Catching “Fire” on The Web: Student Entrepreneurs Start Online Business

Photo Credit: CHEYENNE PINO

BY KYRA BACON

While new online businesses are popping up all over the country, there’s none quite like this one. Not only is it run solely by two high school students, but the online business’ purpose is to create and maintain other online businesses. Websites are essential for almost all entrepreneurial ventures nowadays as the world becomes increasingly dependent on computer technology, and Cooper City High School seniors Marco Van Hilst and Andrew Hopper have figured out how to turn a profit on this new phenomenon.

Hopper and Van Hilst’s new business, “Sunfire Design”, creates websites for small businesses for a price lower than average, at $300 initially and $50 a month for maintenance and upkeep. Primarily focusing on small stores and restaurants in the area, as well as charities, they believe that their idea will not only be a great way to make some quick cash, but it will also help to boost the popularity of many of their lesser-known clients businesses. Each client will have a series of pre-made templates to choose from, and each website made will include a mobile version similar to its original. Van Hilst will primarily be doing the coding and creating of the website, while Hopper will handle the business side of their partnership.

“There are a lot of small businesses without websites and could really benefit from one, so we thought it was a good idea,” Van Hilst said.

Although Hopper was the one who thought of the idea, Van Hilst was Hopper’s first choice for a partner. The two have done several projects together over the years, including a video game they tried to develop freshman year. They had gotten a team together and an outline for the game done, but unfortunately, their plan fell through.

“The video game was actually my UF common app essay for my greatest failure,” Hopper said.

Another idea that almost became reality was influenced by another site created in the UK in 2000, called milliondollarhomepage.com. The site’s design and unique quality inspired Van Hilst and Hopper to create a similar website, which they named sponsorthegame.com. However, this idea became just another stepping-stone to the creation of their current business.

“I still think some of our previous ideas were good and we might go back to them at some point,” Hopper said. “But this one I actually think is going to work.”

Once they began to realize how serious they were about their new business, Van Hilst and Hopper decided it was time for step 1- picking a name. After much deliberation, Hopper and Van Hilst agreed on “Sunstyle,” but unfortunately, the name was already taken. “Sunfire” was Hopper’s next choice and while that name was taken as well, “Sunfire Design” was open and the two decided to go for it. It wasn’t until later when English teacher Suzanne Margolin pointed out that “Sunfire” was also the name of a cheaply made Pontiac from 1999 that the slogan, “Not the Pontiac,” was born.

“I wanted the name to sound nice” Hopper said. “I picked ‘sun’ because we’re Florida based and ‘fire’ because it just sounded neat.”

Like most businesses, the procedure in getting their new trade set up was somewhat complicated and costly. The first thing they took care of was filing the fictitious name, or Doing Business As (DBA), with sunbiz.com, which took a day to be accepted and cost them $50 to obtain. The next step was to file for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS, which involved no costs and was accepted immediately. Because Van Hilst and Hopper decided to form a general partnership setup, they had to fill out a partnership agreement as required by Florida. After writing up the formal business plan that detailed the purpose and actions, and setting up a separate bank account, they finally were good to go.

“I’m getting the website together now,” Van Hilst said. “Once it is up and the business is running, I think our profit margin will increase.”

With school, work, and various other projects to keep up with, running a business can be tricky to throw into the mix. For Hopper, balancing his part-time job at Treetops Park, his high-level curriculum, numerous afterschool clubs, and this new business will be tough, but he’s willing to put in the extra effort.

“It’s a balancing act for me: knowing when to sleep, when to eat and when to work,” Hopper said. “I keep a pretty decent schedule, so I think I could do it.”

Van Hilst, on the other hand, has to juggle the business with his challenging classes and various computer projects he has delved into, such as helping CTV adviser Alfredo Pichardo program episodes every week. He’s also a part of several projects involving “Minecraft,” a video game that allows a player to create practically anything. Hopper and Van Hilst are also co-presidents of the Computer Science Club.

“It’s not going to be easy balancing this new business with everything else, but we won’t have THAT many customers per week,” Van Hilst said.

Although neither Van Hilst nor Hopper have ever run a business, both have plenty of experience and knowledge that qualifies them for success. Van Hilst has made several small websites before, as well as conducting a lot of work on computers. Immensely knowledgeable in software, Van Hilst claims that the website is “simplified software for visual purposes.” Hopper is also quite experienced, more in the field of business than computer science, though he does a lot of work on computers. He plans to combine his experience with his short-lived business, “Hopper Lawn Mowing,” his Treetops Park job, and his numerous extracurricular activities, like DECA, to ensure their success.

“I have rudimentary knowledge of web designing and I can tell you how it works, but I can’t do it myself,” Hopper said. “That’s why I’m more on the business side of things than the designing. Marco will be the one doing the coding, I’ll be the one making the buzz words for the website.”

Both Hopper and Van Hilst hope to make enough money to pay for each of their college tuitions for 4 years. They also plan to have customers by the end of October, relying primarily on word-of-mouth as well as the classified 1-in, black and white text ad that they are planning to buy in the Cooper City Gazette. For now, however, they are seeing how the business will play out.

“Senior year is a nexus of change, and who knows where we will be tomorrow,” Hopper said. “I think it’s going to be a journey, an adventure and a success.”