8-year-old Fresno boy starts baking business to help buy his mom new house

FRESNO, Calif. -- Local bakeries in Fresno have a new business to compete with for customers, but they might not mind.

In the summertime, you'll find most kids in the pool but not Jalen Bailey.

He's working on a recipe for success. He makes cookies by the dozens and banana nut by the loaf, and this baker is making dough at just 8 years old.

"My mom is the one who inspired me to do the business," he said.

Jalen's Bakery is a full-service confectionary.

"He's getting a lot of requests," said Jalen's mom, Sharhonda Mahan. "He did his first event."

Mahan is Jalen's assistant, but Jalen said his mom is also his best friend.

Jalen's drive isn't a complete surprise to her. It runs in the family.

"I've had side businesses since I was 18, so I felt that it was something he needed to learn," Mahan said. "If he wanted to be an entrepreneur when he grows up or it's something he wanted to do on the side."

Jalen runs the bakery out of their tiny rental home. The small home is a big part of why he's baking in the first place.

"I wanted to save up a lot of money to get a house," he said. "I just want one that me and my mom can be happy in."

For Mahan, that's a tough answer to hear.

"It was a little overwhelming because it was something that I couldn't do for him," she said.

The topic is an emotional one for the single mother.

"I guess I would wrap it into feeling overwhelmed with joy," she told ABC News. "I've always wanted to raise him to be a selfless individual."

But if you need something enough, you're sure to rise to the top.

Jalen recently went to his first business mixer and networked with local professionals. One man even offered to donate a used oven so Jalen can pump out more cookies.

Now Jalen is ready to take his business to the next level, one peanut butter cookie at a time.

"Plan big dreams ahead of you," Jalen said.

Jalen's Bakery officially opened for business on July 1, complete with its own website. Baked goods are priced from $5 to $15.

With his mother's help, the young, aspiring entrepreneur had to obtain permits in order to prepare goods in his private kitchen.

"I said I wanted to be a millionaire," Jalen said. "I thought that wasn't possible, but now I think it is."

In the future, Jalen has dreams of competing on a cooking show.

"I hope that when he grows up, he keeps the same values at his core," Mahan told ABC News.

ABC News contributed to this report.