7-year-old seamstress starts purse company in Clarenville

One of the province's newest entrepreneurs maystill be in elementary school, but that isn't holding Avery Byrne back from starting her own company and setting some big goals all before she reaches eight years old.

Byrne's business ambitions were sparkedby none other than Santa Claus himself, who gave the seven-year-old from Clarenville a sewing machine for Christmas.

"We didn't even know how to thread the machine on Christmas morning," said Avery's mother, Lauren Byrne.

Undeterred, the mother-daughter duo called upon their next door neighbourwho just happened to be a seamstressto help get them started.

A few YouTube tutorials later, Avery had an idea.

"Ijust made a purse, and then Iasked Mom, 'Please can Istart my own business?' And Mom said, 'We'll see,'" she told CBC Radio's On The Go.

With that, the purse company Se7enDesignsnamed after Avery'sagewas born.

$100 goal

Avery and her mom maintain an Instagram account, advertising Se7en Design's colourful fabric choices and range of styles. There's also occasional shade towardher brother "Out collecting things for a winter scavenger hunt with mom and dad and my super whiny brother," reads a recent post.

Avery has set herself a 2019 goal of making $100 during her first year in business. At $20 a pop, she's already racked up two sales, and has a few more purses already sewn and ready for sale.

"I'm hoping to get as many as Ican for spring or summer, so Ican actually sell them," she said, adding she plans to set up at the Clarenville Farmer's Market in a few months.

So far, those plans are mom-approved.

"She's learning a lot aboutmath, and she's learning business skills," said Lauren.

"Ithink she's really ambitious, and she's got her mind set to something,and so Iran with it, because Ithink it's great."

Lauren also oversees the company's social media policies, and helps out a biton the sharp-object aspects of production.

"Icut out the fabric, and she irons it, and then Idraw the line, and she just sews along the lines of the bags," she said.

When complimented on herstitching, Avery handles it with confidence:"A lot of people say that to me. Probably every day people say that to me."

What will Avery do with her riches, should Se7en Designs succeed?

"Taylor Swift tickets."

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