Meet Aidan from Poultry With Dan

Starting a business is rarely as simple as having a good idea.

It takes patience, problem-solving, consistency and a willingness to learn as you go. For Aidan, the young entrepreneur behind Poultry with Dan, that journey began with a product almost everyone needs: eggs.

What started as an opportunity to meet everyday demand has grown into a developing poultry business, supported by marketing skills, technology and a clear ambition to keep expanding.

Aidan’s story is a strong reminder that young Barbadians do not need to wait until everything is perfect before getting started. Sometimes, progress begins with using the skills you already have and learning the rest along the way.

Turning Everyday Demand into a Business Opportunity

Aidan sells eggs and chicken through Poultry with Dan.

He recognised early that eggs are an everyday staple. People buy them regularly, demand is consistent and there is an opportunity to build a reliable customer base.

Aidan is also studying marketing at the Barbados Community College, and he saw a chance to apply what he was learning in a practical way.

His marketing background helped him think beyond simply producing eggs. He also considered how to sell them, reach customers and keep the business moving.

That combination of practical farming and marketing knowledge has played an important role in the growth of Poultry with Dan.

Learning the Business from the Ground Up

Running a poultry business required Aidan to learn much more than sales.

He had to understand how chickens behave, how to care for them properly and what conditions help them produce consistently. This meant learning through experience and becoming more familiar with the day-to-day realities of poultry farming.

Like many new entrepreneurs, Aidan also discovered that the product is only one part of the business.

There are customers to manage, orders to track, finances to monitor and operating costs to control.

These responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming, particularly when demand begins to grow.

Instead of allowing those challenges to slow him down, Aidan looked for ways to improve how the business operated.

Using Technology to Solve Real Problems

One of the most impressive parts of Aidan’s journey is his decision to build an app to help manage the business.

The app allows him to keep track of areas such as:

• Customer information
• Orders
• Business finances
• Day-to-day operations

Rather than relying on memory or scattered records, he created a tool that could help him stay organised and make better decisions.

This is an important lesson for any entrepreneur.

Technology does not always need to be complicated. The best tools often solve simple, everyday problems. By building a system around the needs of his own business, Aidan has made it easier to manage growth and serve customers more effectively.

Growing to Meet Customer Demand

Aidan currently has approximately 160 chickens, with around 100 actively laying eggs.

His goal is to increase that number to between 200 and 250 chickens so that Poultry with Dan can better meet the demand from customers.

At the moment, demand is already higher than the available supply.

For many entrepreneurs, attracting enough customers is the greatest challenge. Aidan is facing the opposite problem. He has built enough interest that he now needs to expand production.

He and his father are working together to construct an additional section of the chicken pen. They are also exploring ways to reduce feed costs, which represent one of the business’s largest expenses.

This stage of the journey requires careful planning. Growing too quickly can create financial pressure, while growing too slowly can mean missing opportunities.

Aidan’s approach shows the value of expanding with purpose, understanding your costs and building the capacity needed to serve customers properly.

What We Can Learn from Aidan

Aidan’s story offers several useful lessons for young people who are interested in starting or growing a business.

1. Start with a Real Need

Poultry with Dan is built around products people use regularly.

A strong business does not always need to begin with a completely new invention. It can begin by providing a familiar product in a reliable, convenient or improved way.

2. Use the Skills You Already Have

Aidan used his marketing studies to help promote and sell his products.

Your current skills, education or experience may already give you part of what you need to get started. The remaining knowledge can be developed through research, practice and experience.

3. Be Prepared to Learn

Aidan had to learn how to care for chickens, maintain egg production and manage the operational side of the business.

Entrepreneurship often requires people to learn outside of their original area of expertise. The willingness to learn can be just as valuable as experience.

4. Build Systems Early

By creating an app to manage customers, finances and orders, Aidan has started building systems that can support future growth.

Good systems reduce confusion, save time and make it easier to manage an expanding business.

5. Put Yourself Out There

Aidan’s advice to other young entrepreneurs is simple: get online, create exposure and allow people to see what you are doing.

A strong product can only grow if customers know it exists.

Social media and digital platforms give small businesses an affordable way to tell their stories, build trust and connect directly with potential buyers.

What Could You Start Today?

You may not have every answer, every resource or every detail worked out yet.

Start by identifying a need. Use the skills you already have. Learn what you do not know and let people see what you are building.

Your idea may begin small, but with consistent action, it can grow into something meaningful.

If Aidan can do it, you can do it.

Let’s Do It Barbados.