Some teens still use snow days to make a buck (Opinion)

We’ve all heard how kids today are lazy, how they don’t play outside anymore, and we’ve certainly heard how they don’t want to do things like shovel for money.

So along came this nor’easter.

I live in Raritan Township (even though I always say Flemington because that’s the mailing address) and my driveway is long. You can fit five or six cars lengthwise and two cars widthwise. So when it snows, I shovel.

And shovel. And ... you get the idea.

I never invested in a snowblower because we were rather house poor just to acquire the home, and the last few winters have been fairly mild. So a shovel was fine. Until now.

Even by midday Monday we had 15 inches on our property and it’s only gone up since then. I’ve been at a hotel near the station because of the bad roads so I haven’t even been there to begin the shoveling process.

By last night my wife went online and found some community forums and started asking about plow guys. From my end I contacted these places, left voicemails, left text messages, and nothing. No response.

Which I get. We’re not regular, established customers and I realize how these guys could be pulling all-nighters doing business parking lots as well. So I’m not surprised.

Looked like I would have tons (literally) of shoveling ahead of me.

Then this morning I got a text from home that a mom who saw the forum last night contacted us about her son and his friend, two teenagers who were looking for shoveling gigs. Of course I said go for it.

Long story short with one snowblower and one shovel these high school kids said they’d do the entire driveway and walkway for $120. Hired. And they’re there now, on time when they said they would be, working hard, even cleaning her car off for her unasked. They will be getting paid a lot more than $120.

I’m impressed that kids like this still exist. Kids will work at established businesses, sure. But to see that entrepreneurial spirit is still out there is good to see. You set your price. You have the discipline to show up on time, get things done with no one guiding you. These are the kinds of guys who go on to have their own companies one day.

Now should I finally buy a snowblower? Or support this fledgling entrepreneurial spirit? Hmmm.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.