www.roanoke.com

Instead of looking for jobs this summer, some teens have decided to create a business of their own.

Run by two teenagers — David Whitehurst and Zachary Hubbard — H&W Lawncare began this spring, and its young owners say they are off to a great start.

“We’ve made over $3,000” mowing, trimming, landscaping and mulching, David said . “We also do odd jobs.”

Zachary added with a laugh, “We’re not looking forward to taxes next year, though.”

The two have little work during the week, but Zachary said they have big jobs every weekend.

And their new business continues to grow. Since starting, they have served more than 100 people, some of whom receive routine services.

“We began the business to make a profit and gain business experience in the real working world,” David said.

David is a junior at Roanoke Catholic School, while Zachary is a junior at Hidden Valley High. They met at Roanoke Catholic and have remained friends, even after Zachary left to attend Hidden Valley.

Together, they spend evenings and weekends promoting and conducting their business.

“We currently advertise through fliers and by distributing business cards,” David said. “Word of mouth about the quality of our service has been the most useful advertising technique.”

They are also considering posting signs throughout the area this summer to get even more customers.

David mentioned that he and his partner try to be as professional as possible, especially because they knew that customers were watching and determining whether teenagers could meet their expectations. Both teens work in their spare time, putting in whatever hours it takes to meet the demands of the job.

However, getting started in the business world proved to be not so easy for these teenage entrepreneurs. It took more than showing up at someone’s house with a lawn mower. The teens had to get approval by Roanoke County and its zoning board, and then pay a registration fee of $75.

After receiving appropriate permits, and developing advertising materials, finding customers was yet another hurdle.

“It took another month before our business started to grow,” David said.

David and Zachary currently run their business out of their homes, and they contract with other students if there is a need to complete a large job in a timely manner. Because they operate out of their residences, they are not allowed to actually hire employees.

When asked what he would recommend to other teenage entrepreneurs, David said: “Find something you are good at, put yourself in a position to make it work and then, money will come.”

The teens intend to expand H&W Lawncare in the near future, and they hope to appeal to a wider range of customers and businesses.

For information about their services, or for a free estimate, contact H&W at 354-6818 or 521-7251.

— Nilam Patel from Hidden Valley High School contributed to this report.