Program helps students be their own boss

Young entrepreneurs are cleaning pools, mowing lawns and even offering AI software development through a provincially funded program that helps students run their own summer businesses.

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Madison Nantais has a customer base of 55 for her company, Brantford Lawn Clippers. The rainy summer has produced lush grass and lots of work for the 16-year-old North Park Collegiate Grade 11 student.

“I’m busy all day,” she said. “I’m waiting for the dry season.”

Seventeen-year-old Simon Hoeflaak of Vanessa, who graduated in June from Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Simcoe, has clients all over Norfolk and in Brantford, Hamilton and Stoney Creek eager to use his Brightside Window Service and relieve them of doing one the most hated household chores.

“This week I’m fully booked,” he said.

Hoeflaak and Nantais are among 12 participants selected from 28 applicants for this year’s Summer Company program. The Brantford-Brant Business Resource Center has administered the program, funded by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, for more than 15 years. It provides students between the ages of 15 and 29 with hands-on business coaching and a grant of up to $3,000.

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“Over the summer, students learn the importance of business and financial planning, budgeting, marketing and the value of providing great customer service,” said Natalie Walker, a small business consultant with the Business Resource Center. “Students also learn the importance of a strong work ethic and how to manage their time. As the boss, students learn how to problem solve and how to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers and employees.”

Hoeflaak gets most of its customers through door-to-door marketing. At first timid and discouraged by homeowners who weren’t always welcoming, he said he’s learning to be a better salesman.

“I used to have a script, but it made me sound like a robot,” said Hoeflaak.

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He and his crew wear autism awareness buttons in support of a friend on the spectrum who helps with the door-to-door calls.

Nantais was just 12 when her dad suggested she fill some idle time during the pandemic by mowing neighborhood lawns.

“We started small with used lawnmowers and a few advertisements on Facebook,” she said. “My dad is my mentor. He would help me by driving to all the properties and monitoring my work. We had 30 customers that first summer.”

Nantais said the Summer Company program taught her how to better promote her business and get more clients. She used the funding she received to buy two new Honda lawnmowers with a mulching feature that helps draw customers.

Hoeflaak has recruited his older brother and a couple of friends to help out. In addition to window cleaning, they offer gutter cleaning, pressure washing, leaf cleanup and snow removal. He used the funding he received to pay for insurance and purchase some higher-end supplies.

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“It’s inspiring to see the variety of business students come up with and their drive to make them successful,” said Walker. “The passion and determination they show, especially at such a young age, is impressive and speaks to their potential as future entrepreneurs.”

Among the other businesses supported through the program are those specializing in 3D printing, social media marketing, pool cleaning, and sticker design. One innovative student started a company that provides predictive software solutions to help small businesses anticipate and solve potential problems.

Hoeflaak, who also operates a separate vehicle detailing business, is delaying for a year a planned trip to the Netherlands (he is a dual citizen) to continue operating Brightside Window Service beyond the summer.

“I like running my own business. I don’t like working for other people. But there are pros and cons to everything. It’s all about self-discipline and getting up and doing it.”

Nantais plans to get her G2 license later this year and use some of the money she has earned to buy a used truck with a trailer hookup “to really expand the business and hire people.” She also plans to take a small engine repair course so she can fix lawnmowers and is enrolled in an entrepreneur business class.

“I’m a very active person,” she said. “I love being busy.”

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