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By Staff

FindingBenjamin.com interviewed Jason O’Neill , the inventor of the Pencil Bug! Jason is only 13, and already very successful. He started Pencil Bugs when he was 9 years old, and is still going strong with lots of ideas for the future.

Q: What are Pencil Bugs?

A: They are cute, bug-like, handmade pencil toppers that consist of two googly eyes, two spring-like antennas on a hand-painted round head with a pipe cleaner fuzzy body wrapped around the pencil.  Pencil Bugs come individually wrapped, in eight different colors, with their own Certificate of Authenticity which gives their birth date, name, and care and training instructions.  With the help of my Mom and Dad, we have been hand making them for almost four years but we are working with a manufacturer to mass produce them.

Q: How did you come up with the idea?

A: My mom was doing a craft fair in 2005 and I wanted to help her with her product. She said that I had to come up with my own idea.  So I did.  After giving it a lot of thought and drawing out different ideas, Pencil Bugs were finally born.

Q: How have your parents supported your business?

A: Mom takes care of most of the day-to-day business like marketing, accounting, website updates, etc. but she has taught me all aspects of the business so I do it when I have time.  My dad helps me when it comes to the big financial decisions since his background and job are in sales.  But both of them believe it’s important that school comes first, then having time to play and still be a kid.  I’m glad I know how to do all the functions but glad they make sure I stay balanced.

Q: Do you have future plans for Pencil Bugs?

A: The first thing we’re working on getting done is the manufacturing of the Pencil Bugs themselves.  It is very time-consuming to hand make them.  Once we have a solution for production, I can expand into bigger retail stores.  The next related product for mass production is my greeting cards.  I have five designs so far for birthdays and other occasions.  Just three more designs to go and all eight Pencil Bugs characters will have their own special card that people can give.  To go along with that, I am working on getting Pencil Bugs licensed so when you go into a party store looking for plates, napkins, cups, party favors, etc. you’ll see Pencil Bugs characters as an option.  And since original Pencil Bugs aren’t meant for little kids, I am having a plush toy version of them made.  Those are the plans for the short term.  Long term, I already have a working prototype for a board game and a concept for a video game but those will take a lot more planning and work to get them produced.  Some day, I envision a cartoon series and maybe even “Pencil Bugs: The Movie.”   Why not?  If SpongeBob can have it all, then Pencil Bugs can too.

Q: Congratulations on your story in The Richest Kids In America. How did you get involved with Mark Victor Hansen?

A: One of Mark’s staff sent an email one day and asked if I was interested in doing an interview with Mark.  Of course, I said YES.  I was surprised they found me but really honored to be included in his book.  We were told what the book title was early on but it isn’t just about financial wealth.  Many kids were interviewed at different stages of their business.  I was the youngest to be included.  I’m no millionaire yet but it’s never too early to start.  All of the kids in the book also have one important thing in common.  They all donate part of their money to help other people.  My charity right now is Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California.  It was amazing to work with Mark and be in his book.  Because of that connection, I’ve been able to speak with him and other celebrities on stage at various events to large audiences.

Q: What is the best thing about having your own business?

A: A business enables you to learn a whole different side of life.  The people you meet and some of the things you experience can only be taught hands on.  I also really like the public speaking part.  No matter what size the audience is or what age they are, I like encouraging people to try their ideas and remind them that you can’t get anywhere by sitting on your ideas.

Q: What is the hardest thing about having your own business?

A: As with anything, you may want to quit sometimes.  For a lot of kids and probably many adults, it’s hard to keep going because you might not be able to see that far down the road.  It’s important to have supportive people to remind you what your goals are when things get tough.

Q: Any tips for other young entrepreneurs?

• Try your ideas because you will never know what might have happened.
• Be open to possibilities and opportunities even if they don’t fit into your master plan.  Some of the best experiences I’ve had came about by accident because I was open to possibilities.
• Don’t give up.
• Get a parent or another adult to help.  It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel.  If you’re willing to listen, you can learn a lot from other people who have already gone through it.