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As a young teenager, I found working to be uniquely exciting. Since I was always drawn to independence, working eventually led to a freedom of choice in the clothes I wanted to wear, the food I wanted to eat, and the things I wanted to buy.
So I went the “typical kid” route and cut lawns. My dad suggested buying a good mower with some of my savings, but I thought it possible to work that expense into my fees. I approached people with the proposition that I would cut their lawn with their mower and their gas, and instead of charging the typical $10, I would cut the lawn for $8--taking a dollar off each for gas and wear-and-tear on the mower. I found most people agreeable to that, and when it came time to pay, most (not all) would still hand me $10 and say, “Oh, just keep it kid, you do a nice job.” Instead of dragging a mower around the neighborhood, this idea allowed me to bike from job to job more quickly, creating a much larger customer base. And I never had to pay for repairs. By design, doing the job well earned that $2 bonus more for integrity than anything else.
Fairly soon I had 10 regular customers, and I spaced out the cuttings so I had two a day with weekends off. Once $100 a week was coming in regularly, I became known as a reliable entity. My customers often had other jobs, too, like washing windows, cleaning out garages, and trimming hedges. I seized these opportunities, and before I returned to school in the fall, I had about $3,000 in the bank.
