13 year old Kent Entrepreneur takes on the waffle business
What could be more inspiring than thirteen-year-old Louis Callaghan-Inge, from Maidstone, creating his own business – The Bubble Waffle Company. Louis got the idea while in Hong Kong on a family holiday last summer. The idea stuck and when he returned home, he decided to start his own business selling Asian style waffles, a popular local street-food snack.
It didn’t take long for the young entrepreneur to save up his pocket money, to purchase a second-hand waffle maker from Gumtree for £20. Since then, he has secured a regular pitch at the Offham Farmers’ Market, and earned a five star food hygiene rating as well as aLevel Two Food Hygiene Certificate. He is set to sell his delicious waffles at markets and fetes across Kent this year, including the upcoming Wye Farmers Market on Saturday 18th February.
With great entrepreneurial spirit, Louis has funded it entirely by himself, and has recently bought his second waffle maker and additional cooking equipment. He is the youngest person to be registered with The Kent Foundation – a charity which offers business support and advice to young people in Kent – and has enrolled himself onto a start-up business course to learn more about the industry.
Louis commented: “My Dad always tells me to believe in myself and my dreams, and starting The Bubble Waffle Company has really helped grow my confidence. I would definitely encourage other young people to think about starting their own business and not to worry about things like money; I only had £20 to begin with!
He further went on to say, "I’m overwhelmed by the positive response I’ve received to date, and I’ve even started to get repeat customers! In the future, I’d like to start bringing The Bubble Waffle Company to children’s parties, as well as franchising the business.”
Louis is the perfect example of an entrepreneur. He got the idea, planned his route to getting started, and then he just did it. It’s astonishing how well he has done at such a young age. Entrepreneurs are risk takers and Louis has definitely shown how rewarding it can be to take a risk.
To find out more and connect with Louis, check out his Facebook page.
