As a small business owner who is 16 years old, it’s not always easy to make as much money as older small business owners. I say this because sometimes people don’t like to take my business seriously.

Recently, I went to a market which is similar to a flea market expect it is put together and run by an individual. Small businesses sign up to set up tables and a canopy to sell whatever it is their business is selling. So, I went to the San Jose Flea Market, which had a market inside of it, and since that market is so big, I thought this would be one of my best events yet. I was wrong.

Not only did many people not take me and my tent seriously, but a lot of customers that went were focused on the vintage clothes being sold from the other vendors. Some events I’m in go very well, where on a good day, I can make up to almost 500 dollars. On this day, I didn’t even make profit.

Every event is different and there is never a guarantee for a successful day, but all I can do as a vendor is hope. Being a small business owner at such a young age is cool; it’s fun and has a lot of pros but as far as cons go, it can be a struggle for people to see me try to sell my products and not be taken seriously.

After a not so successful market, I will be hosting a live sale on my Instagram to try and make some more money that I thought I would make at that market. I hope that as time goes on and the older I get, the more my business can grow and flourish into something great.