipts and keep my records organized, which has been a huge help as my business has grown. On top of that, they connected me with another entrepreneur at GCU who also sold food. She was an amazing resource and was willing to hop on a call with me before my first market. She gave me great advice on what to bring, how to prepare, and how to make my setup more appealing to customers.

They also helped me get into markets, including the monthly Grand Canyon University market and several events through my school, NVCA. I was even featured in the GCU newsletter, which was a huge honor and helped get my name out there.

About a month and a half after launching my business, I began participating in community markets outside of school. I now rotate between the Anthem Market and the Market on 41st Street almost every weekend. Of course, l've had to miss a few due to school or sports, but overall, l've brought in around $6,000 in profit so far. In addition to those markets, I'm currently on the waitlist for six others. Getting into these events would be a huge step for my business, and I'm actively preparing so I can be ready as soon as a spot opens up.

I have been reaching out to local businesses in Anthem, where I live, to explore opportunities for selling my baked goods in coffee shops and other small stores. When I started Savannah's Bakery, I had only $800 to work with. Since I was running the business on my own (unlike many classmates who had partners to split start up costs with), I had to be really strategic with every dollar. Junior Innovators helped me figure out exactly what I needed to get started and what equipment would be most useful for my setup.

Thanks to Junior Innovators, l've not only built a profitable business doing what I love l've also built a foundation for my future. Savannah's Bakery started as just an idea, but now it's a real business that I'm excited to keep growing in college and beyond.