BlahBlahYouToo
Lifer
i'd hire him over the illegals, and probably get in trouble with some child labor law.
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http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/11-year-old_chatham_kid_runs_o.html
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CHATHAM BOROUGH — On a hot Sunday morning, Robbie Kelly is out tending to his lawn business, mowing grass, whacking weeds, trimming borders along the sidewalk. His white T-shirt, emblazoned with the company name, Green Scaping lawn services, is soaked with sweat.
The lawns he works get professional treatment, his customers say. He goes over every inch of every yard — front and back. Wearing olive shorts, work boots with black socks pulled up to his shins, he edges the way a barber shaves an ear line.
"I can’t leave something messy when I have my name on it," he said.
His green headphones, which drown out the noise from his equipment, sitting atop a bushy blonde hair, look huge on his small frame. After all, Green Scaping’s ambitious owner is 11-years old.
Samantha Dowling, who lives around the corner and counts herself among Robbie’s satisfied customers, said the young man has always been atypical — the kind of kid who passed on lemonade stands in favor of blood pressure screening stands.
Video: 11-year-old runs his own landscaping business Video: 11-year-old runs his own landscaping business For 11-year-old Robbie Kelly, running his landscaping business has grown to around six lawns a weekend and something that takes up a lot of his time. He keeps investing in his business, but it may be awhile before it is a full-time job since he is only in sixth grade. (Video by Joe Proudman/The Star-Ledger) Watch video
"We have always said we can’t wait to see what this kid turns into," Dowling said. "He has always been an entrepreneur. He’s going to invent the next internet or something."
Proceeds from his earlier ventures were split among the Chatham police, fire and ambulance squad. When Robbie’s father died last year from a pulmonary embolism, some of the uniformed personnel, remembering Robbie, came to the funeral.
A couple years ago, when a tree fell across the street from Robbie’s home and the fire department came because of downed wires, Robbie was there, too.
"He had the turnout gear, the helmet, the whole works," said Chatham Detective Ed Uranyi. "He helped me put up the crime scene tape. It was really cute."
But now Robbie is the one giving orders. The landscaping business began in the fall of 2009 when he was 9. Now 11, Robbie runs a full-service operation, taking care of the lawn during the summer, the leaves in the fall and the snow in the winter. He’ll even clean off your car on snowy mornings.
Robbie, his mother Sally said, has always had a serious side to him — the kind of kid who played cops and robbers but insisted on being the cop.
"He only ever wanted to be the good guy," she said.
The interest in scaping began when Robbie was a kid.
"When I was younger," Robbie said, "S Johnson would do our lawn and I’d sit at the door and watch them and then learn what they do and how they do it."
Steven Johnson, whose landscape management company has been working Chatham and surrounding neighborhoods since 1996, remembered the inquisitive young man.
"It was a little unusual, somebody so young would take an interest." Johnson said. But don’t worry. There won’t be any turf wars, he said.
"I’ve always believed there is plenty of work out there for everybody," Johnson said. "I would say if he wants to continue on the path he started he needs to learn a lot about what he’s doing and learn about where he wants to go."
Check and check. Robbie spends time on the internet, researching how to advertise his burgeoning business. His 9-year old brother, Willie, is his sales manager, designing flyers and posters.
"He makes them, I approve them," Robbie said.
Willie also tackles the business side of scaping.
"I’m pretty good at math for my age," Willie said. "I help him divide the money between his workers."
Sally said both boys were like that from a very early age, always willing to talk to adults as peers.
"They’re hugely talkative, both very gregarious" Sally said.
Willie manages the employment forms, which ask prospective employees — other local kids — for their age, name and phone number, and keeps track of who has been hired and who must be informed that the company is looking in another direction.
"Mainly what I am looking for is kids who can take hard, physical work," Robbie said.
Which is where Robbie excels. The mercury had already risen past 80 degrees when he strapped the leafblower to his back, put his weedwhacker on top of the mower and pushed them down the street about a quarter-mile to Frank Engelkraut’s home.
"Do you know what kind of grass you have," Robbie asked Engelkraut, "because depending on what kind of grass you have, it will grow faster or slower."
Engelkraut laughed.
"No, you’re the expert," he said.
Engelkraut said he is pleased with the level of service he has received and happily hands out Robbie’s business card.
"Green Scaping," the green and white card reads in big, bold type. It has Robbie’s address, phone number, e-mail address and website.
"I told him to raise his prices a bit because he really does a professional job," Engelkraut said.
Robbie usually charges $20 per visit.
"I do have a billing system," Robbie said.
After cleaning Engelkraut’s lawn of toys and twigs, Robbie pulled the chord on his push mower with everything he had. He not only jerked his right arm and shoulder, but also twisted his body nearly 90 degrees so that his hips could generate enough torque to start the mower.
Nothing happened. He tried again, and again, and then again.
Finally, after about a dozen attempts, the mower roared to life.
Off in the distance, there are sounds of a far more powerful mower at work — a rider — the kind that Robbie hopes to buy when he has the capital.
"I really have my eyes on a BOB-CAT," he said. To do that, he’ll need more cash, which means more customers. He’s working on that, though it can be a bit difficult because he needs clients he can walk to — so his mom won’t have to drive him to work.
The flyers help, and he is working on creating a commercial, but word of mouth is still the most potent weapon. Robbie and Willie pitch their business easily and freely and are not shy about handing out those business cards.
"You call us if you ever need anything," Willie said.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/11-year-old_chatham_kid_runs_o.html
