Abagail Lewis, 17 – Business Plan
The Scribbler
Derby, Kansas

"The road to success has many obstacles, but they can be overcome through hard work and dedication."

Abagail Lewis was inspired to invent the Scribbler while taking the NFTE program in 2006 sponsored by Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas (YEK) at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School. Her business plan for the Scribbler won first place at the Smith Barney/NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in October, 2006.

The Scribbler is a nail polish applicator that “looks like a marker and can be applied with one hand very quickly,” Abby says. She currently holds a patent pending on the design. Abby plans to open her business sometime in 2007 and go into production in the Wichita, Kansas area. She has been approached by major cosmetic companies who are interested in her product.

“Starting a business at my age and in my financial state has definitely not been the easiest thing I have ever taken on,” Abby says. She has had to learn to deal with rejection as she began selling in her product to stores. “In the beginning I received a lot of positive feedback,” she says. “Then came the bad news. One woman just walked away chuckling, while I was in the middle of a sentence. Another lady said I would never do it, because I was just a kid. Needless to say, it was upsetting.”

But Abby persevered, and says starting a business “has been the most fulfilling experience” she has had. Abby plans to go to college in addition to launching the Scribbler.