SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At Canyon Crest Academy the student-run business is open for business. It's called CocoLoco, as the students have combined their love of coconuts, candles, and succulents. So far business has been crazy good.
"Right when we launched we had such a large influx of orders that we had to scramble to keep up. We were super excited about that," says student Daniella Addeo-Cortes.
"We were definitely not prepared for it. We had an influx of orders at the beginning, but that definitely taught us how to manage inventory and communicate with our customers," says student Shaan Garg.
The business has been such a success, that they have been recognized nationally. CocoLoco has qualified for the Junior Achievement Nationals in Washington D.C.
"The feeling of having Mr. Baum, our teacher, come up and tell us we are going to Washington D.C. gave us a whole new motivation," says Addeo-Cortes.
"We really want to make connections with senators and congresspeople and other big entrepreneurs. We really hope to make a big connection from that," says Noah Benhaim.
CocoLoco is 1 of 15 student-run businesses nationwide to qualify for the Junior Achievement Nationals. The students say the whole experience will only help them in the future.
"We have definitely learned it isn't easy, and that communication is the key," says Garg.
"It's definitely given us a lot of real-life experience that we can use in the future," says Addeo-Cortes.
The money CocoLoco earns goes back into the business, although a portion is also donated to the charity Cancer for College. If you would like to follow CocoLoco's progress and support their journey, you can visit www.cocolocogifts.com.
