Jul 19, 2026
Gen Alpha are likely to be ahead of the game when it comes to all things digital — after all, they’re the first full generation to grow up not knowing a world without social media and smartphones.
Their tech savviness might also lead them to entrepreneurial know-how as well. That seems to be the case for a set of Georgia twins, who started a 3D printing business at just 12 years old.
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CBS News Atlanta reported the story of Aaron Osirus, who started a custom 3D-printing business called A3D.
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“One day at school I was just looking around, and then I saw that a lot of people had fidgets or toys,” Osirus told CBS News. “I was like, if all these fidgets are plastic, why can’t I make them?”
Young entrepreneurs
Osirus’s lightbulb moment is an entrepreneurial rite of passage: realizing when there’s a gap in the market that your business could potentially fill.
Osirus began his small business the way many entrepreneurs do: by getting a loan. And he wisely didn’t overstretch himself, instead borrowing a reasonable amount of money, $600. He also went to a trustworthy lender — his parents — who likely offered good lending terms.
According to CBS News, Osirus used the loan to purchase a 3D printer with “an automatic material system capable of switching colors during the printing process.” Since he’d already identified his target market, he began selling toys, with customized designs and colors, to his classmates and kids in the neighborhood, CBS News reports.
Aaron then brought his twin brother, Alain, onboard to help meet demand. “I’m a designer for A3D. Sometimes I make the toys, and I also help with marketing,” Alain told CBS News. “I check the time, how long it takes, the cost, fulfillment and everything.”
A3D’s popular products include pass-through fidgets and articulated toys, and their bestseller is a four-color kitten that sells for $5. This toy takes a whole day to print. According to the CBS News report, the brothers net about $200 a month after labor and supplies.
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Small business ingenuity
If you’re thinking of starting your own small business, there are a few pages you could take out of the Osirus twins’ playbook.
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For starters, awareness of market demand is important for any startup. Aaron not only noticed that there was an opportunity to create a business, but he also had insider knowledge of exactly what his customers would want, given that his clients are his peers.
Keeping startup costs low is another advantageous move that Aaron made. According to the Fed Small Business 2024 Report on Startup Firms, 77% of startups without employees used personal funds to address challenges. Keeping your costs low, especially if you are using your own savings, can be a wise move.
Another way the twins keep costs down is by asking their friends if they’d like to volunteer before they hire additional help, they told CBS News.
While it’s a small-scale business, keeping your labor costs down by asking family and friends to lend a hand when you’re first starting out — or indeed, involving them in ownership of the business — can help a fledgling business establish a foothold.
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The twins also use their savvy to keep their customers returning by offering a 50-cent discount on future orders.
If you’re looking for help with starting a small business, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) website has information on market research, writing a business plan and how to apply for funding. The SBA also has a counseling tool that connects small business owners to local counselors.
You can also look for local centers that may be able to offer help. For example, a Small Business Development Center allows you to access entrepreneurial training and counseling. Veterans Business Outreach Centers work with veteran or military spouse-owned businesses, and Women’s Business Centers offer training, counseling and resources to women-owned businesses.
The Osirus twins told CBS News that they hope they can be an inspiration to young entrepreneurs.
“Chase your dreams,” Alain Osirus told CBS News. “Outcompete everyone else in your business. Show them what you’re made of.”
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Rebecca Payne has more than a decade of experience editing and producing both local and national daily newspapers. She's worked on the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Metro, Canada's National Observer, the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
