Gleaming cars, their polished surfaces reflecting the Texas sun, rolling out of their driveways, each one a testament to the work of two teenage visionaries.
Among the bustling halls of CHS9, the two students Sam Minteer and Rajiv Anandkumar have been exploring the realm of entrepreneurship with Bubbles and Beyond, their car-detailing business.
What started as a simple idea, merging Minteer’s entrepreneurial aspirations and Anandkumar’s interest in business grew into a full-fledged business venture. Beginning in early January, Minteer and Anandkumar worked hard to gather supplies, make business cards and flyers, learn more about the specifics of car detailing and advertise their services.
“The car-detailing process typically takes around two and a half to three hours, depending on the size and condition of the vehicle,” Anandkumar said. “We start with an exterior wash using a pressure washer and foam cannon, followed by a thorough interior cleaning, including vacuuming, plastic cleaning and carpet extraction.”
For Minteer, the knack for wanting to be in charge of a business sprung from a desire to explore profitable opportunities while learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. Inspired by seeing his friend’s successful lawn mowing business, and recalling hearing others’ positive experiences with car detailers, he saw a unique opportunity to merge his interests.
“Rajiv reached out to me about starting this specific business, and I saw it as a great opportunity,” Minteer said. “I’ve had some experience with investing and wanted to dive deeper into it but lacked the necessary funds, so I saw this as the perfect chance to earn some extra cash.”
Anandkumar, equally driven by the prospect of financial independence was quick to propose the idea to Minteer, keeping Minteer’s interest for business in mind. With guidance from CHS9 business teacher David Janeski, the duo delved into the intricacies of investing and small business management.
“Anyone regardless of their age can benefit from entrepreneurship, because not only do you reap the benefits of getting an extra income, which is any business’ primary goal, but you also learn invaluable ‘soft’ skills such as time management, self-discipline, leadership skills, customer service, financial literacy, conflict resolution and how to deal with success or failure,” Janeski said. “I currently teach Sam and he has a very bright future; he shows an eagerness to learn and has the proper focus to succeed in anything he attempts.”
Their road to success hasn’t been without its challenges. Balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities and their budding business has required meticulous planning. However, their commitment to building Bubbles and Beyond has paid off, with a steady stream of customers coming primarily through word of mouth and social media. Their dedication to quality and customer satisfaction has earned them a loyal following within the community.
“We knew it was going to be a lot of hard work because car-detailing has many steps and processes, especially to be done properly while charging customers, but we were ready to take on the challenge ,” Anandkumar said. “We did lots of research and from our initial experience, we found out that just getting that ball rolling is the hardest part and from there, since we were passionate about being successful through the business, we tried our best to schedule as many appointments in a reasonable amount of time.”
As Bubbles and Beyond continues to expand its reach and influence, the duo remains steadfast in their commitment to delivering unparalleled service and redefining the boundaries of what it means to be young entrepreneurs in today’s society.
“If a student has the desire, motivation and drive to be an entrepreneur, they should take the risk and do it just like Sam and Rajiv did, because we learn more from our failures rather than our successes and it’s through our challenges that we explore our purpose and character,” Janeski said. “Starting a business is a risk which can be scary. However, even if someone takes that risk and realizes they don’t enjoy running a business, they can always be proud they tried; pivoting or persevering is the best life lesson I’ve learned from how much Bubbles and Beyond has grown.”
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