A business minded teen revealed how he was able to use a £150 Christmas gift to make a crafting empire worth six-figures.
In December 2022, Caelan McDonald was gifted a Cricut Joy portable smart cutting machine by his mother Karen Newsham. The gadget is a digital drawing, cutting and printing machine allowing crafty people to make prints, cards and labels for their home.
However, entrepreneurial minded Caelan spotted a simple business idea, use the printer to make transfers which can be stuck on glassware and acrylic.
He then set up a Facebook page for the venture and by the started receiving customised orders and by the start of 2024, he was spending three hours a day after school creating hundreds of personalised items.
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That is probably a lot more productive than what you and I were doing after a long day of learning.
After realising he'd been able to create the seeds of a successful business in his spare time, Caelan decided to take the plunge and bail on further education in order to dedicate all of his time to the crafting gig.
Since then Caelan hasn't looked back, growing his business to the point where he was making almost £15,000 a month – which definitely beats living on rice and beans while you scrape by on your student loan, even if it does mean having to put in some 16 hour days.
However, Caelan has decided against splashing the cash, instead deciding to invest back into the business. This includes spending over £30,000 on numerous industrial printers, which means that he has since been able to expand into the clothes market – all of which are listed on his CM Crafts website.
He does, however, treat himself from time to time, adding: "It's nice to be able to update my phone or iPad when I want or need to."
Reflecting on the venture, Caelan said he'd 'never imagined' a small side venture would get to this point.
"It's 100 percent the best Christmas present I ever got - it's the gift that keeps on giving," he said.
Caelan's mum Karen, who works in hospitality, said: "I'm incredibly proud of him, and so glad he's followed his own journey.
"I worried and wanted him to stay in education, but he was very unhappy and spending hours travelling in the cold when he wanted to be working.
"By June he had a really clear idea of what he wanted to do so we took some advice and I thought it was worth letting him try.
"He's always been entrepreneurial. He's great at selling, and listening and responding to his customers, and knowing what's on trend.
"He's extremely hard working and he's certainly taught me a lot."
Brenna Cooper