A slick sheet of vinyl reading “STRANGE” awaits its pairing with a blank t-shirt. The vinyl’s smooth texture contrasts with the coarse cotton fabric of the top, as it is permanently bonded through heat. As the vinyl cools, the backing paper is peeled and the product is finalized.
This process is a part of Cole Seraphine’s (11, HSU) start up, Strange Ways, a clothing brand selling stylish graphic tees. Over the summer, Seraphine took an interest in graphic design, and decided to launch his business. Rapidly, through his prominent social media presence, his enterprise gained school-wide recognition and sales.
Manual students have long been creating businesses, from selling jewelry to car detailing services. This trend of student-led ventures is supported by a school environment that promotes entrepreneurship.
“Being in HSU has helped me strengthen my skills in business,” Seraphine said.
Manual’s HSU magnet offers many business, investment and economics classes for students that choose to study in that direction. On top of this, Seraphine is learning other skills like graphic design, marketing and measurements.
Like Seraphine, another student has found her passion for business at Manual. Sadie Eichenberger (11, J&C) runs a crochet company called Sadie in a Stitch. She uses this business as a “brain dump” for her crochet ideas.
“It was a move I made sort of in my mom’s footsteps, as she runs her business almost full time these days,” Eichenberger said.
Both young entrepreneurs have seen recent success through social media. For Seraphine, Instagram is the only site from which a customer can access his product. A professional emphasis on social media is essential for Strange Ways’ sales, because most of the brand’s target audience, teenagers, are frequent users of Instagram and other social media platforms.
“A lot of Manual people have followed and supported Strange Ways on social media,” Seraphine said.
Additionally, Eichenberger runs an Instagram account with her product. But she sells most of her clothes on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade items.
“A bunch of people from school follow my account and support when I post,” Eichenberger said.
But like any business, both Sadie in a Stitch and Strange Ways have their fair share of challenges. Seraphine struggles with maintaining a steady following on Instagram and finds other small clothing brands as competition when it comes to sales.
For Eichenberger, other technical problems arose when kickstarting her small business.
“A big challenge I faced as a young entrepreneur was actually finding a place to route my income into. Basically, I needed to open a bank account. The only issue with that was that most banks in our area only let you open a bank account alone if you’re over 18,” Eichenberger said.
Both of them solved these problems. Eichenberger opened an account that was linked to her dads, so any money made from Sadie in a Stitch would be transferred from her dad’s account to her pocket. Seraphine started posting more on Instagram until he garnered a following large enough to make a profit. The successes and challenges of running a small business have instilled leadership and economic skills that both of these entrepreneurs can take with them in the future.
“Honestly, the biggest thing I’ve learned is not to rush myself with anything regarding the business. Yes, that keeps my business small, but at this stage of my life, I’d rather have a small customer base than be stressed daily,” said Eichenberger.
Similarly, Seraphine has gained talents from his small business.
“I enjoy business and marketing, and making Strange Ways has shown me the skills I need for the future,” Seraphine said.
Strange Ways and Sadie in a Stitch have seen success in the past year, with sales being a reflection of their hard work and dedication. If you’re interested, visit Strange Ways and Sadie in a Stitch on Instagram.
