Stalls line the sides of the road and people bustle about, looking at the large variety of products being sold. This all seems like a normal outdoor market, but there is one thing that stands out. Students ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade are the ones selling these products. The Forsyth County Student Market was a great opportunity for students who wanted to share their passion and businesses to a wider audience.
The market was held on Saturday, April 19 and featured student businesses from across Forsyth County. There were around 50 stalls, each displaying a unique product or service, such as food, jewelry and art. Sophomore Smayana Peddu, a participant in the event, had a stall where she showcased handmade jewelry from her small business, Crafted by Smine.
“I made jewelry by myself at home and I had different kinds of things like pearls and gemstones on the bottom for earrings,” Peddu described. “There were porcelain beads and mushroom and strawberry [charms].”
A lot of the products at the market were mainly hand made and required a high amount of effort to produce, such as a stall dedicated to selling homemade hot sauces or intricate art pieces. Because of a lack of access to certain resources, students have to put more thought into their products.
The market was designed to allow student entrepreneurs and those looking for new experiences to gain first hand experience in the world of business and marketing. It also allowed students to expand their consumer platform. According to Peddu, she was able to expand her audience past her business’s social media platform.
“I’ve been wanting to put up a stall so that I could have more people getting to know my business because I’ve only been selling through social media,” she said. “So, putting up this market was a way for me to reach the Forsyth County audience.”
Reaching a large audience is important, especially for small student-run businesses which don’t have as many connections as adults in the business and marketing world do.
Aside from being an educational opportunity, the market was also a place where each product has a story behind it. Each student had a different story about what inspired them to create and sell their product, making the market more of a sentimental event rather than a marketing venture. For Peddu, her passion for making and selling jewelry came from observing her mother.
“During COVID-19, my mom got interested in it through Pinterest,” she noted. “Then, I saw her and I was like, oh, wait, I kind of want to try this. So I started it and it’s grown from there.”
Overall, the Student Market was an unique opportunity for young entrepreneurs to venture deeper into customer interactions and marketing products that are reflective of their own stories. It was also an encouraging experience for student-run businesses and those looking to work in the field.
