CHARLIE Mawson is no slouch.
The thought of a year 11 student starting their own business would easily conjure images of the online sale of cheap items; but not with Charlie – he has a bit more depth and a lot more pace than most as he celebrates the opening of Charlie’s Pies, Cakes & Chocolates on Binney Street.
“When you look up online businesses, there's always just, oh, you sell your t-shirts on eBay or something,” Charlie said.
“But I don't think that's authentic enough.”
His school report lists off some of the flagship subjects of the academic world, including specialised mathematics and physics.
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So, it is little wonder that the young man behind Euroa’s newest business is more of a behind-the-scenes operator than a front man for some child’s mere pastry-in-the-sky dream.
Doing well in accountancy also means that he is all over the business acumen required to start a chocolate-cum-pastry-cum-coffee shop right next door to the post office.
Charlie said he has always been attracted to the business side of his academic pursuits.
“I have always been drawn to the economics type of subjects and just like with a business, it is so malleable.
“You can work things out and on the back end, you can see where the sales are, what things you're selling.
“It's like a puzzle and it all comes together.”
Inspiration for the establishment came from Charlie working at his parents' Mawson’s Bakery at the other end of the shopping strip, which he combined with well-saved pocket money, some online bargain buys, and simply ‘bringing it all together’.
The most surprising thing is that the idea for the shop is only one year old, with Charlie not wasting a day to see his dream come to fruition.
He also has contingencies up his sleeve.
“Right now, it's in the stage where we're just kind of figuring out what's going to sell, what's not going to sell,” he said.
“If people don't like one type of chocolate frog, well, we won't get it back - we'll get something better, something different, maybe praline.
“It's really what people want.”
Charlie's opening is on Wednesday, 11 June and will feature giveaway vouchers, treats, and live music.
