Hi! We're Cayden & Callie!
Sawmill Bay Popcorn Co. is located on the shores of Lake Iliamna, in beautiful remote Alaska. Known as “the bush”, there are no roads, stores or restaurants. Travel outside of the lake area requires bush plane.
Founders Cayden (age 13) and Callie (age 9), enjoy making kettle corn at home and wanted to share this special treat with others in the area. With a little help from their parents, and a lot of support from their local community, Sawmill Bay Popcorn Co. has flourished into a year-round business providing delicious kettle corn to customers across Alaska and the lower 48 states.
Who we are....
When we aren’t making delicious kettle corn, we are typical “bush kids”, running and playing and learning. We love to ride dirtbikes, chop down trees, adventure in our family’s bush plane and explore nature. We help our family harvest the nourishment God provides on our property by picking berries, hunting moose and harvesting salmon.
What we're saving for...
We are saving our profits for to invest in upgraded cooking equipment. As our business grows, we need bigger equipment. We are purchasing materials and learning the skill of welding to make our new equipment in the coming months.
Personally, we are also savings for our first bush plane. In Alaska, you can begin flying planes at 14 years old. Being a bush plane pilot is a great way to see all of the beauty Alaska has to offer, as well as a great career opportunity.
What we're learning....
As a homeschool family, we are always learning – from books, nature, traveling.
Our kettle corn business has given us a unique opportunity to learn how to run and manage a business. Here are just some of the things we’re learning.
Customer Service / Interpersonal Skills
– Face to face interaction – receiving orders from local residents and delivering orders throughout our local community
– Online communication with customers
– Packaging, presentation and thank you notes for each order
Computer Skills
– Excel for tracking sales and customer data, formatting charts and creating graphs
– PowerPoint to create presentations
– How to build a website
Math
– Understanding profitability
– Financial planning and goal setting
– Cash flowing a business
– Inventory on hand
– Cash on hand
Internet Usage
– USPS shipping label creation and tracking
– Use of Venmo /PayPal to accept funds
Email / Written communication
– Contacting customers proactively
– Responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner
– Expressing gratitude for orders and communicating shipping status
– Addressing shipping issues and finding solutions
Banking
– Managing bank account balances to ensure proper cash flow
– Receiving, writing and depositing checks
– Utilizing a debit card to order supplies and pay for shipping independently
Life Skills
– Critical thinking, time management, goal setting, workplace management, communication and public speaking