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Teen Entrepreneur Snapshot: Popsy Cakes

Posted: 2009-08-06 12:13:03
Filed Under: Small Business, Starting a Business, Business Ideas, Online Business
Popsycakes
Courtesy Popsycakes
Teen Entrepreneur: Jessica Cervantes
Age: 18, going on 19 (on August 8)
Company: Popsy Cakes

Having your cake and eating it, too, used to be the hallmark of success, but as Jessica Cervantes has learned, it's even better if you just sell it instead.

Cervantes, who turns 19 on August 8, didn't plan on becoming an entrepreneur; she wanted to be a doctor. But she was enrolled in a business academy at John A. Ferguson High School in her Miami, Florida, where they had an entrepreneurship project. She was required to create a business, and one thing led to another, and next thing she knew, she had entered a business plan in the annual Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)'s National Business Plan Competition. She won $10,000 to go toward getting her business off the ground.

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    That business is Popsy Cakes, which is also the name of her product. It's a cupcake attached to a cookie stick. "At first, I just wanted to bake cupcakes," says Cervantes, "but there are a lot of cupcake bakeries out there and realized the competition would be immense. So I thought if I could bring some new twist to cupcakes, and better the product and make it more convenient, then I would be all set."

    She had a point, and indeed, her cupcakes are different -- in the best use of the word "different." The frosting and chocolate chips keeps the cupcake from crumbling apart, and while Cervantes was originally going to put them on a stick, like a Popsicle stick, she realized that if kids could eat the stick, it would create less mess for the parent.

    "The first I made, nobody wanted to eat, not even my family," admits Cervantes, who kept at it, experimenting for weeks in her parents' kitchen, baking new versions of her cupcakes. The whole time from brainstorm to bakeoff -- from conceiving the idea, to cooking, to entering the business plan competition, to winning the finals on August 24, 2008, in New York City -- took about a year. After she won the competition, she met with some of the judges -- some of whom were top executives from heavyweight companies like Mastercard and Merrill Lynch and whom gave her advice.

    Then, of course, a month later, the economy started to tank, and Cervantes admits that her web site, which doing quite well, began getting smaller and she received fewer requests for cupcakes.

    "It's affecting orders," says Cervantes of the recession, "but at the same time, I remind myself that everybody's going to still have birthday parties and kids are still going to want to eat cupcakes."

    And maybe she can sell them on campus. Cervantes is preparing to enroll in the Honors College, a college within Miami Dade College, and then two years later, will transfer to the University of Miami. She isn't sure what she'll major in, but she plans on studying corporate law -- and intends to keep Popsy Cakes going, aided by the advice from her father, an engineer, her mother, an accountant, and her aunt, who majored in marketing. At first, she envisioned a franchise of Popsy Cake eateries across the country but now hopes to license the concept to bakeries. Whatever Cervantes' future holds, though, it will involve entrepreneurship.

    "My parents say I'm bossy sometimes," says Cervantes good-naturedly, "but I do like the idea of having control -- of watching a business grow and seeing it develop. I really do enjoy the whole process."

    2009-07-30 15:46:37
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    whphll 11:07:55 PM Dec 22 2009

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    Talking about new business check out RMC- Roxann and Madison Collection, I had them to make a 10x10 Lithophane Portrait of my late wife . Man it's so beautiful , my neighbor had one made of her son who died in a car accident again they did a excellent job. check them out at www.randmcollection.com

    franksdreamland 11:00:06 PM Dec 05 2009

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    ARE YOU TIRED OF WORKING FOR SOMEONE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY A NEW PART TIME CAREER IN FLORISTRY? I can help you build a homebased business with my FREE seminars. (I make my income with the ads on my website - I can offer this course for free, plus, I want to combat unemployment problems here in the United States) so I created this wonderful course in Floristry for internet viewers. I was a homebased florist for ten years and built a three store chain on Long Island in the 1980's. My homebased business made me a very popular florist back in that day. View my e-book on my website and stop by to view this great course if you are interested in a new part time florist business from your home. www.FrankLazzaro.com

    mh25story 06:19:16 PM Nov 28 2009

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    A great book about teaching kids about entrepreneurship and using their talents is The Little Entrepreneur Series. thelittleE.com

    hobbygirl08 11:25:24 AM Nov 18 2009

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    I found this website helpful when researching home business training. Rated #1 work at home opportunity by the national consumer protection group. New 6 hour certification program that guarantees you will be working from home with a major corporation within 3 days of course completion. Learn from the comfort of your home, at your own pace. Job placement service for a full year after course completion. http://alturl.com/i2ig

    henrywaltham 02:26:54 AM Nov 13 2009

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    LOOKING FOR BASEBALL TALENT WWW.HENRYSBASEBALLCLUB.COM 781 891 0621 WITH THE MONEY YOU MAKE YOU CAN BUY ALL THE POPSY CAKES IN THE WORLD.

    franksdreamland 10:14:03 AM Nov 01 2009

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    START A HOMEBASED PART TIME FLORIST BUSINESS IN YOUR HOME. READ MY FREE SEMINAR BLOG AT http://homebasedflorist.blogspot.com

    lboody 05:11:48 PM Sep 29 2009

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    SHE'S A WINNER! AND SHE WILL ALWAYS BE A WINNER, NO MATTER WHAT SHE DECIDES TO DO.

    ararat1963 04:10:28 PM Sep 29 2009

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    HEY

    mdshughey 02:48:42 PM Sep 29 2009

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    this is retarded this is an good invention as good as no one wins soccer america is getting weak in the brains

    tobcantine 12:16:12 PM Sep 29 2009

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    This is SUCH a positive story! It is strange that people would have any sort of negative reaction to it! Wow! I think it is FABULOUS!

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