Splash Brothers Kid Business Idea: Scrubbing Garbage Cans

Looking for easy small business ideas a child can start? Here’s the story of a great kid business idea started by the Splash Brothers.

What do kids do when they want to get electric bikes but they have no way to pay for them?

Well, they either don’t get the bikes…or they figure out a way to earn enough cash to buy them (as long as their parents approve, of course).

That’s exactly what Hunter Gizzi and Chase Smith, both 12, did.

Kid Business Idea: Scrubbing Garbage Cans

Hunter and Chase wanted the electric bikes so much that they made a decision at school to start a business cleaning garbage cans to earn the cash.

Honestly, I think this is genius – ours could use a scrubbing!

And it’s an easy business idea for kids to get started with.

Think about it:

• They have access to a large supply of potential clients in their own neighborhood
• There’s not much competition – I’ve never heard of a service like this before
• The costs to start this business are minimal

Both Chase and Hunter had $50 each, and they used that cash to get cleaning supplies for both cars and garbage cans: a vacuum, a foam cannon, soaps, scrubbing tools, and other brushes and rags.

How Much Money Do They Make with this Kid Business Idea?

Splash Brothers charge $20 for large garbage cans, and $10-$15 for smaller ones.

Take a look at these before and after photos:

So far, they’ve been doing this for 2-3 months, and they’ve had an amazing 50 clients so far. They mainly do the work on weekends, going over to each other’s houses to clean garbage cans in each other’s neighborhoods.

They’ve also found clients by going to friends’ houses and going around to homes in those neighborhoods.

And they’ve got raving fans – I found them from an online Facebook friend posting this photo of the two of them, and saying how grateful he was for their work and how much he admired their work ethic.

Thanks, Kelan from The Savvy Couple, for sharing this photo!

Referrals can mean big business!

Psst: looking for more ways to earn cash as a kid? Here are 100 ways kids are earning cash from real kids doing the things.

So…did they eventually get those electric bikes?

One did (woohoo!), and the other Splash Brother is still saving up for his.

What an awesome, mini-business idea! These two are both motivated to continue doing the garbage cans and save their money for other things.

Now it’s your turn: what questions do you have for the Splash Brothers? Is this a kid business idea you can see your child or teenager starting in their own neighborhood? Sounds like an awesome summer project to me.

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Amanda L. Grossman

Chief Creator at Money Prodigy

Amanda L. Grossman is a writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), a 2017 Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient, and founder of Money Prodigy. Her money work has been featured on Experian, GoBankingRates, PT Money, CA.gov, Rockstar Finance, the Houston Chronicle, and Colonial Life. Amanda is the founder and CEO of Frugal Confessions, LLC. Read more here or on LinkedIn.

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