‘One step at a time’: 18-year-old Shalom Devenish’s best advice for aspiring small business owners
Hobart teenager is well and truly underway to creating a business empire after launching her second at the age of 18.
Tasmania
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Eighteen-year-old Shalom Devenish already ran one solo business as a photographer.
With the launch of the Estro Coffee Truck, she’s made that two.
The bright blue truck has now opened to the public for the first time.
For Ms Devenish, it’s the embodiment of a lifelong dream.
“I’ve worked as a barista for four years and I love coffee,” she said.
“I’m so excited to make the first one for a customer – it’s going to be great.”
Ms Devenish initially planned to open her own café, but changed her mind after landing upon an online listing for a 1995 automatic Suzuki Carry, available for immediate pick-up in St Helens.
After a lengthy renovation made possible with the help of her eight siblings, finally hitting the road, albeit very slowly, comes as a relief.
“We spent three months planning the inside of it because it’s such a small truck,” she said.
“We started building the canopy in January which took a lot longer than expected, but it does the job.”
While operating two solo businesses was no mean feat for anyone, let alone a teenager, Ms Devenish assured anyone could make it happen – as long as they were willing to put in the work.
“We were very much brought up in a family to believe if we had a good idea or vision, we should go for it,” she said.
“I’ve worked my way up to running this by having a photography business, working in a fast paced café, making coffees.
“It does take a lot of work. You can’t fully jump into it, it’s one step at a time.”
And despite plans to tour around sporting events before landing in a permanent spot, Ms Devenish is already mapping out her next hustle – a pizza truck.
“That will be later on down the track, in two to three years’ time,” she said.
“We’re going to paint it an orange colour to match.”
Follow Estro Coffee on Instagram and Facebook to keep track of where you can get your caffeine fix and support a young entrepreneur.
Originally published as ‘One step at a time’: 18-year-old Shalom Devenish’s best advice for aspiring small business owners
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