As a teenager, some people decide not to work, some people decide to go work a minimum wage job, and some people decide to start their own business. No matter what decision someone makes, they do not normally expect to take their summer job and turn it into a six figure business. Well that is exactly what R.J. Duarte did with his high school business.
At just eight years old, Duarte started mowing lawns in Golden, CO. He kept up with the mowing himself until middle school when he decided to add his friend’s help. They kept working and increasing revenue while adding additional help. They finally named their business GreenWorx when they were in high school. Duarte decided not to go to college while his partner left.
This change in partnership led Duarte to decide to make a change to the business. He decided to stop mowing lawns and switch to landscaping. Duarte stopped mowing his clients’ lawns and took the business to a new level by turning the business into a landscaping and maintenance company. Duarte saw this change as a way to increase risk and reward. It ended up being a good business decision.
Duarte acknowledges that his business started as a way of making money, but he also wanted to show the community that young people can be successful too. Although his intentions were for monetary gain, he wanted to show people not to underestimate people.
Duarte is a good example of an entrepreneur because he was persistent, risky, and found a need. He was able to stick with his business and earn six figures. An entrepreneur needs to be able to take risks in order to get the reward and Duarte did just that by changing what his business focused on. He also capitalized on a need he saw in his community: someone to mow people’s lawns for them. Overall, he possesses many attributes of an entrepreneur that allowed him to be successful in his startup and continuing business.
Duarte inspired me because he showed that you can start something small, like a high school lawn mowing business, and turn it into a way of making a living. He showed me that it is never too soon to think big. He chose a life path that many avoid due to its risk, and I admire that.
Ultimately, Duarte’s young success as an entrepreneur allowed him to get an early start on his success in life.
I think this young man’s drive is very inspirational. He saw that people needed their lawns mowed for them because not everyone wants to or is able to mow their lawns. What Duarte did is very impressive and kind of crazy as well. I’ve had multiple friends that have started lawn mowing businesses, either minor-scale, as a “business” where they mow their neighbors’ lawns, or an actual business that employs their siblings or friends and they mow a plethora of lawns. However, I’ve never seen one of these businesses pop off like this.