How this 9-year-old turned her jewelry-making hobby into a side hustle for the whole family
London Drover loves sparkly jewelry. She likes to wear it. And for the last couple years, she's been making it too.
It started with kits given to the nine-year-old from Grand Falls-Windsor for Christmas. Earrings, necklaces, keychains — all things she's made and given as gifts. And now London is turning her hobby into a business for her whole family.
"We were just sitting around and I mentioned that I like making jewelry," said London. Then she added that she wanted to make it a business, and her mother, Karis Drover, agreed.
Drover thought it would be a good way to fill her daughter's extra time during the Christmas holidays.
"I thought maybe it would be fun to keep her a little bit busy," said Drover.
She started social media accounts with the name "London & Co" — for London and her eight-year-old brother, Cohen.
All they expected were a few orders from family and friends, but Drover says they already have more than 200 orders and six stores in Grand Falls-Windsor are selling the jewelry.
"I'm very happy," said London.
The demand has meant the whole family in now involved in the the business.
Along with London and her mother, her dad Dale and Cohen are also making products. Karis also orders supplies and keeps track of the orders. And their extended family, from grandparents to siblings, is offering help too — and Cohen hopes to have his own line of hockey-related items later this year.
London says the answer to her success is simple.
"If I can guess, it's because I'm nine."
Dale and Karis Drover hope the business will be a lesson on money management.
"We had to put in so much money to get all the materials and get the business going," said Karis Drover. "Once they start making some income from it … they will pay back the materials and then they'll start making a profit."