Krazy Arrow Designs is a youth side hustle business that began to start building a fund to buy horse tack and pay entry fees. Kynslee Steckler, 10, of rural Bismarck, needed to find a way to earn money for her ‘all things horses’ passion, so she decided to start her own business.

The ‘kidpreneur’ began beading jewelry and adding to her western-flare designs by using a lot of different materials, including leather and cloth scraps, making them into shapes.  Kynslee came up with a logo and business model for Krazy Arrow Designs while creating unique custom jewelry ranging from earrings, bracelets, necklaces to photos of her family’s Scottish highlander cows – all offered to the public for sale.

[Krazy Arrow Designs: A Kynslee Steckler Youth Company]

“I would say that I originally started this to pay for horse tack, but it is growing into an online web page for shoppers and Facebook page that my mom is helping me get set up. I even have a client list full of custom orders I am creating while we talk,” said Kynslee.

Kynslee recently took Krazy Arrow Designs to the Marketplace for Kids in Bismarck held at the state capitol building. “There were limited spots available for the Marketplace for Kids, and Ms. Miller (Kynslee’s 4th grade teacher at Manning Public School) had us sign up right away. To be able to go, a kid had to showcase an invention or a business,” affirmed Kynslee.

Kynslee’s creations [Photo: submitted]

“Well, I used my business, Krazy Arrow Designs, and we got too ‘present’ to the public and even shared ideas and thoughts with the other kids from all over the state,” added the young businesswoman. “It was fun and with the legislators being in session, they had a break and looked around at the presentations and took our business cards and asked questions. One legislator even asked if I took custom orders.”

Marketplace for Kids also hosted entrepreneur and agriculture classes for the students that attended from all over North Dakota.

Encouraging kids to pursue their business ideas and solutions has benefits far beyond just financial. Critical life skills, including those that impact the emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing of children are gained when kids are well-supported in starting their own business and in seeing their ideas come to fruition, according to brother co-authors: Adam and Mathew Toren, A Guide to 50 Business Ideas for Kids.

The most recent pop-up shop for Krazy Arrow Designs transpired last weekend at TR 4 Heart & Soul’s ‘Christmas with the Horses’ outside of Bismarck. “I would say I saw a lot of people there, and they told me that people like kids and they will support youth business, so keep doing what I’m doing. After that show, my custom orders amped up.”

Kynslee Steckler at her ‘pop up’ shop [Photo: submitted]

When Kynslee isn’t designing jewelry, she also tends to 10 chickens and sells eggs to nearly forty clients from the area. This umbrella company of Krazy Arrow Designs is the Krazy Arrow Ranch portion. “Egg production in the winter is still productive, our chicken coop is comfy, clean, and has a good atmosphere for laying eggs,” added the student.

The ‘Egg-andise’- part of the Krazy Arrow Ranch [Photo: submitted]

Kynslee explained that egg production gets a little slower in the cold, but they plan on adding some more chicks to the flock this spring to keep up with the clients.

As far as future business plans are concerned, “I’m working out of the basement right now,” confirmed Kynslee. Eventually the horse-loving 4th grader says she wants to open a boutique in Bismarck.

Kynslee Steckler in the design zone [Photo: submitted]

Besides starting her own business, Kynslee says she loves to ride horses everywhere and every day she can. She is active in 4-H and plans on barrel racing this summer and going to youth play days and keeping up with the day-to-day grind of Krazy Arrow Designs. Kynslee is the daughter of Aaron and Krysten Steckler and has a brother, Kyson, that helps her gather eggs and care for the animals south of Bismarck.

Look forward to seeing this young Dakotan’s website and Facebook page coming soon.