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Bubble Pop Slimez, created and sold by 10-year-old Josilyn Newman of Reed City, had its unveiling at Toy Town on Friday, April 8.
Photo courtesy/CathieCrew
REED CITY — Starting a business at 10 years old is a rather uncommon occurrence, but one young Reed City resident has been successfully marketing her slime products and is now selling her gooey creations at Toy Town.
Bubble Pop Slimez, created and sold by Josilyn Newman, of Reed City, had its unveiling Friday, April 8, at Toy Town.
Newman first discovered slime making by trying the activity with her mom, Jennifer, slowly trying new recipes and perfecting her slime varieties.
Her mother eventually encouraged her daughter to try selling the slime.
“When I was like 5, I saw a video on it, and I said ‘Mom, we have to make that,’” Newman said. “So we tried, it didn't work. Then a few weeks later, I asked her just for some glitter glue, which we just had laying around. I also used some of the borax that we had, and then I made some and it actually worked. I was making so much of my product, my mom said, they just have to sell it. So I started selling in Wheatland, and (it) just grew from there, I started doing vendor shows.”
With how well the slime sold at the Wheatland Festival, Josilyn wanted to try and expand her selling abilities.
Bubble Pop Slimez’s growing collection now includes several varieties, and she also has make-your-own slime packages available.
Newman said she has had fun trying out new recipes and has gotten good feedback.
“I have had some friends make it with me as well, and now they seem to really enjoy it because it's super stretchy,” Newman said. “There's quite a variety of textures and colors. I have actually already inspired someone that really likes to make bracelets. She's now thinking about selling, and maybe we could do vendor shows together.
“Honestly, it feels quite cool, like a huge accomplishment,” she added. “I mean, I'm only 10 years old, and who knows where it could go? I could be doing it at 16. I have all sorts of time, and it would take way too long for me to say how much stuff I want to sell other than my slime.”
Newman has goals to expand her products and potentially include things like jewelry and other kid-friendly items.
Jennifer Newman said she has enjoyed helping Josilyn with her entrepreneurial dreams and plans to continue doing so as she gets older.
“It's been really eye-opening,” Jennifer Newman said. “When I told her she'd have to sell her slime, I had one place where she could sell the slime that she made that summer at Wheatland in September. And I thought we might sell maybe half of it or something. It's a kid's marketplace. She didn't have enough slime. She sold out in like two hours, and we brought a lot of cardboard boxes full of them.
“She was just so excited after that,” she added. “Then she wanted to do craft fairs, which weren't bringing in as much money as Wheatland. So she just kept brainstorming, and she's been calling both of her uncles, they're both business guys, and asking for advice. She just keeps saying to me, ‘Mom, but I don't know how to sell my slime better.” She just keeps pushing.
"Then the Toy Town came in and the idea came up and she said 'let's try.' ... She met them, and they approved it. I'm so impressed, that is the shortest way to say it.”
The two have plans to pay attention to how well the slime products do at Toy Town and then see where they can grow from there.
Josilyn’s advice to other kids interested in becoming entrepreneurs was to ‘just go with it.”
“Just start doing one tiny thing and build up some courage to ask more questions,” Newman said. “If you get knocked down, just go to a different one.”
Bubble Pop Slimez can be found online through Newman’s Facebook business page at tinyurl.com/bubblepopslimez.
