A typical day for most 13-year-olds involves school, meeting up with friends, and keeping up with the latest trends and fashions. But for Asia Newson, every day is an opportunity to grow her thriving business in Detroit.
The 13-year-old started a business selling candles when she was just 5 years old, according to Forbes. Now 13, Newson is making her own candles and is training 40 children in her hometown to become young entrepreneurs.
Newson has found success with her can-do attitude, perseverance, and hands-on approach to the business. In 2016, she projected total earnings of $70,000. She made $69,128.30—mainly by selling candles door to door.
The teen said that what inspired her to go into business was seeing her father sell candles when she was young. Eventually, she decided to have her own company “so I can have more fun and have way more freedom.”
Calling herself and her business Super Business Girl, Newson then went on to sell candles downtown, and being little helped her to sell her merchandise. But as she got older, she found that people have become less trusting upon seeing a little girl like her selling candles on the street.
“They started discouraging me a little bit, and then the security guards were kind of kicking me off the property, and telling me I can’t sell candles in front of this store or that store,” Newson recalled.
However, Newson persevered, and she got her mother to help her get a business license. She improved her packaging by partnering with bicycle and lifestyle brand, Shinola. She also began training kids and the 13-year-old even got a few mentors in her community.
In recent years, the media has been taking notice of Newson’s business savvy, and the teen has been featured on MSNBC and ABC News. She also spoke with Ellen DeGeneres back in 2015, and the teen impressed the TV host so much that DeGeneres gifted her with a workspace which includes a laptop and printer. Shutterfly also rewarded Newson on the talk show with a $10,000 cheque to use for her college education.
So what’s the secret to her success? Newson told Daily FUEL that failure is not in her vocabulary.
“If something doesn’t work for me, I will try my hardest, but I will not fail,” said the CEO and co-founder.
“You can’t give up,” Newson continued. “I see challenges as opportunity. So when opportunities roll in, I take advantage of it.”
For more, check out Jobs & Hire's report on Richard Branson's advice on setting up a successful business in 2017.
