Discus Awards

In the summer of 2009 I started a business called The Rig. This is a mobile car wash business. Going into my junior year, I knew I needed a job, but I did not want to go the traditional route. Through my Father, I learned of a spray rig that was for sale for two thousand dollars, quite a hefty price for a high school student, but my Dad said he would back me so we purchased the rig. It started out small, but soon I got my own business cards and got regular clients. I paid my Dad back in full before the summer was even close to being over and made a great profit.

It was definitely hard sometimes scheduling clients around gym sessions and football camps, but I had to weigh my priorities and schedule accordingly. During the school year, I washed a little bit but not much, because school comes before making money. Being your own boss makes it hard to work sometimes knowing there are no consequences for not working; I learned to self-motivate.

I believe learning how to effectively run a profitable business was a great experience for me and has really taught me how start a business in the future. My future goal is to own an elite athletic training facility and what I learned operating The Rig will be invaluable to me when I begin that endeavor. It is a little scary not knowing if you’re going to be able to make the payments; however, with risk comes reward.

Filed under: Jake Roark • All-Around High School Students • Meet the Discus Winner