Chance of Rainbow - A 4-Year-Old and Her Greeting Card Business
Written by Amanda Williams
There will be several entrepreneurs you know of who started young but it's unlikely that you know any who became one at the tender age of four! I'm writing this in awe of Charleston preschooler Sky, daughter of Serena Meng and Joe Allen, who decided she wanted her own business and then turned her idea into a reality with the help of her parents.
According to Post and Courier, Serena was surprised when Sky said, "... I want a business and I want a big business," and it all started when the little girl wanted to get her hands on a Maple Cat Family figure from Calico Critters. She knew even at such a young age that the route to owning one could be by selling things herself and earning her own money and that's how Chance of Rainbow was started. Serena thought this business idea could prove to be a great learning experience for her daughter and so she became her right hand.
Due to the fact that Sky had dabbled in art as an infant and then helped her mom to make handmade cards for all sorts of occasions from the age of one, they decided that a greeting card company was the way to go. Their web-based business is where you can buy various designs, which Sky creates by pencil first and then colours with Crayola or paints, before they're printed on 65lb matte cardstock and hand-folded, and each greeting card comes with a brown kraft envelope.
Right now, there are more than fifty designs to choose from online, and as well as cards featuring cute animals, flowers, winter scenes and much more, local interests like Rainbow Row (thirteen colourful historic houses in Charleston) can also be found there. There's something for every occasion and the bright, sweet designs will surely put a smile or two on the recipient's face, like 'Fluffle of Bunnies' or 'Birthday Cake Card'. You can't help but love all of the designs but 'Snowy Owls Card' (described as, "Tree branch was made out of a paper bag and snowy owls were painted with pom poms,") has to be my personal favourite:
Sky loves receiving greeting cards by post herself and that's why she also loves the idea of one of her own cards being a lovely surprise in someone's mailbox, somewhere else in the world. In an interview with the Post and Courier, she said, “I’m sure a lot of people would be happy when they get my card in the mail,” and that they'd be able to feel that it was a card and know it was from Chance of Rainbow because of the address on the envelope, “... so then they’ll get excited.”
Having an artist for a father has clearly inspired Sky to use her own talents to brighten people's days as well as earn enough money to buy the toys that she wants; although now, she has set her sights on bigger purchases, like owning her own horse.
All images are courtesy of Chance of Rainbow