Here’s a great story about somebody who turned a hobby into a small business. Kailyn Cage has always loved candy and earned the nickname the “Candy Girl.” One day Kailyn decided to bring candy to school and sell it. Both students and teachers alike bought from her and she made $1,000 before the administration shut her down.

Not one to shy away from early failure, Kailyn decided to make money the proper way and set up two candy machines in a beauty salon and Giant store. Before deciding on which products to carry she surveyed employees and customers to determine their preferences. According to Kailyn: “That’s the difference between my vending company and every other candy company. It caters to what the customer wants.”

She continued her growth by purchasing soda and snack machines for the local church where her father is the pastor and maintained a 3.94 school GPA.

At 19 years old, Kailyn netted $10,000 last year from her business and she is now taking entrepreneurship classes at university to expand her knowledge base. She is also taking engineering classes to learn about how to design her own vending machines.

“I’m not really interested in the social aspect of college life, or the partying and the drinking. My priorities are to expand my business, get knowledge so I can invent my own vending machines, and run track.”

Evan Carmichael