A Saint Mary’s University student has combined his entrepreneurial spirit with the power of 3D printers to launch himself into a new business. Balancing school and managing BW Works has been demanding for 22-year-old Brayden White. “It’s been a little bit over six months since I’ve been doing this,” he says. “It was busy, long days. Sometimes I would stay up until like 12 and then wake up the next day super early, because I had to get my next print going and get that going while I was at school.” Like many small business owners, starting out has come with other challenges, including where to set up shop. “I started in my parents’ basement, in their exercise room,” White says. “It’s now kind of become BW Works’ shop there. I do all my packaging and everything… Sorry, Mom.” But he’s embraced it, wanting to make personalized keepsakes, such as keychains. He’s also manufacturing ornaments and MVP awards, inspired by his time playing hockey. Additionally, he’s trying to land more deals with businesses by creating advertising, in the form of lightboxes. But what started out as an idea, ramped up through his studies at SMU. “We had $20 to start a business, and it taught me a lot about the lean startup model,” White says. “With that, I was looking to try and manufacture at the time, we were making these bottle openers that were huskies, and I was really looking around to try and find some places to make them.” It was that drive that led him to the next step, with a goal of keeping items local and affordable. “I got to the point where I’m like, ‘Hey, this designing stuff is really fun, and it’s kind of creating a passion for me because it’s really rewarding to see your own product be made and sold.’ “I got my own 3D printer, I bit the bullet and I bought one,” he says. So, while the business idea started with $20, he’s already had to invest. “I have some that are about $3,000-ish. They can be expensive,” says White. But it’s all proving to be worthwhile as his mission to grow continues. “That’s the key thing is perseverance,” White says. “You got to keep going.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
