Business & Tech

Medfield Teen Starts Own Business on the Cape

Medfield 16-year-old Matt Triest has spent the summer opening and running his own business.

Medfield resident Matt Triest has been going to New Seabury each summer with his family for as long as he can remember, but something about this summer on Cape Cod would be different.

Triest, just 16 years old, returned to New Seabury with his family for the summer and opened his own business, Kids Creative Corner, in June and has been busy running it ever since.

"Growing up, I was always looking for more to do [in New Seabury] and [was] always hoping someone would open a store where kids could create things," Triest said. "This past winter the idea of opening my own store in The Popponesset Marketplace came to mind."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Triest said the store caters to families and kids who are visiting the New Seabury and Popponesset area for the summer and that it gives these fun-seeking visitors a place to go. 

"Our Sand Art has been a big hit, providing kids the opportunity to be really creative – they choose an interestingly shaped bottle, and fill it with brightly colored sand, creating their own design," Triest said. "Not only is sand art fun to make, but it’s also fun to bring home and display in your room. From there, I expanded to also offer toy items, many of which are beach-themed."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Among those beach-themed toys available in Triest's shop are: boogie boards, wiffle balls/bats, shovels, footballs and newer items, such as Waboba Balls, which Triest says "actually bounce in water."

"Everything we have adds to the summer fun," Triest said. 

When Kids Creative Corner opened in June, Triest admitted he was both excited and scared but was confident the business would succeed. 

"I knew we would do well, but in the back of my mind I was wondering if the customers would really arrive," Triest said. "Opening day was a bit slow, because it was the first day after school let out for the summer, so there were not too many people on The Cape yet. By the weekend we were really busy, and have been so ever since."

Triest's confidence in the success of his business stemmed from a detailed business plan that his older brother Mike, who is currently majoring in business at Providence College, helped write. 

"[Mike] was a big help as I tried to take my ideas for the business and convert them into a business plan," Triest said. "He thought my ideas were great, but he challenged me to get them down on paper and format everything into a formal business plan. After a long discussion with him, he spent many hours one night writing the first draft of the business plan for me. We had many conversations after that and the rest is history."

With his brother's assistance in the business plan, Triest also received support from his father.

"My dad thought it would be a great summer job for me and a wonderful experience, but as my investor I think he most liked that the business plan made sense, and the store would be profitable," Triest said.

The business plan took "a few months" to write, according to Triest, who embraced the learning experience of opening a business.

"As I learned more about cost of inventory and supplies I would update the plan," Triest said. "It was a lot of work, but I am really glad I took the time to put the plan together because I think it helped me avoid a lot of surprises and mistakes."

When the time came to commit to the building lease at the Popponesset Marketplace this past spring, Triest ran into an unexpected problem.

The marketplace notified Triest it may not be signing any new leases and faced the possibility of closing permanently at the end of the season due to an ADA lawsuit.

"I was very upset about this because I know how important 'The Marketplace' is to so many people," Triest said. "I created the “Save the Popponesset Marketplace” Facebook Group, which quickly grew to over 700 fans. It was a place where people shared their shock over the potential closing, their wonderful memories from decades ago, and their views on ADA compliance requirements. It was amazing to me how Social Media can bring a community together. In the end, a compromise was found, the ADA suit was settled, and The Marketplace opened for the summer."

All that remained in the way of Triest opening his business after the lease was approved was physically getting the shop ready for customers, which he and his father worked at together.

"My dad and I built the checkout counter, painted the interior, built tables and shelves, ordered inventory, and stocked the shelves – a lot of work," Triest said. 

The name of the store, Kids Creative Corner, was the result of several features of the shop coming together. 

"The store space is in the corner of a building, so that presented the idea of having 'corner' in the name," Triest said. "And of course it’s all about kids and creativity. Putting this altogether I thought “Kids Creative Corner” had a nice sound."

Triest said his business is "having a really good first year" and that he's already looking into the possibility of moving into a larger space in the Popponesset Marketplace next year.

"[The store] will remain open through Labor Day and I plan to reopen again next June for the summer of 2012," Triest said. "I hope I can run and grow the business each summer, at least through my remaining high school and college years."

Kids Creative Corner is located at 259 Rock Landing Rd. 10B, Mashpee in The Popponesset Marketplace, which, according to Triest, is a cluster of quant buildings near the beach, which offers ice cream, coffee, pizza, seafood, mini-golf, gift shops, an art gallery and live music Thursday-Sunday. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here