It all started with a printing pen 13-year-old Max Lawson got for his birthday.
Then his best friend Ethan Carr got one too.
Even though they didn't have any fidget spinners, when they saw how many kids were using or playing with them, they could see the potential.
"I figured we could make them ourselves," said Max, explaining how easy it is to find designs on the internet.
They asked their parents to buy them a $300 3D printer.
"We said we would make that initial investment in your business. And they have made that money back and have paid us back that money," said Max's father Chris Lawson.
Making #fidgetspinners with their own 3-D printer. How 2 local 13-year-old boys created a successful business @wusa9 at 5pm pic.twitter.com/ekr3qjioYV
— Peggy Fox (@PeggyTV) May 31, 2017
He said he had the boys come up with a business plan.
After just three months, they're seeing a profit. They sell their own personally-designed spinners at craft shows and community events, pulling in about $100 at each event.
"You have to put work into it. It takes work. You can't just slide around and not do anything," said Carr.
"They've learned that it takes hard work to make something that's of value to someone else. They've learned the value of money," said Chris Lawson.
The boys say that most kids are amazed at their creations. But some tease them. But the boys say they realize those kids are "just jealous."
And Carr and Lawson are laughing all the way to the bank.
Their business is called EMP Printing, which stands for Ethan-Max Printing. They're already employing basic business strategies by offering their products for less than those sold by retailers.
Their biggest selling point? EMP Printing's fidget spinners are originals and made in Manassas.
