Student-run Businesses Thrive at TREP$ Marketplace

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well at Memorial Middle School in Cedar Grove, which on Friday night converted its cafeteria and gym into a full-fledged bazaar of student-made products and services for the first ever TREP$ Marketplace.

On offer at the nearly 100 vendor tables was an impressive array of merchandise. Everything from hand-made Panthers gear to fashion accessories to video games to art; all made and sold by hard-working MMS students.

Not only was the parking lot at the middle school jammed to capacity, but overflow parking spilled out as far as the eye could see up and down Ridge Road as hundreds of parents and students scrambled to get their hands on one-of-a-kind merchandise. Cedar Grove Mayor Robert O'Toole and Superintendent Dr. Gene Polles were on hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the marketplace.

Newly-minted principal Richard Mangili said he was surprised at the turnout, and proud of his students.

"We really couldn't have asked for a better turnout. We expected 50 kids we had over 150. I think the kids learned a little bit of what it takes to run a business -- what's involved, how to go about creating something with your imagination and trying to figure out what the public wants. I think it was a really nice job."

The TREP$ Marketplace was the culmination of an eight-week after school program in which teachers volunteered their time teaching students the ins and outs of the business world, including product development, finance, advertising, marketing and salesmanship.

Even local businesses pitched in to give students an inside look at running and maintaining a successful business. Including AGL Welding Supply Co., Interface Designs, Budd's Auto Body, Dr. Jeff Burrowes, Cedar Grove Chamber of Commerce, Investors Savings Bank, Iraci Associates, MJ Designs Unlimited, PNC Bank, Stephen Ferguson CPA and Cedar Grove UNICO.

Each student not only came up with an original product to sell at the marketplace, they each devised a budget and a business plan, everything a small business owner must consider before opening their doors.

Although the event was sponsored by the Memorial Middle School FSA, the marketplace was not a fundraiser. Each of the 150-plus students at the marketplace pocketed their own proceeds, less repayment of seed money from mom or dad, or from grandparents and neighbors, of course.

Amy Bricato, an MMS parent, suggested the program to the FSA early on in the year after seeing how it took off in Bloomingdale, where Bricato is a teacher.

"It's really been phenomenal. It's been self esteem boosting on so many levels: they're learning about business, learning about themselves, and how to manage money," she said.

Eighth Graders Nicole DiPietro and Emma Silber, two young businesswomen with a knack for design, had nearly sold out of their "Bragazines" -- 100 percent recyclable bracelets made from the pages of Teen Vogue -- early on, and were even taking commissioned orders for more.

"We didn't know how many people would come- we ended up selling out in about 30 minutes," Emma said.

The girls said each of the 20 bracelets they brought to the marketplace took them about two hours to make, but their investment of time paid off as they flew off the shelves.

"They were really fun to make," said Nicole. "They're really pretty to look at when they're all done."

At a nearby table, two more young entrepreneurs were handing out items and taking in money almost faster than they could reach for them.

Alyssa Bianco and Jenni Silber, both 8th Graders, were selling a colorful variety of stickers they had converted to magnets for their business, which they appropriately dubbed "Magnets 4 U."

Alyssa said the magnets that resembled roses and cupcakes were their biggest sellers, and Jenni said bookkeeping was the trickiest part of making their business flourish.

"You have to know a lot of math, and you have to be able to keep track of inventory and expenses," she said.

Another table was more spartan in appearance, but with good reason. Giavanna Marchetti, a 7th Grader and an eager young entrepreneur, was offering a service you may not expect from a middle school student -- personal organization.

"I'm a personal organizer who will help you organize anything and everything," Giavanna said.

She said her initial idea of selling chocolate-dipped candy had too much overhead, and was scrapped in favor of a service-based business. She said she hoped to put some money aside for college with her profits from her business, which based on the sign-up sheet filled with client leads, was booming.

Nearby, her father, John, was beaming with pride over Giavanna's business plan come to life. When asked how clean his organizer daughter's room was back at home, he jokingly invoked the Fifth Amendment.

Every young business owner we spoke to said they hoped the marketplace would become an annual occurrence, those moving on to Cedar Grove High School in the fall expressed regret they would not be around for future marketplaces.

Tina Janulis, an 8th Grader, was the proprietor of Whimsy Jewelry, and sold a variety of items including earrings made of guitar picks, and scrabble tiles re-purposed to resemble elements on the periodic table, an idea Tina said she picked up while studying biology in school.

When asked what she learned, Tina said TREP$ encouraged her creative side as much as it did her business-savvy side.

"It helped me get creative and taught me how to work with money and how to figure out what works and what doesn't."

Mangili said he hoped to turn the marketplace into an annual event, and thanked the FSA, teachers, business owners and all involved that helped make the inaugural TREP$ Marketplace a rousing success.

"This is what we want to do. This is what education is all about. We're trying to prepare our kids for jobs that don't actually exist yet. In 8-10 years, they're going to be graduating, and this is a life learning experience they'll never forget."

For more information about TREP$, visit their website, trepsed.com