The Year 12 student from Katoomba High has created www.Offsetyoyos.com, where he sells his self-designed yoyos.

“It took a few months to get everything started, to find suppliers that were the right quality I needed,” he said.

He sourced the manufacturers in China (“it’s too expensive to get them made in Australia”), rejecting four before he found one he felt he could happily work with.

To overcome language barriers, Nicholas went digital.

“I sent them the design on a CAD file and with the box [which he designed to hold the yoyo] I sent them a video animation of what I wanted.”

He also got the capital he needed by taking advance orders.

“When I started it I didn’t have enough money for production so I took pre-orders.”

Nicholas was the hands-on man for everything, from website design to manufacturing to finding suppliers to making the video (filmed by his mum) on the website which features him performing rapid tricks with his yoyo. Nicholas hopes to be able to expand his yoyo business after finishing the HSC.