ICS Year 9 student Cooper Palmer has won the Wollongong Youth Small Business Award, with his business 'Surfing is my Coffee' taking home the title at the Wollongong Youth Awards event last week.
It all started as a saying with some of his mates on the beach, as Cooper decided to turn the phrase into a school textiles project. Not long after, Cooper, with the help of his parents, trademarked the phrase, turning it into his own surf brand label.
Cooper's website outlines how it all panned out:
The phrase started in the Christmas of 2020, standing on the sand of a South Coast Beach whilst doing a surf check. Whilst my mum and dad were off getting a Coffee, I turned to my mates and said “surfing is my coffee”. The phrase was a hit with my mates.
In the school year that followed I decided to use my phrase in the Textiles subject that I was studying. I produced a ‘reusable’ cloth bag, with the hand-sketched phrase and image screen printed on it. After showing my parents the design, they suggested we Trademark the phrase & design and turn it into a little business. Mum & dad had some sample garments made for me for my 13th Birthday, and it was from there that we decided to definitely take this further and start a little Surf Clothing Company. It is a lot to take on... but like any surfer, I am up for the challenge…
I truly do believe that all surfers will agree, ‘Surfing Is My Coffee’!
Cooper's parents, Sam and Karl, said he was 'super thrilled and honoured' to be nominated for the award – let alone to win it!
"We have supported Coop through this big decision to start up a small business at such a young age because we wanted to show him that learning comes in all different forms," they said.
"We wanted him to see that if he had an interest, passion and a goal, that he could turn it into something for his future and more importantly that he will learn so much along the way."
Cooper has chosen to study Commerce at school for next year, to which he will bring the real-world experience from running his business – something his parents say will be very significant to his studies.
"We have told him that commerce will be so much more meaningful to him and make more sense now that he has had the practical, hands-on experience of running a business," they said.
"We are incredibly proud of him as he is showing a lot of grit and determination to see through the commitment he has made to give this a real hard go."
Well done, Cooper!
