LOCKDOWN was isolating for school children across Australia, but for two Newcastle pupils it has inspired a stronger connection and a tidy side hustle.
Poppy Beveridge and Harper Canvin, both 10 and Charlestown East Public School pupils, became friends just before the March 2020 lockdown, when they began baking, knitting and gardening and dabbling in other creative pursuits.
"Harper was making slime at her house for fun and I was making polymer clay earrings at my house," Poppy explains.
When the August lockdown hit, the girls decided to set up their first enterprise, Colour Me Happy Kids (their first names are entwined in the word "happy").
Poppy's mum Becky, a teacher, showed the girls how to use Canva to make their logo as they liaised over Zoom. Then they began making the slime and earrings in earnest.
They started selling their wares at Charlestown netball courts and six weeks ago moved to Newcastle Farmers Markets, where Harper's parents, Kiki and Paul, also have a stall.
Paul made the girls a stall to showcase Poppy's resin earrings (priced between $10 and $20) and Harper's non-toxic slime ($15).
At their first market, the girls sold $400 of stock. After re-paying the float (provided by Harper's mum, Kiki) and their "equipment" (paid for by the "shop" of their parents, who purchased their equipment and materials), they each banked $100 each.
"Then I set them up a little Shopify stall and they have sold $600 of stock there," laughs Becky.
"They have not yet spent a dollar [on themselves] and have paid for their costs - they're rolling in it!"
"At the markets I come over and they are like, 'Can you buy us some donuts?" and I tell them to buy it themselves. They are seeing the value of things."
After the markets on Sunday, Poppy and Harper meet to do a "stocktake", pay their expenses to the "Mum Bank", then split their profits. Poppy begins to prepare the cardboard that is the backing for her earrings, and Harper will organise the "add-ins' for her Slime.
They then meet after school on Wednesday to finish making stock.
Harper mixes glue and activator to hand-make the slime, which is non-toxic, washes easily from clothing and comes with a theme. She mixes sensory pieces such as beads through it before being poured into a 500ml tub.
"When it's ready, it doesn't stick to your hands and it feels like a fluffy cloud," she says.
Meanwhile Poppy is busy pouring resin into moulds for the earrings, and adding glitter and other frills before it sets within and hour. Out of her profits, she pays her younger brother, Sammy to put on the earring backs, which are made from surgical-grade steel. [She still makes the clay earrings, which she bakes in the oven, but is having more fun with the resin.]
The response to Colour Me Happy has been strong.
"Everyone is saying we do a good job and that we should never give up and keep doing it because it'll be good to do when we are older," Poppy reports.
Repeat customers are common in only a month of trade, and they are often bringing their friends.
In the weeks leading to Christmas, the girls are selling festive-themed earrings, slime and also Reindeer Food.
They have some solid advice for anyone going into business.
"If anyone wants to start one, you need to be prepared, never give up and do your best," Poppy says.
And what's the best bit of their growing trade?
"We just like meeting new people and talking to them," says Poppy.
"The money is a bonus," finishes Harper.
Becky says the girls have inspired their girlfriends to follow suit.
"Half a dozen of the girls are wanting to start their own business, and one of the girls asked to borrow the equipment but Polly and Harper said no, it's for staff members," she grinned.
"They have their business secrets."
