BUSINESS: Some students are starting before their schooling even ends.
By Tyler Demshki, Staff writer
Small-time businesses are celebrated in American culture; they embody the American Dream. This is because they involve people, from any social or economic level, risking their capital and their time in order to build a business that can survive the ages and contribute to their success. The best part about this concept is the accessibility of it; with enough effort, even a high school student can start a business.
That is exactly what Phillip Hershkowitz (11) has done. In his freshman year, he started his business, PencilWorks. PencilWorks is a Riverside-based company that supplies local schools with fundraising opportunities via wholesale school supplies, with smaller quantities available through an online store.
In keeping with the theme of self-invention, Hershkowitz started this business largely by himself. While his parents did help him with the registration of the business, operation has been his responsibility since the beginning. The endeavor is also self-funded, completing the image of PencilWorks as a completely self-made business.
The future of PencilWorks, according to Hershkowitz, is expansion into more schools in Riverside. Beyond that, he is unsure, as he is still deciding what to do after his senior year of high school. One avenue PencilWorks may branch into is the app market, as evidenced by Hershkowitz’s plans for “Applicious.” However, this idea has not become more than that, and may remain on the drawing board altogether.
Wherever PencilWorks may go, it is clear to see that the lessons learned when starting your own business are universal. Launching a business teaches you how to be self-motivated and how to manage money, and gives you a taste of the American Dream.