Hey guys, I am super excited. Summer is just around the corner! This means a lot of things: water sports, fishing, the beach, kayaking and canoe trips, internships, summer jobs, etc. I have had the opportunity to do some pretty cool things over my summers. Here are a few of my favorite ventures and what I learned.
My Past Summer Business Ideas
* Refreshment stand: This was one of my first ever summer business ideas. I absolutely loved it! I stood at the entrance to our community pool area and tried to sell refreshments. The only issue was that I did exactly that, I “tried” to sell refreshments. It turns out that not many people bring wallets to the pool. I ditched this idea and ate my inventory. At the end of the day, we chalked this one up to experience.
* Lawn Company: When I turned 13 I started my very own lawn company. A Greener Green Lawn Company “Helping your lawn and wallet stay green”. This was my first functioning business. I started with two lawns and by the end of 4 years had brought on one more full time employee and two “overload helpers.”
* Poinsettias: These actually were not my idea. I had a college friend from church who was going door to door for a while, the problem being, he had to go back to school. So I purchased his inventory, brought them to my side of Jacksonville, and sold them all in less than a day. This is a seasonal business that I continue to run every Christmas.
* Writing: I started writing for Homeschool Manager last year. I was able to learn about marketing, using different curriculum and reviewing it. I also learned more about various kinds of social media. I have enjoyed working for them more than many of my other prior jobs. In this line of work I have also started writing for Homeschool Launch.
* Internships: While I haven’t had any paid internships, I have had very informational times with the Chamber of Commerce here in St. Augustine. I learned a lot and was able to get up close to a multiple CEO’s here in town. This, above all else, has been useful and informational for me.
Make the Most of Your Summer
The summer can easily be used as a time for nothing more than fun trips to the beach. However, it can be a great opportunity to try a new business idea. Take advantage of your coming vacation and try out a few of my summer business ideas or better yet, come up with one or two of your own. This summer can be the perfect blank slate for you, take advantage of it.
Wow! Those sound like really cool jobs! I loved your idea for the Lawn Company. I think that some people are always looking for a way to get their lawns greener.
Thanks Megan! Ben has so many good ideas when it comes to business!
The lawn company is a nice idea! I started my company 3 years ago, and it has been a blast since then especially since I got a new lawn mower a few days ago! I think that the lawn business idea is a solid job for money making right there. 🙂
Another great idea for your greener lawns business that I’ve seen done before is in California people aren’t allowed to water their lawn because of the drought, so what many people are doing is painting your lawn green. Instead of the upkeep of watering the lawn you can get it painted to look alive.
Great idea Drake!
I love how you like to work during your summer to make more money. I think that is a great idea for me to do over my summer sometime.
I’m glad that after the refreshments by the pool didn’t work out you kept trying to work hard. That’s a very good idea to start a lawn company. I’m glad it was successful!