Meet the teens building businesses while at school

Two Guernsey teenagers have spoken about building businesses while still at school, balancing customers, social media and future studies.

Harriette, who is 16 years old, has launched mobile coffee business Vi-t'en daone, while 15-year-old Zack created stationery brand Noted by Zack.

Both teenagers, who are still in full-time education, said support from friends, family and social media had helped them grow their businesses.

They both also said promoting their work online had helped their businesses expand.

Harriette started her coffee business with help from her parents after working at a local tearoom and completing a Level 2 food hygiene course online and a foundation barista skills course.

Her coffee trailer was supplied by a UK company which allowed customers to customise units with equipment ranging from ovens to coffee machines.

She said customer numbers had increased after promotion online.

"After we've been posting on the socials, we've definitely seen a rise in customer numbers and it's been great seeing my friends come down and everybody's just getting involved. Word-spreading has been great," she said.

Harriette will return to The Ladies' College to study A-levels in September and said the business would operate less frequently during term-time.

She said: "We're hoping to go out to sort of special events... throughout the year like the Christmas tractor run."

Zack's idea for launching his stationery business came while he was revising for exams and struggling to find a notebook that suited him.

He said: "All I could find was either something that was really boring or too childish."

He said attracting customers had been one of the biggest challenges and he did not receive any orders until he started making social media videos showcasing his stock.

"When I first launched it, I got no orders. I think, in your head, you think even when you launch the store it's going to get orders, but you don't," he said.

"The main thing you have to try and do is make sure people see it and people like it.

"I did a TikTok, which I think got me my first couple of orders."

Some of Zack's products are set to be available in a local shop and he said he wanted to expand to more Guernsey businesses while continuing his studies.

He said: "School will come first because I haven't even sat my GCSEs yet.

"I'll still do it in the background, hopefully, but then, in the summer, I'll try and put more priority and get it further."

After completing his studies, Zack said he hoped to expand the business further and potentially turn it into a full-time career.

"I think it would be really cool to be able to do it as my full-time job," he said.

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