Joyce Yin
In this tech-savvy day and age, businesses don’t have to have a face to face interaction between the seller and consumer. They can be online, like what senior Joyce Yin did with her business, JanuaryPanda. Yin used Etsy, a popular website where people can sell and buy handmade goods ranging from jewelry to home décor, to launch her business. She officially “opened shop” on August 14, 2012 but had already started forming her business earlier that summer. She specializes in earrings but also sells necklaces, bracelets, and customized jewelry.
Since she’s still in the beginning stages with her business, she is not too busy and only has to spend three to four hours a week working on her business related tasks. However, Yin states that her side job can get a little stressful when she has multiple tests to study for the next day. Finding clients can also be difficult, but she has learned to promote her business through Etsy boards. However, her business, which hasn’t even reached its one year anniversary, has been featured on a fashion segment for CBS and a fashion website called Category 5.
Yin shares that her favorite part of running her own business is “knowing that I was able to start my own idea and actually make it come true where people are willing to pay money for what I make! I find it very refreshing to know that people out there truly love what I give them!” She also enjoys getting feedback on the items she makes and so far has received all positive responses. For instance, she happily recalls her favorite memory of receiving her first customer. It was an “aha!” moment for her because she found that her hard work had paid off. If orders continue to come in, Yin will be sure to keep on producing jewelry for her online consumers in college.
Debbie Pan
The famous saying that many of you have heard, “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” is a lie. Truthfully, it should be, “A picture’s worth a thousand dollars.” Although a thousand may not be what this high school student makes just yet, senior Debbie Pan has high hopes.
Pan’s photography business started when she took her friend’s formal pictures for Prom during the end of Pan’s junior year. When fellow students saw her pictures on various social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, they too wanted the fresh new format of pictures that she offered, which were very unique compared to normal studio photos. She later used those sites as a form of advertisement for her business.
Pan first started out photographing and editing photo shoots for no charge, but soon realized that she could actually be making some profit out of something that she loved to do. She photographs for many school events, not only those of DBHS but also of other local schools. Most of her photo shoots involve ones related to school dances such as Homecoming, Sadies, and Prom. Her favorite part about her business is the gratification she gets from her clients’ positive reactions. In addition, she finds that her business allows her to become closer to fellow students during photo shoots. Staying away from plain and boring backgrounds, Pan often does her photo shoots at more unique places. Her favorite place for shoots at is Old Town Pasadena, which encompasses “vintage backdrops settings and city life.”
Since she doesn’t have to work every week, Pan is able to juggle both school and work and usually sees to her business on the weekends. Photo shoots on average take her one to three hours and editing usually takes one to two hours. She plans on continuing her business if she chooses to attend a college close to home.