Building a Business

Three students share how they started their own businesses during high school

Sophomore Adam Stone began his lawn care business at 10 years old. Photo courtesy of Stone. AMS Lawn Service is a profitable lawn care business started by sophomore Adam Stone at a young age.

“I started [my lawn care] business when I was 10 years old,” Stone said.

After being a business owner for nearly six years, Stone said he considers himself to be a professional at this point, with all of the right qualifications, equipment and experience.

“I am professional,” Stone said. “I have invested in state of the art equipment as well as always learning new ways to provide the best lawn services in the area.”

While his business growth has been exponential, Stone said some of his business successes have far surpassed the rest. One of these being the purchase of his very own truck.

“Making enough money last year to get a truck, trailer and fleet of equipment [have been my greatest business successes],” Stone said.

There are many positive aspects to owning a business, but Stone said there are a few that are more impactful than others.

“My favorite aspect is definitely that I’m my own boss and I can choose what I want to do and how to do it,” Stone said.

Stone said while his business is very successful, he has encountered challenges along the way as well.

“The biggest challenge for me has been finding good help that will be reliable but also put in effort,” Stone said.

When going into the business world it is important to understand the value of the company from the get go.

“Know what you are worth,” Stone said. “Don’t be cheap, go in confident and you will be paid what you are worth.”

Sophomore Rhett Krewson started his own auto detailing business amidst a pandemic, a time where cleaning cars was necessary.

“I started my business in October 2020,” Krewson said. “I saw the need to create a better and cheaper service in my community.”

Auto detailing may not be the most common of hobbies, but for students like Krewson, whose hobbies include detailing his own car, turning it into a successful business was simply a part of the process.

“I like my job a lot,” Krewson said. “I get to go all around the KC area and work outside and do something that I am really passionate about.”

While Rhett’s Auto Detailing (the name of Krewson’s business) is gaining credibility, Krewson said spreading the word about his business has been very difficult for him.

“Getting the word out has been difficult for me when starting my business,” Krewson said. “Moms or adults that primarily use Facebook that like my service will share on their social media, which spreads to other people that are more likely to be interested in my service.”

For anyone else looking to start their own business, Krewson said it is important to set one’s aspirations ahead of time in order to ensure a smooth start to the business.

“[It is important to] make goals and plans to help guide you through the beginning of your business,” Krewson said. “Friends and family are a great tool and help.”

Senior Lianna Shoikhet started a photography business to take pictures for all kinds of events. Photo by Shoikhet Sophomore Rhett Krewson turned his hobby of detailing cars into a successful business. Photo courtesy of Krewson.

Senior Lianna Shoikhet turned her hobby into a popular business amongst all generations.

During a global pandemic, Shoikhet began doing photo shoots for her friends and family whenever she got the chance.

“It started with me and my friend just going and taking some photos in the park, and then went to families, seniors, graduates and sports teams contacting me asking me to take photos for their team or for their event,” Shoikhet said.

Turning an idea into a reality was an accomplishment for Shoikhet, but she said advertising has been one of the most difficult parts of running her business.

“I would say the main challenge for me has been outreach,” Shoikhet said. “I manage my Instagram account in order to gain clients from that.”

When looking to start a business, Shoikhet said it is a good idea to plan logistics beforehand. If general thoughts are organized and gathered, the business is bound to have less issues in the long run.

“For me, it was just really fun to plan out the little things,” Shoikhet said. “I like being able to figure those things out, so for me it was helpful to plan everything ahead of the time I officially started my business.”

Throughout the past year of her business, Shoikhet said she has experienced a lot of success and considers her business to be very successful.

“I’ve been really surprised at the amount of clients that I’ve been able to serve and the amount of outreach that my photos have gotten,” Shoikhet said. “So yes, I would consider my business successful.”

| macykennedy