Students ready their small businesses for holiday shoppers

December 12, 2023 (Volume 47, Number 8)
Article by Thomas Garrett

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Makenna Nutt chats with customers at the Student Small Business Market, held December 1 in the Kirkhof Center. Nutt crochets keepsakes, hats and sweaters.

Photo Credit: Thomas Garrett

Javion Ward started his small business, Money Over Fame Apparel, at age 16.

Photo Credit: Thomas Garrett

Arianna Kraljic creates jewelry, using different mediums. 

Photo Credit: Thomas Garrett

As most students prepared for exams, some prepped their small businesses for a busy holiday season.

At the Student Small Business Market, held December 1 in the Kirkhof Center, students displayed their products, from crochet works and jewelry to artist prints and apparel lines. Three students shared their stories about their businesses.

Makenna Nutt: Kenna Crochet Shop
Makenna Nutt is a junior who is majoring in biomedical sciences; she hopes to become an occupational therapist. When she takes a break from studying, Nutt crochets all sorts of creative patterns and items for her small business, Kenna Crochet Shop.

“I originally started crocheting during COVID, because I had nothing better to do, and then I made a birthday present for my cousin and enjoyed that feeling of giving someone something handmade,” said Nutt.

A native of Macomb, Nutt turned her side hobby into a business last year and attended the 2022 Small Business Market.

“In the past, I was that person who would pick something up for a couple of weeks, like painting or sculpting, and move on to the next thing. But with the instant gratification crocheting provides, I haven’t stopped,” Nutt said.

Her projects can range from 15 minutes to several hours of crocheting. Nutt creates pieces from small ornamental snowflakes and snowmen to hats and sweaters. 

“I am working on trying to balance my time as I start to think of this hobby as more of a business,” she said. “I am a student, I do not have unlimited time, but I love making these little gifts for people.”

Javion Ward: Money Over Fame Apparel
Money Over Fame Apparel represents owner Javion Ward’s passion for hard work and getting ahead. Ward created the clothing company when he was 16, acquiring his own LLC after researching the legalities of owning a small business.

“My drive is all about being financially free, and the name represents that, as well as some of my other personality traits such as being a bit of an introvert,” Ward said.

Originally from Detroit, the sophomore said he hopes to pair an undergraduate business degree with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Ward’s dream is to make his small student business a major business in the clothing market. He is building his educational plan to support this goal.

“It all just clicked a little before I started the business. I loved clothing and fashion but didn’t have the resources to buy the best clothes, so I decided to start making my own. Now I make comfy clothes that make me feel good about myself, and hopefully do the same for others,” he said.

Arianna Kraljic : Arianna K's Jewelry
While studying for a master’s degree in social work, Arianna Kraljic also runs her small business, Arianna K’s Jewelry. What started with a broken necklace in high school turned into a passion for this craft, said Kraljic.

“It is a bit costly at times and can create a bit of a mess, but I enjoy seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they see the work I come up with,” said Kraljic.

The GVSU market is just one of many markets Kraljic tries to attend. As she expands her audience, she is also expanding her skill set as she explores a variety of jewelry-making mediums, from beads to epoxy resin to polymer clay.

“It can be messy, smelly and a little expensive, but I thrive on this,” she said. “As someone who feels like they always need to be doing something productive, this has helped me fill my time and get that great feeling of giving someone a gift.”

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