PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
Six-year-old Camille Bolap started her second entrepreneurial project last week when her new business, Sweet Party Rentals, supplied a bouncy castle for an event at Alookie School in Pangnirtung.

Sweet Party Rentals, operated by Grade 1 student Camille Bolap and her family, set up a fanciful forest-themed bouncy castle at Alookie School on Nov. 27. - photo courtesy of Rose Ze Meka

The Grade 1 student supervised the bouncy castle along with her mom, Rose Ze Meka, and dad, Henry Bolap, during the fundraiser to purchase Christmas presents for children in the community.

"It was my first event. It was good - when the kids were playing and having fun on my inflatables. I had all four inflatables there," said Camille.

Camille donated $275 of her profits to the fundraiser.

Camille hatched the idea for a bouncy castle rental business while visiting Montreal for the summer, where her parents rented a bouncy castle for her sixth birthday party this past June.

"This summer we looked for people who were selling inflatables. We compared prices. We set a budget - money she had saved. We also invested in the project," Ze Meka said. "She knows how to read, so she was very involved, looking on the Internet and making suggestions. She was very thrilled about the project. She had lots of ideas."

The family shipped four styles of bouncy castles back to Pangnirtung on the last sea lift of the season in October. Two of the castles are designed for ages two to 10 and the other two are for ages two to eight.

Camille and her parents then brainstormed about a company name, designed a logo, and established a website, including a blog Camille updates regularly.

Her first clients have been the school and a birthday party booked for January.

Henry helps his daughter understand how running a business works, using drawings on a whiteboard.

"We want to give her options in life and it's really great to see it's something we can do as a family," Henry said. "Most importantly, she's having fun."

Her first entrepreneurial endeavour unfolded last year.

"She wanted an iPad, that's how the whole thing started," Ze Meka said.

Camille brainstormed some options for raising enough money to purchase one last year. She came up with the idea of selling things found around her home.

"She came up with that," Ze Meka said. "The community really supported the project. A lot of people came and bought different items. She was able to save the money, also the money she received for her birthday from relatives, and she was able to buy an iPad."

The family moved to Pangnirtung from Montreal more than two years ago, where her parents formerly ran their own chocolate fountain business.

Henry is a program officer with the Department of Economic Development and Ze Meka is the supervisor for the Department of Social Services.

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