Nevaeh Banton has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Sitting at a table outside her house on Broadway, she has sold cups of lemonade and blueberries from the family’s bushes, and, one time, she even raided the kitchen cupboards and sold the snacks she found within. So, it wasn’t much of a jump when she began to sell handcrafted bead bracelets.
Banton got started on this latest venture after having seen others making them and deciding to attempt to make some for her friends in what she calls her “group of three.” The Valentine’s gifts went over well and she decided it was time to try selling them out front for a price of $5 for those she makes by hand and $7 for those that she makes in a tumbler that threads the beads for her. During the two Saturdays she has hawked her wares, the Veneta Elementary School 5th grader says business has been good, the customers friendly. The money she earns, not surprisingly, is used to purchase more beads, string, and whatever decorations that catch her eye at places such as Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. Unprompted, she will happily show off the cases of beads and shapes, including fruits and smiley faces that await being strung into bracelets and sold. Themed bracelets also include flowers and Banton soon plans to make Veneta Spirit bracelets to sell as well. Banton says it generally takes her 7 minutes to construct a bracelet if it is what she terms a big pattern, but if she is working with just one color, it can take 10 minutes to build. She has set a goal for herself to build at least 4 bracelets a day, if not more, and she anticipates good sales as she sits outside her home during Spring Break. She also looks forward to the Veneta Harvest Festival in September, when business should also do very well. The community’s support is greatly appreciated, Banton says, and she admits to having been worried at first about potential rudeness. Rather, people of all ages stop to admire her work with one teenage boy even buying a bracelet for his grandmother. Once she gets established, Banton says she will likely begin taking custom orders and has been really excited about the response thus far. As one might expect, Banton likes art, and she also enjoys music. Currently, she is learning to play the piano, guitar, and violin. Skateboarding also commands some of her attention and she can be seen practicing tricks at the skate park under the watchful eye of her mother Kat Banton. Nevaeh Banton might be a kid, but she knows what she wants and how to go about it. She sets goals and works hard to achieve them. With her drive, her determination, life should take her far, and many adults could learn a lesson from her and her positive, can-do attitude.
2 Comments
JOHN MILLER
3/28/2024 11:04:02 am
She sounds like a future business leader of America.
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nevaeh
6/7/2024 11:11:16 am
WWWWWOOOOOOOOWWwww!! Shes amazing!
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