Felix (9) has his own cupcake company. — © De Gentenaar
GENT –
Spelling his last name is still a bit difficult, but Felix Eylenbosch has had his own company for a few days, even though he is only nine years old. He sells home-baked cupcakes, via a website that he also created himself, with the help of ChatGPT. “I want to make money.”
A nine-year-old starting a cupcake company, you would think something like that would come from a passion for baking, but no. “I want to make money,” says nine-year-old Felix seriously. “I am crazy about everything that has to do with technology, such as Arduino. These are sets that you can use to make sensors, screens, cameras and the like.”
Felix wants to become an inventor when he grows up, not a baker. Among other things, he wants to make a camera that captures smells, but that takes some practice. “I have tried everything to earn some extra money,” says the young entrepreneur. “I tried to sell plants and necklaces via the internet. I used to walk dogs, but then I discovered I’m afraid of dogs.”
And then the idea came to start a cupcake company. He already had experience. He had already baked cupcakes several times with his parents, and they were also in favor of his plan. “It teaches him to think about how a company works,” says dad Koen. “What’s involved. It’s more than just baking. He also has to do the shopping and packing.” (read more below the photo)
Homemade cupcakes from Felix — © JID
The parents thought it was important that it was Felix’s company. “We even asked the FPS Economy for a VAT number, but you have to be eighteen for that, they told us. But it is allowed as long as it remains small-scale.”
Democratic awards
Felix made his own website via Canva. He had the text written by ChatGPT. He looked up the recipes himself and he also does the baking himself, with some help from his parents every now and then. “I take the seasons and holidays into account,” says Felix as an experienced entrepreneur. “The range currently includes cupcakes with lemon and chocolate, but also an Easter cupcake.”
The prices are democratic. You pay 9 euros for four cupcakes. “That is lower than average,” says Felix. “I did some market research before I started.”
Felix delivers on foot, free of charge, within a radius of one kilometer around his home. Within a radius of 6 kilometers he delivers the cupcakes to your home by bicycle, for 5 euros. “Do you live further away? Then we deliver your cupcakes by car. We charge a CO2 compensation contribution for this,” it says on the Felix Cupcakes website.
“What am I going to do if a lot of orders suddenly come in? I already have a friend who wants to help me. I offered him 10 cents a month,” says the nine-year-old, dead serious. “But it probably won’t go that fast,” his mother laughs reassuringly.
INFO: www.felix-cupcakes.be