If there’s one thing that newly minted entrepreneur Mikayla Ewing has learned after two months in business, it’s, “I had to be more polite. I’m working on my customer service skills because if I don’t have customer service skills, people won’t come back.”
Ewing is one of nine Sequim High School teens in the Future Business Leaders of America club that work in a mini-store called the Wolf Den to raise funds so they can attend state and regional conferences. Mark Knudson is the club’s advisor and SHS business teacher.
“The idea for the store came when I and Mr. Knudson were brainstorming ways to make money for trips, social events and (FLBA) uniforms,” Ewing, a freshman, said.
A concession stand already was located in the main hall across from the SHS office — it was just a matter of stocking and staffing it.
Ewing and Joie Darminio are shift managers and other FBLA members who run the store are Tanner Robbins, Quinn Danielson, Morgana Fergusson, Isabelle Hugonoit, Robby Streett, Karen Chan and Bailey Cauffman.
The store is open from 7:45-8:10 a.m. for breakfast and lunches at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
“If you’re careful enough, you can start learning on your own,” Ewing said. “It was easier for me to learn how to do this because it was pretty much sink or swim. I also learned when you have repeat customers, you can have more fun with them.”
The USDA’s Smart Snack program restricts the amount of fat, sugar and calories that can be offered to students, so the store has “all healthy snacks, Gatorade and diet soda,” Knudson said. “Our suppliers are Costco and Walmart for now but we’re planning on getting other vendors, such as frozen yogurt from Black Bear. We also have snack bars, chips, low fat popcorn and fruit snacks, popsicles, cream bars, pudding and Eggo waffles.”
Cauffman, also a freshman, paused between a rush of customers to say, “When people come and look for something and we don’t have it in inventory, we’ll tell Mr. Knudson and we usually add it. I’ve learned people like a variety of stuff.”
Balancing the books after her shifts is just one of her responsibilities.
An Associated Student Body bookkeeper manages the till and makes sure any extra revenue goes to the FBLA account daily.
With visions of profits in their eyes, the students set the prices but there were few takers and some complaints.
“The snacks they were selling for a dollar but the kids didn’t want to buy them for a dollar,” Knudson said. “They eventually figured out through experience they had to lower the prices. They saw the profit margin lower but then saw they were selling more product.”
Ewing learned, “You need to be careful with your prices because people don’t like spending too much.”
Asked what he’s learned, Robbins said, “It takes a lot of practicing, experiencing, a lot of organizing and learning. A surprising thing I found out was how to run a (touchscreen) cash register or properly stock items and if we buy something for the store, we need to make more than the original price.”
The store also has a few tech devices such as ear buds and phone chargers, plus what Knudson called “spirit apparel” such as SHS Wolves hats, sweatshirts, hoodies and banners. Next year employees plan to add school supplies.
The best part, Robbins said, “is interacting with customers and getting to have this whole experience. I always had the dream to run a business and to be a leader.”
