GREAT KIDS: Glastonbury girl starts a business, helps others to do the same

GLASTONBURY, CT (WFSB) - A 9-year-old girl from Glastonbury who started her own business is leading the way to help other children do the same.

Iris Parker is a Great Kid with the mindset of an entrepreneur.

It was at the age of 7 that Iris said she decided she needed to start her own business, specifically making and selling bracelets.

“Because I like making bracelets for my family and then I started to make bracelets for other people. So, I decided to make a website,” Iris said.

Her website and her business both derived from her own name.

“I’m named after a flower,” Iris said. “Since I’m going to keep on doing this and I’m going to keep on growing, make the name ‘Bloom with Iris.’”

She admitted that it is a lot of work. She crafts bracelets nearly every day.

That’s why she decided to help other kid entrepreneurs.

This month, she organized a kid fair at the Buckland Hills Mall in front of what used to be the Sears store.

She and other kids set up tables to promote and sell their creations.

Her mom said they had to drive out town to such an event, some 2 hours away. That’s why Iris said she wanted one closer to home.

“She sold a lot of bracelets. She made a lot of money,” said Myra Parker, Iris’s mother. “We are just trying to bring here in Hartford to give other kids the opportunity.”

Iris said she loves having a business, but helping people is what she likes the most.

That was a lesson learned from her parents.

“She taught me to help others, and make sure they get what they want,” Iris said.

She’s a young entrepreneur already hard at work creating a path so others can bloom right along with her.

Copyright 2023 WFSB. All rights reserved.