Josue and DeShawn are middle school students who live a couple of blocks from each other and who’ve known each other since the first grade. Since starting sixth grade earlier this year, they both concluded that they need more pocket money. Their parents also think that the boys should be more industrious and develop ways to make money.
That’s exactly what they did. They thought over a number of ways that they could do this. As fall approached, they go from house to house introducing themselves to those who didn’t already know them. They told the residents of each home that they were entrepreneurs, and that they provided services like raking leaves. They also mentioned that they would be available for shoveling snow in the winter and mowing the lawn in the spring and summer.
In order to handle everything in a business-like manner, Josue and DeShawn provided each resident with a business card and a flyer listing their rates and contact information. They called their new enterprise “At Your Service.”
When they knocked on doors, they told residents to take time to think over what they were offering, but to act fast, as At Your Service would be all booked up with other clients soon. (Of course, they had absolutely no clients, but thought it best to promote a positive attitude.)
As the appointments came in, the boys placed everything in the computer. They knew they had a few weeks when they could rake after school during the week. (Though daylight savings would kick in soon.) And they could rake every Saturday for the next month, too.
They ended up getting 12 clients, some of whom they would need to do multiple raking appointments for. In the end, they brought in $800 for their efforts in raking leaves, and they split the money evenly. Josue’s grandparents added another $100 dollars, since they were very proud of what he had done. DeShawn mentioned what Josue’s grandparents had done to his grandmother. Unfortunately, she could only give him $25, since she’d been laid off for nearly a year and had only recently returned to work. But his godfather was in town about this time and gave him a gift of $25 for his birthday.
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