Young entrepreneur Zoey Kasey.

Teaching children to work hard and be independent is critical to ensuring they thrive in their field of interest and eventually become successful individuals as they grow up.

This is Felichya Kasey’s motto, educating her daughter Zoey Kasey from the age of 10 to be financially responsible and to start a small business.

Now, at the age of 15, Kasey is managing her small business, selling her products to earn her own money.

Kasey says her interest in starting a business was born from accompanying her mom to the monthly Gold FM ROC market, and today she owns ‘The Scrunchie Studio Fiji’.

“I actually came to the Roc market helping my mum, with her business Aroma kitchen Fiji so one day I was at the Roc market and I told my mum I want to do something instead of sitting there and earning money just by sitting at my mom’s stall. I actually wanted to do something that would make me happy so at that time scrunchies were just out in the market and like me any other girl was obsessed with scrunchies.”

Her mother, Felichya Kasey, who founded Aroma Kitchen, which specializes in making traditional Indian-style homemade chutney, pickles, and dips, is the teenager’s inspiration.

The young entrepreneur is advising Fijians to pursue their interests and not let age prevent them from doing what makes them happy.