While kids across the country have taken jobs at the local mall or fast food chains this summer, Jalen Bailey decided to start his own business.
The 8-year-old bakes everything from scratch, including specialty peanut butter cookies, banana nut muffins, vanilla cake in a jar and more delicious treats for his company called Jalen’s Bakery. The prices range from $5 to $15 and he and his mom even deliver local orders.
The young entrepreneur started Jalen’s Bakery to do more than buy his own toys, however. He wanted to help out his single mom, Sharhonda Mahan.
Bailey told ABC 30 that his mom’s tiny rental home in Fresno, California, which he runs his business out of, is part of the reason why he started his bakery in the first place.
“I wanted to save up a lot of money to get a house,” he told the local station. “I just want one that me and my mom can be happy in.”
In addition to helping out his mom, Bailey, who’s been baking for two years, wants to raise money for college and to give back to his community.
After getting inspiration from his mom, an entrepreneur herself, Bailey attended his first business mixer to network with local professionals. One man offered to give Jalen a used oven so he can bake even more cookies.
The mom told ABC 30 that Jalen has received lots of requests for orders. He’s also baked for his first event, she said.
“He’s very excited,” Mahan told ABC News. “It seems like the more orders he gets, the more excited he gets and the more serious he gets about his business.”
She started a GoFundMe page for Jalen’s Bakery to expand his business so that he can ship to customers nationwide. Their goal is to raise $10,000. On the page, the mom wrote that Jalen hopes to continue to grow and develop the skills that it takes to be a young entrepreneur.
“I said I wanted to be a millionaire,” Bailey said. “I thought that wasn’t possible but now I think it is.”
Learn more about Jalen’s Bakery in the video above.
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