ESTEVAN — While most of her friends and classmates have spent their summer vacation enjoying more traditional activities, 11-year-old Anna Biggs of Estevan is venturing into the world of entrepreneurship.
Anna has started up I Scream Treats. Using a setup similar to a Dickie Dee Ice Cream franchise, she rides throughout her neighbourhood in northwest Estevan. A cooler is attached to the cart and contains an assortment of refreshing snacks for hot summer days.
She told the Mercury that she started by asking her father about the types of businesses that a 10 or 11-year-old could operate. He replied there wasn't much, but maybe she could run a Dickie Dee Ice Cream stand.
"He explained all about it. Then we found one in Leduc [Alberta] and we brought it back here," she said.
Anna also has a uniform, with a t-shirt and a hat that have a partially-eaten ice cream sandwich.
She sells ice cream sandwiches, jumbo Mr. Freezes, popsicles, drumsticks and Prime hydration drinks. SpongeBob popsicles have proven to be a hit with the kids. And Anna says all of the products taste great.
And, like most other modern businesses, she takes all different forms of payment for the snacks.
Anna started selling the treats earlier in July and the response from the community has been "really nice", she said. One person at the Estevan Public Library was telling her about how amazing her business has been.
Anna typically works from 1-3 p.m., then comes home, has supper and heads out again from 6:30-8:30 p.m. She has spent most of her time in northwest Estevan, as that's where she and her family live, but she also visited the Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast College and the employees at Conquest Equipment. She was also at a recent event for the Estevan Golden Eels Swim Club.
When she's older, she would like to open an ice cream truck, and then give the cart to one of her brothers.
Her father Josh said Anna has had a lot of fun with the business. She designed her own logo online and she has really liked going to the different vendors. Dynamic Signs did some graphics to apply to the cooler and Crown Advertising donated the hats and shirt.
"She's really enjoyed those aspects of getting out and learning some of the stuff that goes into running a business," said Biggs.
The Â鶹´«Ã½AVern Plains Co-op has been selling food to her at cost.
Anna expects to continue her business until around Aug. 1. Then she will travel to Alberta for a couple of weeks of vacation. When she returns, she plans on resuming her business.
She is grateful for the support that she has received, and having her own business with dedicated customers has been a "dream come true".
"Thank you to the people who have been buying my ice cream, and I really like all of the support that I've been given," she said.
