Making repairs and negotiating deals comes naturally to 14-year-old Jerome Smalls.
The Zucker Middle School eighth-grader learned how to fix things from his grandfather, Papa, who’s made a career in construction- related jobs, and Smalls’ knack for business is innate.
He combined the two skills to launch a business, The Handykid, and he spent most of last summer doing odd jobs for his North Charleston neighbors and family friends….
Does this young man sound great or what? I was really impressed.
This is awesome. I believe that the answer to our current economic crisis, which has resulted in high unemployment and underemployment, is to encourage kids and adults to become entrepreneurs. We need young people to learn that working for someone else should be a choice, not the only option available. I would love to see schools teach business/entrepreneur classes, and pair students with local mentors, from a young age and encourage creativity, autonomy, and initiative, instead of conformity and a victim mentality that is sometimes encouraged these days.
lets see – how many government mandates did he miss (and will not be asked about because it is such a good story) – probably no workers comp, too young to legally perform some jobs he did (ie work rules prevent getting on a ladder, using any power tools, a car jack…), health insurance, business license, etc?
There was a young female entrepreneur (11 or 12) in Portland OR who sold lemonade from a sidewalk stand near her home. She was cited for failure to have a licence, failure to comply with health department laws, etc., etc. After the outcry from the public the City renigged and let her sell her drinks.