Schmidt turned a beloved hobby into a business.
Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Olivia Schmidt
Olivia Schmidt, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, has always enjoyed baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes. When she would post pictures online of the desserts she had made, people would comment and ask her to bring them something, so it gave her an idea. Why not open her own bakery and sell some of her sweet treats to make a little money doing something she loves?
And so O-mazing Sweets was born. Schmidt, the winner of an NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award, launched the business in April 2014 and even though there is no storefront, sales have been growing steadily. Customers can find the custom-desserts bakery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They can request anything they want, and the exact dessert will be delivered to them, a strength that helps O-mazing Sweets stand out among competitors.
Schmidt said that participation in the Beech High School DECA Chapter was one of the most influential experiences for her as she expanded her business. DECA is an organization that prepares leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges worldwide. As a member of DECA, Schmidt competed in two project categories for entrepreneurs: Starting Your Independent Business and Growing Your Independent Business. The second project, in particular, revealed weaknesses and challenges and helped her create ways to overcome those issues for personal and business growth.
“As a young entrepreneur, one of the biggest challenges for me is money management,” she said. “Although I have great math skills, I never really kept track of how much money I was spending vs. making. Once I did my second DECA project, this weakness was strongly pointed out to me, but my DECA partner was able to help me overcome it.”
Now, Schmidt has a spreadsheet where she logs all her purchases and sales, along with a bank account to deposit and withdraw money. Her improved money management and organization skills will come in handy as she continues her business while attending college at Cumberland University. Plus, she is already used to the balancing act of running a business while involved in school, sports, church, extracurricular activities, and time with family and friends.
Long term, Schmidt aims to keep O-mazing Sweets as a hobby and fun side job once she has a full-time job after college.
“The thing I love most about running my business is how I get to use my creative brain when coming up with new designs for holidays or when a customer has an occasion, but doesn’t know what to order,” she said. “The feeling I get after a customer sees their finished dessert is so rewarding.”
