While many high schoolers begin making money by picking up typical jobs such as babysitting or working at restaurants, a few stand out from their peers by starting their very own businesses. Such students experience the complexities of managing finances, time, and school all at once on a different level.

Junior Elly Ylaya runs a nail art business out of her home and faces the constant endeavor of balancing her life. To her, though, it’s worth it. “The reward is priceless, and clients are constantly leaving satisfied. I’ve been taking clients for almost a year now, and the growth and the support have grown exponentially.”

Word of mouth and her Instagram account “Nail Canvas by Elly” gave her the attention she needed to transform her passion into a nice source of income. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to worry about the price of rent, but she still invests in making her bedroom space comfortable for clients.

“On average, I spend about $60 a month restocking supplies,” explained Ylaya “I financed my business using my own money, and now I just reinvest what I make back into supplies and improving my setup.”

  Ylaya typically has 3-4 clients per week, charging between 35 and 45 dollars depending on the amount of time sets take her and their complexity level. Ultimately, this totals out to about 6-8 hours a week, which she can schedule to work with her athletic and academic constraints.

   Her main clients are students at Sherwood and family members. The money really starts to flow once school events are around the corner, like prom, homecoming, and graduation. The income is secondary, though. “My main goal isn’t just money,” she said. “I really want to keep growing my skills and building my client base while doing something I enjoy.”

  Ylaya’s biggest piece of advice is to manage your time well, establish your priorities, and use your passion to fuel you as a small business owner. With that, she says to leave time to care for your well-being.

“It is okay to take a step back,” said Ylaya. “Some days, I catch myself getting lost in trying to cram as many clients in one day as possible, leaving no room for me to eat in between or tend to my social life. These instances can accumulate and take a toll on your life, but I am grateful to have a good support system to assist me and remind me that life does not revolve around one priority.”