Business View Oceania | September 2020

7 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA SEPTEMBER 2020 M elbourne, Australia: Kai Seymon, just 14, is the youngest in an impressive line-up of four finalists in the 7 News ‘Generation Us’ Small Business Young Achiever Victorian Awards held Friday September the 18th, 2020! Launching his business Kaiko Fidgets at the age of 11, Kai had no idea then how far his passion for fidgeting would take him. For Kai Seymon school was always a difficult place to be. Being both dyslexic and autistic he found the environment stressful. For his parents watching, it was a heartbreaking. Teased at school by peers for using “kiddie like” fidgets Kai took to making something that was more cool. He first started making fidgets for himself out of metal parts and soon realised there was very little available suitable for older age groups so started selling them at market. Kaiko Fidgets immediately took off, with Kai making many of the products himself, often in the back of the car on his way to school. Sales quickly grew to the point where both his parents joined the business in 2019. Since then the business and demand for his unique products has grown considerably. Despite ISO lockdown in Victoria, sales have grown exponentially, almost tripling in the last few months. The Kaiko Fidgets range is super cool & discreet, making them suitable for both adults & kids to assist with mental health, anxiety & focus. Kaiko now wholesales to dozens of online stores and retail sensory therapy shops nationally as well as sells on his 14 YEAR OLD AUTISTIC ENTREPRENEUR YOUNGEST FINALIST IN SMALL BUSINESS YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARDS! own website www.kaikofidgets.com . Kai has come leaps and bounds since he started this business. He’s gone from being a haunted 11 year old boy who would tell himself daily that he didn’t want to be here to someone confident and comfortable in his skin. This business has given him purpose and he’s so proud that he has become an inspiration to others. Becoming a finalist in these awards, especially alongside such other amazing young business people, is truly one of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments for Kai! “Kaiko Fidgets isn’t just a business to me, it is more like a family. I OPENING L INES