Now more than ever, high schoolers have taken it upon themselves to make money. With limitations preventing students from working traditionally, like age restrictions, job scarcity and schedule conflicts, many have opted for a creative and independent way to profit off their interests and passions.

In Middle College alone, there are multiple examples of students setting aside time to develop and manage their own business alongside other responsibilities—like school or work.

Senior Emi Noyola is founder of Pastries Perfectos (@pastries_perfectos on Instagram) and sells a variety of home-baked sweet treats like banana bread, cinnamon rolls, flavored cookies, mini cakes and muffins. She offers insight on the intensive process that comes with her entrepreneurship.

“Having a business takes up a lot of time. In my case, you have to think about how you’re going to promote the items, make the items and package the items,” Noyola said. “I dedicate at least a few hours on a certain day or spread out the work throughout the week so I can get that done, and I also make sure to get all of my schoolwork done on time.”

Juggling daily life with the meticulous duties that come with running a business does not come easy. Finding a balance between promoting the business online, generating and packaging products, schoolwork and regular employment hours can be difficult, but Noyola navigates her time efficiently.

“I have to think about what days I don’t work and what days I have to do my schoolwork beforehand, so I can have free time to do all the stuff I need to do for my baking business,” Noyola said.

Freshman Aleemah Walli and founder of Leema Eternals (@leema.eternals on Instagram) thinks similarly. She sells hand-crafted candy roses, eternal flowers and money bouquets.

“You really have to manage your time wisely because you have customers that are depending on you, deadlines to meet at school and you still want to make time for family,” Walli said.

Time management is a crucial ability as an entrepreneur. It must be nurtured to ensure all roles, whether tied to the business or not, are taken care of accordingly.

Freshman Amanda Vasquez adds on to the discussion of time management. She is founder of Sweets Bai Manda (@sweetsbai.manda on Instagram) and sells home-baked sweet treats like cookies and brownies.

“I have to balance baking with homework. I plan ahead so I don’t get overwhelmed,” Vasquez said.

Developing a list or plan throughout the week is a common and effective technique to organize priorities and mitigate stress as much as possible.

A common challenge among entrepreneurs is tackling the algorithms of social media. Making yourself and your business known is a notable feat, as it could take months or even years to gain stable traction.

Nevertheless, social media is extremely beneficial when starting out.

Freshman Heiddy Martinez recognizes the impact social media has had on her business. She is founder of Stars Jewelry (@_starsjewelry_ on Instagram), and sells hand-crafted accessories and jewelry like bead or paracord bracelets, earrings, keychains and necklaces.

“I think social media has definitely helped put the stuff that I’ve made out there,” Martinez said.

It can take a lot of courage to branch out publicly. To those just starting out, this part of the process is extremely out of comfort. Despite this, the fear is often overcome with time.

“[My business] pushed me to be more open about having my voice heard,” Martinez said.

Martinez’s confidence and ability to speak up for herself has grown as a result of her entrepreneurship.

Walli also speaks on the importance of social media and highly recommends creating a business account.

“I definitely recommend it if you want to expand your business because it opens your business to everybody else around you,” Walli said. “It gets you more customers, happier faces, and not to mention, more money.”

While family and friends at school are a great starting point for clientele, Walli points out how social media expands the horizon of customers substantially.

Akin to the students of Middle College, seniors Courtney Trinh and Sophia Huang from Edison High School also run a small business. The pair are co-founders of Spliced Wear (@splicedwear on Depop, Instagram and TikTok). They sell hand-sewn, repurposed accessories and clothing to promote awareness and scientific research on pressing issues. Located in Huntington Beach, it is clear that student-run entrepreneurship and the dedication that comes with it stretches outside of Santa Ana and throughout Orange County.

Trinh and Huang also use Spliced Wear as means to contribute to the causes they care about. 30% of their profit is donated to organizations like the Coral Reef Alliance, which advocates against and educates on coral bleaching, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

“I was inspired by a lot of businesses I found online, but I felt like I wanted to do something with a bigger impact,” Trinh said. “That’s why I added scientific research and donated to these organizations because I didn’t want to keep all the money for myself. I wanted to make a change and give back.”

Rather than prioritizing income, Trinh and Huang prioritize impact on real-world matters. Their ultimate goal is to give back to the community, so they formed Spliced Wear to channel their efforts.

“It’s important to start a business for yourself rather than to look good on college applications. A lot of people do it for that reason and they are not putting their hearts into it,” Trinh said. “It’s really important to be committed and passionate. I feel like the core part of running a business is putting your heart into it.”

Trinh is a firm believer that passion is an essential component to become an entrepreneur. A person should not start a business if their incentive is superficial. It will not thrive with a lack of a genuine motive.

Freshman Cali Martinez is founder of Crochet By Cali (@crochet.bycali on Instagram) and sells a variety of hand-crocheted accessories like bags, flowers, keychains and plushies. She states what being in charge of her business has taught her.

“[Running a business] helped me learn to communicate with people,” Martinez said.

Communication is key, especially when it comes to customer service. Martinez’s business gave her the opportunity to refine that skill, which will surely come into play in the future.

Noyola and Trinh also state the best takeaway from their experience.

“It definitely taught me patience because sometimes things don’t go like they are supposed to, so you have to take a step back and think about it strategically and not let the pressure get to you,” Noyola said.

Patience and the ability to ground yourself in the face of a difficult situation is useful in everyday life. Instead of putting herself down after a mistake, Noyola knows to take a moment, pick herself back up and try again. Trinh also understands the power of resilience.

“It taught me to be more resilient and committed in the things I do,” Trinh said.

Alongside resilience, commitment is an admirable quality, and they stand out in the work of an entrepreneur.

Vasquez and Walli share their favorite aspect of entrepreneurship.

“My favorite thing is when someone enjoys something I make, like when they get excited or run up to me to buy cookies or something,” Vasquez said. “It makes me happy seeing people actually like the stuff I sell.”

The value Vasquez gains from her business lies in the joy her customers express when buying her products. Knowing her craft contributes to others’ happiness makes her day. Walli shares a similar sentiment.

“I really like to see [customers’] faces light up when they see the finished product, like something I made for them,” Walli said. “It warms my heart to see someone happy with something I contributed to.”

Walli feels a pleasant sense of fulfillment when watching clients’ satisfaction of her service.

Cali Martinez and Walli suggest that although it takes immense commitment to start a business, and even more to accomplish everything behind the scenes needed to keep it afloat, the payoff is undoubtable. They urge others to feel capable and empowered to initiate their own if hesitant.

“If anyone else wants to start a business, you should just do it,” Cali Martinez said. “It sounds really hard and scary, but as long as you make time for it, it’s fun and you get to meet new people.”

Walli adds that amidst the experiences that come with entrepreneurship, valuable life lessons are learned.

“I think everybody should have a small business. Not something big, but something so you learn to manage your money and learn social skills. I feel like it’s an amazing opportunity to show what you can do with your creativity,” Walli said.

Owning a business is not just about making money, it’s a creative outlet to build upon your passions and share them with your community. It is a skillful endeavor requiring dedication, time, passion and patience, but those who hold the loyalty to commit will come out the other end as experienced and responsible individuals.