Andrew Aspden, a highschooler in northwestern PA, started his handmade pen business as a side hustle during the covid 19 pandemic. What he didn’t know is that people would have a large interest in his products and a larger demand was looming in his future. He is on track to earn over $35,000 this year with his newly formed business.

Aspden was gifted a lathe as one of his Christmas presents. Although he was very grateful for it, he never got much use out of it until the pandemic hit and he was stuck at home with less tasks on his to do list. Inspired by his cousin, Aspden decided to order some materials and parts to make some homemade pens. He started selling them to local shops and restaurants and was gracious for the opportunity to sell them at a nearby antique shop.

Andrew was able to get his products onto Etsy to start selling to consumers outside of his hometown. He noticed how Etsy would take a lot of his profits because of their transaction fees. Starting in 2022, he created an online store in order to retain more of his profits. There he sells his handmade wooden, stone, and marble ballpoint and fountain pens. He also hired Jason Drohn, a marketing professional, to develop an online marketing strategy. Aspden knows that there is a lot of growth potential for selling to the online market.

Aspden has a busy schedule since returning to in person school, which has made it difficult to handle everything at once. He is an honors student and is also on the baseball team. He says that there are many school nights where he stays up till 12 or 1 am working in his shop to fulfill his orders. Depending on how his business continues to grow, will affect his decision on going to college.

I respect Andrew’s work ethic and his motivation to get out and make real life connections. His in persons sales is something I admire as it takes some courage to go out and make things happen.