While many young people spend their summers lamenting the lack of things to do, Jake Kerr channeled that extra energy into an opportunity to make some extra dough.
The young entrepreneur has a head for business and through three ventures has worked his way to buying his first vehicle for cash – all before he is even legally allowed to driven.
“I need to get my learners,” said the 14-year-old.
A big chunk of that money came from raising and selling litters of lab puppies, the third and latest batch of eight going for $950 apiece.
His other businesses include Edge Knives – a knife sharpening outfit – and Detail Dudes auto detailing, the latter which he runs with his friend and business partner Arrie Beda.
For both businesses, Kerr developed a business plan before getting to work.
It seems to have paid off, both businesses have a customer base and the knife sharpening operation has expanded to include a monthly commercial contract with Portofino Ristorante.
“It was just something to keep me busy,” said Kerr. “I had a lot of spare time on my hands.”
His business efforts will look great on a resume, Kerr said. He just so happens to be putting his first one together to apply for a job at Portofino so he can begin working toward his next career goal of working as a chef.
“I’ll start out as dishwasher at first and then to salads,” he said of the plan if he gets the job.
For those who are thinking about starting their own business, Kerr recommends starting small and working with the supplies on hand before investing in a lot of materials.
His knife sharpening operation began with a little sharpener his family had at home before they purchased an industrial sharpener, for example.
Life isn’t all work for Kerr, he also collects comic books. Even that has a bit of a financial component.
“They gain value, it’s an investment,” he said.
