jeremy said:
Started a lawn mowing business at 10 or 11. Went door to door and found customers. Had one guy sign up to let me mow his yard. He would sit on his porch in amazement and watch me push that mower (barely able to see over the top of the push bar). He was cheap, too. Wouldnt let me mow but every third week.
Made enough money that summer to go to the pool a few times and open a checking account (had to have $100) .
Been bustin' my hump ever since. Sometimes holding three jobs at a time. Work was created before the fall and is a blessing to man to give value and purpose. After the fall, work became harder and more toil. Aint nothing wrong with some work.
We moved at the end of the summer when I was 10, so I started lawns the next summer when I was 11. Started with 2 "accounts" -- neighbors across the street. I added about 1-3 a year through Jr. High. The summer between my 8th and 9th grade year, I had 3 or 4 houses of older people on a street about a half mile away. I would push my mower, mow all the lawns, push it back home, walk back with stick edger, broom, and bags, and finish the job. If I remember right, that was $15 a yard, but that was weekly and I thought that was great. Maybe it was $12, but I wasn't complaining.
High water mark was 14-15 in HS. Even had "employees," but few ever worked out. I got tired of having to teach most of them how to a) work and b) mow yards to my standards. The rest mostly didn't want to work hard.
If I did it today, I'd have had 10 my first year. My street alone today, I could get half a dozen. Where were these people back in the '80s?